I feel sorry for the poor pedicure technician the next time I go get my toes done since I can basically guarantee I will stop shaving my legs right before my next visit.

But I feel doubly sorry for Erika who is pregnant, on pain medication and worried about the health of her unborn child. She has been through the ringer the past two years.

We chose to leave out the closeup shot of her healing wound just because it was too graphic and required precious seconds of set up time (you know, where the reporter or anchor warns you about the footage you're about to see). Besides, the wider shot we used was just as effective at setting up the problem.

Again, to reinforce what we covered.. cases of infection from a whirlpool tub are rare. I should say rare, but not unheard of. Hopefully those tips will help you reduce any risk you might run into.

And for more background information here are some important links you can use:

This link has excellent information about the type of bacteria we are talking about:

The Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Here is additional information:

www.nurseweek.com

And here is a great way to check out the status of a nail salon's license in Oregon and Washington:

Oregon's website ((click on License Inquiry)): http://www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS/index.shtml

Washington's website ((click on Check License Status)): http://www.dol.wa.gov/plss/cosfront.htm

Want to share your thoughts on this topic?? Email me at: sstricklen@kgw.com

One nail technician who heard I was working on this story already called to tell me that she thinks many salons do the minimum when it comes to cleanliness, but she believes part of the problem is that it's hard for salons to keep up with (or even know about) the board requirements.

I bet I'll hear from a lot of people between now and the next few days on this........