Bone fragments. That's it, that's what was causing the excrutiating pain. A piece was wedged between the top of the tibia and the femur.
When the nurse called to tell me I'd have to wait another week before the doctor could do surgery, I started crying. I begged her to see if there was any way to make it sooner. Usually I'm all for lounging around, but this couch isn't that comfortable. And, another week probably would have sent Larry over the edge. He doesn't do well when one of us is hurt. Don't get me wrong, he's been going above and beyond caring for me, but he wants me better more than I want me better. It was he who demanded I see the doctor in Shanghai, and thank God I did or I'd still be sitting here with that crazy cast.
Parkway Health has several locations. The site where my surgery took place was the fourth floor of the JW Marriott service apartments. It's one the most distinguishable buildings in Shanghai and a far cry from Kowloon's ER. We were ushered into one of the four suites complete with private marble bathroom and flat screen. Definitely not where the locals are treated. I was wheeled to all my pre-op tests and made the phlebotomists earn their money as they searched for a vein. Even though I had to hop up on to the OR table and the anesthesiologist was fitting me for my face mask and tube while I was still awake, everything turned out fine...I mean I did wake up and all.
Larry was waiting for me in the suite when I came out of recovery and talked with the doctor. He went through the same surgery a few years ago. He also took off the overkill bandages after we got home from Shanghai. My leg was wrapped from thigh to foot and my toes looked like overboiled mini hotdogs. Not sure why the chinese like ace bandages so much, but I have a nice little collection of them now. I'm hoping for a quick recovery as this little mishap has put a bit of damper on 2011's beginning.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
As the year wound down, the temperature came down as well. Our Vietnam tans began to fade and unfortunately, our pictures from the trip were either lost on one computer, which was infected by a nasty virus, wiping out all files or stuck on the other computer, which got left in the taxi on our way to Ho Chi Minh City. Thankfully, we had an honest taxi driver, who brought the computer to the resort. Our new friend, Phuong, has a brother who's going to school in Shanghai. He's coming home at the end of January for several weeks and has agreed to bring the computer back with him. We'll see...
Larry went back to work and had to go to Korea for the week. The girls played with their new toys and things were fairly dull until Friday. I was chatting with my parents when I lost the connection. As I got down on my knee to see if the cable had come loose, I felt the worse pain and something in my knee give way. I tried to stand up, but fell back down. Katie was coming down the stairs at that exact moment and came to help me. I couldn't straighten my leg and was starting to panic a bit. This same thing had happened not that long ago, but only lasted a few minutes and I was able to 'unlock' my knee. But after icing it and then soaking it in a hot bath to no improvement, I waited until Larry got home to do something about it.
Wendy went with me to Kowloon. She and Mr. Tan helped me with all of the translations, but my injury was beyond the capabilities of the ER doctors. Frankly, my first impression of the place was sheer horror. Nothing was sterile, the table I was examined on was filthy and had blood stains from the previous patient. The x-ray technician wasn't much older than Katie and didn't understand that I physically could not straighten my leg and kept insisting I try. It took me screaming in pain for him to stop. After several hours and three doctors, I was told to come again the next day to have an MRI. Then he proceeded to put a cast from my butt to my ankle on and then send me on my way without crutches. He told Wendy I would have to buy some from a medical center. Funny, I thought a hospital was a medical center. I had to turn in my passport to get a wheelchair while I was at the hospital and as I was being wheeled from floor to floor from doctor to doctor, I passed this huge room, which looked like a waiting room. No, it was a treatment room. Each chair had an IV pole and probably close to a hundred people in there were being treated. I've never seen anything like it. I pray I never need IV fluids while I'm here.
My cast looked like one of the twins' paper mache projects that had gone horribly wrong. Larry was furious they'd put a cast on it since it was so swollen. By the time, I'd made it to my new home, the couch, the evening was a bust. Needless to say, we did not ring in the New Year with great joy.
Wendy arrived the next morning to take me back for my MRI. We went to the VIP wing that is for expats. Seriously, the only difference is bigger chairs, but if you need an IV you will be sitting in the main waiting room for all the world to see. Privacy is not an issue and neither is cleanliness. The fourth doctor kept hacking up giant wads of phlem and spitting them into the trash can next to my table while he viewed the MRI. He asked Wendy if they'd taken one of my other knee so he had something to which he could compare it. I knew right then and there, I was destined to see yet another doctor. He put on yet another full leg cast and told me it would be four weeks before I'd be able to straighten it, but never told me what was wrong.
Larry made an appointment with an outfit in Shanghai, so Monday morning we loaded into the van and saw doctor number five. He admitted right off the bat he was not a specialist and we'd have to come back the next day to see the orthopedic specialist. Finally, doctor number six seemed to have a clue that something was not as it should be and surgery would be necessary to correct the problem. He tried his best to manipulate my knee into a straight position, but when I screamed in pain, he immediately called one of the nurses to start the insurance approval process. He also gave me a medicine, which actually diminishes the pain for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, the stupid insurance company dragged their feet and I'll have to wait another week before the surgery. Guess I'll have plenty of time to blog...
Larry went back to work and had to go to Korea for the week. The girls played with their new toys and things were fairly dull until Friday. I was chatting with my parents when I lost the connection. As I got down on my knee to see if the cable had come loose, I felt the worse pain and something in my knee give way. I tried to stand up, but fell back down. Katie was coming down the stairs at that exact moment and came to help me. I couldn't straighten my leg and was starting to panic a bit. This same thing had happened not that long ago, but only lasted a few minutes and I was able to 'unlock' my knee. But after icing it and then soaking it in a hot bath to no improvement, I waited until Larry got home to do something about it.
