Making Progress On Tibial Plateau Fracture

Went to Suita Hospital today solo. This is me riding our elevator on the way out.

My dear wife wrote me notes just in case I got into trouble w/Japanese language issues.

 

Beautiful day, took a taxi over.   The driver was quite chatty, telling me about his trips to the U.S.

Here is the entrance to Suita Shimin Byouin, aka Suita Municipal Hospital.

This Nakamura-sensei, my orthopedist.

They have some pretty neat tools for removing old cast. Saws right through the tough fiberglass cast, but is gentle enough to hold up to your face. 

 

After getting the cast off, you can see the remnants of my "fracture blisters", which are giant blood blisters from hell, basically.  Now they are dried up, itch like crazy.  My leg is still considerably swollen up as well.

The verdict is a shorter cast for at least another 2 weeks.  I was hoping for full parole on the cast, perhaps unrealistically, but this is maybe like getting a transfer from a supermax prison to a medium security one.  Better than nothing and certainly nothing to complain about.

Nakamura-sensei and her able assistant get me fixed up in no time.  The lining material they use on the cast is really comfortable and the team applies typically extreme Japanese care and neatness employed in wrapping and packaging things:

 

 

 

 

So I've ended up w/a below the knee cast for at least two more weeks. Nakamura-sensei sez still no weight bearing, keep doing whatever I'm doing, see you in 2 weeks. She also wrote a fairly long note to my wife which will be decoded later today.

As I leave, I admire the hospital's pleasant aquarium in the entry area.

I can bend my knee some now. It is amazing how stiff and tight my quadriceps is. But overall, this a a great improvement, much smaller cast, I may be able to even start wearing long pants now.

I then catch another taxi home.  This driver is friendly again, but a little less talkative.  

Back home again, riding the elevator back to our apartment.  Can you tell the difference from the first picture?