I sorta want my cast back on.
My appointment was at Basildon Hospital at 4pm. My dad and I left a bit late but I got there promptly at 3:59pm. I'd brought two of the books I'm studying for Literature with me because I thought I'd be in for a long wait, but sure enough about ten minutes later a short and loud lady called "ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO? THAT'S ONE-TWO-TWO" (that was my raffle ticket number) and I was off and ready to be faced with my shockingly hairy leg.
So I sat there and the health care professional explained to me about how the pizza cutter-esque blade won't cut my skin. She then started to cut the cast down either side, and I was uncontrollably giggling - it really tickled! She snipped down all the fluffy stuff inside and took the cast off in two halfs; as she lifted it off a waft of unwashed smell caught my throat. Lovely.
I looked down at my withered limb and couldn't quite believe it. It looked like my brother's leg, all hairy and gross. I said this to the lady and she said "Well you can't plait the hair yet so it's not that bad." Imagine if I could. I would be so ashamed.
I have photos of my hairy leg but my mum thinks they're too disgusting to put online. She made me shave my leg the minute I stepped in the door, but more of that later.
I went off to X-Ray and again had to hardly wait at all. I sat on the bed in the X-Ray room and I had a funny turn - it was so odd - I couldn't hear very well and I could see black spots in my eyes, and I felt all dizzy like I had mega head rush. Apparently it can be because your circulation changes once the cast comes off, so that was a fun experience. After my X-Rays were done I went back to wait in the fracture clinic, and again was hardly waiting any time at all.
My doctor, Mr. Haniffa, took one look at my leg and went "Ooh there's not even much swelling there, it looks wonderful." He is now my Valentine. I love him.
He signed me off work for another week and gave me a sheet with some physiotherapy exercises to do and I went and got fitted with my 'moon boot'. It's pretty awful. But I can inflate and deflate it with a little pump which is quite cool. Trying to walk in it is not though, it's not actually flat it's curved, so you sort of rock backwards and forwards on it. Very odd.
I got home and mother sent me up to the bathroom to shave my leg; she couldn't stand the sight of it (thanks Mum.). She helped me wash it all nicely and moisturise it, but it still looks pretty grim. Here is a lovely photo for all of those wondering:
Believe it or not that is after shaving it. My leg's just got all weird marks on it. Beautiful. And look at that bruise! It's still pretty swollen but I guess that'll go down soon. The only thing is, I can't really walk on it too well. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to get up and down stairs in the next couple of days. Hmm. Well I shall have to work it out as I am back in Norwich on Saturday! Hooray!
I do feel a little lost without my cast though. I've got used to walking on one leg.
The rehabilitation begins.
Oh, and people should not speak so harshly about Basildon Hospital. Every time I have been there I have been given the best care I could be, and so has the rest of my family when they've been treated there, in any department. There are a lot of rumours going round about whether it may be in the pipeline to close, but people should just think: where would the people of Thurrock and surrounding areas go if Basildon Hospital closed? And also, what would it be like without the NHS all together?
