Feeling Hopeful

There is something that I didn’t mention in previous posts. I figured I’d save the mini-drama for the book but I have decided to spill it now. On June 4th, Doug and I were walking on one of the many portions of highway that is being repaved. I have high arches and weak ankles and I stepped on something and twisted my ankle. I felt that all too familiar twinge and pain having sprained my ankle 3 times already. The last time was 11 years ago. Doug walked and I hobbled to the nearest hotel. They were kind enough to give us some ice. I got in bed, took 2 Aleve, elevated my leg with a chair cushion and iced my ankle. A little while later a young man knocked on our door and gave Doug two spray cans of some sort of local herbal remedy and explained to Doug how it should be applied. We sprayed my ankle with it and continued icing.
The next morning it still hurt but was only a little swollen. We caught a ride into town and went to the pharmacy where I bought that tape that the nurse wraps around your elbow over the cotton ball when you donate blood and a sports type bandage for ankle injuries. I taped up and put on the ankle bandage and we started walking. It wasn’t too sore and the only time it really hurt was if I stepped on uneven ground or on something like a small rock or anything that would cause my ankle to roll. I used the sprays religiously until they ran out and continued wearing the sports bandage until about 10 days ago.
This afternoon Doug Sent a text message to the surgeon who drove us back to our hotel yesterday. He asked about where we could find an acupuncturist and Dr. Vincent recommended a place. He also recommended a traditional medicine that he said would be helpful. He even texted Doug the Mandarin characters so that he could take it to a pharmacy and find it easily with an employee’s assistance. Doug came back with the exact same medicine that the man at the hotel had given to us. This time there were instructions in English too. I’m to use it every 5 hours.
I’m feeling so hopeful.