A Beautiful Mind: "Fracture" Diaries - Entry 8

Feb 14th - 6-weeks since the 'Event'. 6-weeks full of motivational-highs and emotional-lows. But its over now. I celebrate Valentine's Day with the loss of my "Implants" (my piercings).

6-weeks have gone by, yet the memory of that day still haunts me. Thin, curved, one-lane ghat road – lost in talk with the pillion rider – appreciating the beauty of the landscape - rocky muddy stretch lining the road – the slope next to it – the only protruding rock (which would hit my leg, and pull-off my Woodlands shoe) – a log (which I missed falling on) – and my bike lying far below in a broken state.

A few more incidents that I can never forget:

(In Vikarabad)

Doc: Do you drink tea?
Me: Yeah sometimes.
Doc: And what about beer?
Me: (Ahaa, I can see where you are getting at.) No.

(While being examined after taking the X-Ray)
Asst. Doc: This toe got dislocated.
Me: Ok.
Asst. Doc (examining closely): Can you move it?
Me: Am not able to. It hurts.
Asst. Doc: Ok. (And pulls at it as if pulling cork out of a wine bottle and it snaps into place.)
Me: (Screeeeeeeeeeam)
Asst. Doc: Try again.
Me: No, still not able to. (but it now hurts a goddamnillion times more. Why would I come to a hospital if I needed tradition bone setting. Is my toe even still there?)

(Inside the Operation Theatre)
Nurse1 (to another nurse): How long do you think it will take?
Nurse2: Maybe about an hour.
Nurse1: That’s what they always say. They said same yesterday but it took 3-4 hrs. Had to bone gratification and all.
Me: (Oh SHIT!!! )

(Inside the Operation Theatre)
Sr. Doc: See the spinal cord, inject here.
(Jr. Doc does something)
Sr. Doc: Press here… a little above… and inject.
(Jr. Doc does something again and I twitch.)
Sr. Doc: Why does he feel pain? Do again… like this.
(Jr. Doc does it again and this time I don’t feel anything.)
Sr. Doc (to me): Lift your legs.
Me: I’m not able to even feel them.
Sr. Doc: Good, then the anesthesia is working.
Me: (So you were testing your students? Was I his mid-sem test? Fail him, he took 3 chances.)

1 dislocation and 3-fractures, 1 POP slab, 2 K-wires, 4 pins and a fixator, lots and lots of bandage, and 6-weeks later – The bones are back in place. Not back to normal, but atleast I can keep my foot down (for namesake). smile_party

My leg finally sees the light of day. Although it doesn't resemble the other foot much, by color or texture, it’s always good to have two legs to stand on.