Nine hours later I was still in a lot of pain. The only way I can get to and from the bathroom is by kneeling on a pillow and scooting myself across the tile floor. I can’t put any weight on my foot at all. Not even just on the heel.
I was in enough pain to at least want a RX painkiller so we got an auto-rickshaw cab and went to the hospital. They took an x-ray and it showed that my toe wasn’t broken, just dislocated. They wheeled me to another room where a Dr. pulled hard on my little toe again and again for what seemed like a long time while I screamed and yelled and cursed and resisted the urge to hit him. I only landed one blow. It hit him in the shoulder and wouldn’t have hurt a baby. Meanwhile, all the other medical personnel in the room were having a good laugh at me. I’m sure they were trying to imagine what obsenities were coming out of my mouth. For the record, I’m pretty sure that I only yelled, “MOTHER…” but stopped myself before dropping any F-Bombs.
Before the second round of toe yanking started, I gave my cell phone to Doug because I wasn’t sure I could resist the urge to throw it at the Dr. doing the pulling.
Another Dr., Dr. Vincent came in, reiterated the dislication diagnosis and told me that I needed a minimum of 3 days rest, that up to a week would be better but after that, I could try to continue walking to Hong Kong. I told him we were walking 30 km (18 miles) a day and he gave me the ok. I was given a RX for oxicodone and then Dr. Vincent DROVE us back to our hotel in his car and gave us his personal cell phone number. He told us that he was a surgeon and asked us about our careers.
I’m hoping that in a week or less we will be back on the road although now, my toe now hurts worse than ever. I’m overwhelmded by the kindness we have been shown. What Dr. drives their patient back to their hotel??? Maybe this was all meant to happen. There is a lesson in this. In the mean time, I’m once again overehelmed by the kindness we have been shown. For niw, I’m just willing my toe to get better. I’m visualizing the swelling shrinking, the angry redness returning to normal colored happy and healthy skin, all tissue healing and little bones staying where they belong. I can make this happen. I can do it. I can. I will.
PS: x-ray, toe yanking and 10 oxicodone cost $26.70.
Oxicodone have kicked in. Toe still hurts a little but I no longer care. Just buzzing……. : )
5 Responses to “X-Ray? $19.07. Toe yanking and 10 oxicodone? $7.61. Dislocating my pinky toe in China? PRICELESS!”
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The doctor drove you back to the hotel in his car? Must be China, I wonder if ACA would have paid for that taxi ride? That is good that your toe is not broken, but a sprain or dislocation is usually more painful than a break! But the pills are nice! My guess is that the doctor really thought that you two were really staying under a bridge somewhere & just wanted to check it out. You must have thought that you were royalty or at least an American movie star! Well, you are almost a novelist, so that must count for something!
We were dressed pretty nicely and had been in a hotel over night and weren’t looking like our typical sweaty and haggard selves. I think he just had heart and realized that we couldn’t walk from where we were to the street and wait for a taxi. In the morning g I may try looking for an acupuncturist. A friend who has a chiropractor husband also recommended a thing called “cold laser” I may look for that too. We are in a decent sized city now.
Glad you had it checked out! As funny as that story is, I feel bad for ya! Rest up and enjoy the drugs lol.
Life got complicated. Good for you for keeping it in perspective. Sorry for the pain but happy for the great cultural interactions. I love Dr. Vincent!!!
I’m choosing to believe that this happened for a reason. I’m not in general a very spiritual person but I’m deciding to believe that I’m being called back here again for a specific reason. Something else needs time to unfold and so my plan has been put on hold. It’s like a gift. I don’t know when it’s coming. I don’t know what it is. But I cannot wait to unwrap it.