begin rant

The cast came off today, but the pin has not yet been removed from my hand. According to the doctor, it is possible that I may need to spend another month immobilized in a fixed cast before he is confident that there has been sufficient bone growth to merit moving me to a firm splint. We will confirm or deny this bone growth by sending me to get my hand CAT-scanned tomorrow during lunch. In the meantime, I wear the firm splint, as they would have just had to cut the cast off for the CAT scan anyhow. I also get a neat new jagged lightning-bolt of a scar (sigh... yes, I suppose it is like Harry Potter's scar, but not nearly as nice) to keep. If you look carefully at the first curve in the scarline, you can also see the protruding lump of the pin submerged just beneath the surface flesh...