Wendy went with me to Kowloon. She and Mr. Tan helped me with all of the translations, but my injury was beyond the capabilities of the ER doctors. Frankly, my first impression of the place was sheer horror. Nothing was sterile, the table I was examined on was filthy and had blood stains from the previous patient. The x-ray technician wasn't much older than Katie and didn't understand that I physically could not straighten my leg and kept insisting I try. It took me screaming in pain for him to stop. After several hours and three doctors, I was told to come again the next day to have an MRI. Then he proceeded to put a cast from my butt to my ankle on and then send me on my way without crutches. He told Wendy I would have to buy some from a medical center. Funny, I thought a hospital was a medical center. I had to turn in my passport to get a wheelchair while I was at the hospital and as I was being wheeled from floor to floor from doctor to doctor, I passed this huge room, which looked like a waiting room. No, it was a treatment room. Each chair had an IV pole and probably close to a hundred people in there were being treated. I've never seen anything like it. I pray I never need IV fluids while I'm here.
My cast looked like one of the twins' paper mache projects that had gone horribly wrong. Larry was furious they'd put a cast on it since it was so swollen. By the time, I'd made it to my new home, the couch, the evening was a bust. Needless to say, we did not ring in the New Year with great joy.
Wendy arrived the next morning to take me back for my MRI. We went to the VIP wing that is for expats. Seriously, the only difference is bigger chairs, but if you need an IV you will be sitting in the main waiting room for all the world to see. Privacy is not an issue and neither is cleanliness. The fourth doctor kept hacking up giant wads of phlem and spitting them into the trash can next to my table while he viewed the MRI. He asked Wendy if they'd taken one of my other knee so he had something to which he could compare it. I knew right then and there, I was destined to see yet another doctor. He put on yet another full leg cast and told me it would be four weeks before I'd be able to straighten it, but never told me what was wrong.
Larry made an appointment with an outfit in Shanghai, so Monday morning we loaded into the van and saw doctor number five. He admitted right off the bat he was not a specialist and we'd have to come back the next day to see the orthopedic specialist. Finally, doctor number six seemed to have a clue that something was not as it should be and surgery would be necessary to correct the problem. He tried his best to manipulate my knee into a straight position, but when I screamed in pain, he immediately called one of the nurses to start the insurance approval process. He also gave me a medicine, which actually diminishes the pain for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, the stupid insurance company dragged their feet and I'll have to wait another week before the surgery. Guess I'll have plenty of time to blog...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Christmas Highlights
After a wonderfully relaxing trip to Vietnam, we were excited to get home and prepare for Christmas. The girls busied themselves wrapping presents and writing lists for Santa. Larry and I even got a treat when one of our friends invited the girls...all three...for a sleepover. Back in September, I'd won a free night at the new Fairmont Hotel in Kunshan, which is about twenty minutes away, and it was set to expire December 31. We'd assumed it would go unredeemed, but thanks to kindly friends, Larry and I enjoyed a kid-free night. Once again, a gorgeous resort all to ourselves. How these places stay in business is still a mystery to me.
The night before Christmas eve, Sarah took a tumble on the stairs and gave us all a big scare. Her wrist swelled up and I decided it was time to pay a visit to the local hospital. After going to the closest hospital, Kowloon, and being told they didn't treat children, Mr. Liu and I went to old town's hospital. It was close to midnight and there were very few people. Thank God, once again for Mr. Liu. He did all the talking and asking of questions and did his best to communicate to me that in the end Sarah was fine. However, come to find out, it appeared on one of the x-rays that she had a previous injury to her elbow, we never knew about, but it had healed.
We were all pretty tired Christmas Eve, but cookies had to be made. This year, I made the dough in the morning, finished shopping and wrapping by mid afternoon, made our annual appetizer ensemble, and put the girls to work cutting out the cookies. Carrots for the reindeer, frosted cookies for Santa and stockings were laid on the couch. We couldn't hang them by the fireplace or Rosie and Peanut Louie would have made sure Santa never found them.
Katie either forgot the little talk we had about Santa and the Easter Bunny or decided it was more fun to hang on to the dream because she was sure she heard Santa walking around the house. Everyone was up Christmas morning and downstairs by 6:30am. The girls were so excited to see many of their wish list items around the tree and crumbs on the cookie plate. Santa outdid himself. Skyping with our family, though not the same as being together, made the holiday complete.
We are truly blessed.
The night before Christmas eve, Sarah took a tumble on the stairs and gave us all a big scare. Her wrist swelled up and I decided it was time to pay a visit to the local hospital. After going to the closest hospital, Kowloon, and being told they didn't treat children, Mr. Liu and I went to old town's hospital. It was close to midnight and there were very few people. Thank God, once again for Mr. Liu. He did all the talking and asking of questions and did his best to communicate to me that in the end Sarah was fine. However, come to find out, it appeared on one of the x-rays that she had a previous injury to her elbow, we never knew about, but it had healed.
We were all pretty tired Christmas Eve, but cookies had to be made. This year, I made the dough in the morning, finished shopping and wrapping by mid afternoon, made our annual appetizer ensemble, and put the girls to work cutting out the cookies. Carrots for the reindeer, frosted cookies for Santa and stockings were laid on the couch. We couldn't hang them by the fireplace or Rosie and Peanut Louie would have made sure Santa never found them.
Katie either forgot the little talk we had about Santa and the Easter Bunny or decided it was more fun to hang on to the dream because she was sure she heard Santa walking around the house. Everyone was up Christmas morning and downstairs by 6:30am. The girls were so excited to see many of their wish list items around the tree and crumbs on the cookie plate. Santa outdid himself. Skyping with our family, though not the same as being together, made the holiday complete.
We are truly blessed.
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