Fractured!!!

It was yet another Sunday morning long awaited soccer game with the brothers. It all ended with a cracking sound and excruciating shriek and uncontrolled spilling out of some saliva from mouth. I miss step. This is the most painful experience I ever had in my life. A very very bad sprain. I could hardly walked. I was lying down there for almost 10 minutes with the concern faces of brothers standing around.

The guys got me to a Chinese Physician to have it examine for dislocation. No dislocation but he only applied a thick strong smelling medicated paste and some bandage and advise me to had an X-Ray the next day if the pain and swelling did not go away. Thank you brothers for bringing helping me yesteday. I didn't suspected anything but for the whole evening and night, I had to rely on my computer chair to move around the house and using the toilet prove to be a huge challenge. Everytime I tried to move my left leg, a throbbing pain accompanies. It was the most demoralizing moment of my life, not able to move around properly. I truly understand how it felt for people with mobility problem. I literally had to hold on to any support I could find to keep pressure of the right foot.

Today morning, I decided to see the Base MO instead of the GP due to some stupid MC policy set by the organization and also because its a very short walking (or hopping distance) to the Medical Center from the carpark than from the neighborhood carpark to my regular GP clinic. Was immediately refer to A&E at TTSH for X-Ray. MO suspect that I had a bone fracture.

Dad send me to TTSH right away. I was immediately greeted by a staff manning a certain counter asking if I need a wheel chair. I politely decline as I am still able to move with the aid of an umbrella. While walking to the counter...very very slowly... another staff approaches me and without saying a word, ask that I sit down on a wheel chair. I guess I should stop putting on a brave front because I am starting to look rather silly limping around with an umbrella right in the hospital compound. It made the staff at TTSH look bad if I don't take the wheel chair, they might get complain by a third party for not attending to me even though I declined.

First time of my life to be move around in a wheel chair. Gosh... well things went smoothly and systematically at TTSH. Was wheeled from the registration counter, to the consultant (a senior staff nurse), to the X-Ray room to get some pictures of my bones and finally to Dr Tan, a Physician. The bad news was I got a fracture (which explains the persistent pain), the good news was the bones are still in position, the bad news was some portion of the fracture are protruding out of normal position and might need surgical intervention. Got a follow up consultation with a Bone specialist this friday to see if there is a need for such drastic measures but for now, I'm sure I'll be out of action of the next month and Christmas will be celebrated in cast and crutches.

Staff Nurse Melissa explained to me how to use the pair of crutches that cost me $30 and gave me proper instruction of care for the cast on my right leg. No water and no fire on it. Well, I won't wanna test the flammability of the cast though. Overall, I found my experience in TTSH a pleasant one. The staff are all pro and knowledgeable especially Dr Tan diaganosis and Staff Nurse Melissa teaching.

Spend the early afternoon wheeling myself around TTSH with my right leg extended like a battering ram, grabbing a subway lunch for I am super starving from not eating breakfast in the morning. I think been on a wheel chair, makes you a target of assistance and affection. Since I kept insisting on wheeling myself around, many staff at TTSH approaches me to ask if I need assistance to go anywhere. Probably is pride though, I spend the rest of the day wheeling till my arm muscle felt tired. Now I can empatise how difficult it is for wheel chair bound people. Not easy though, you need good arm muscles. Got my medication from the pharmacy and dad fetched me home.

This is the first bone fractured I had in my life and I wish for no more. The inconvenience is way too troubling. From showering to peeing to pooing. Getting from one spot of the house to another. Using my PC and playing Nintendo Wii. Sleeping. Sitting. Watching TV. Its a whole new way of getting things done for the next 6 weeks untill the bones are healed. Oh boy...