..."Brackish and Incandescent"...: Back to the Hospital

Daddy discovered something that concerned him when checking on The Charmer's traction. The right leg's pin seemed to be fixed and firm...but the left leg...the left leg's pin was moving, in the bone. Knowing that things are not supposed to move freely while IN BONE, he called our surgeon who suggested that it was just slight moving in the soft tissue that Daddy must be seeing.

We went to bed on Sunday night, but Daddy was so certain that something was amiss, that he unhooked the left leg from the weights. The next morning, he spoke with the surgeon and it was agreed the we should immediately return to the hospital.

So...Momma and Magpie (who was home sick from school, but whose service was absolutely essential to transport the little brother) loaded him up in our family ambulance.

***Last year, we were given the funds by a dear family, to purchase a modest, 2nd hand van. The van seats 9...while for those of you keeping score at home...we number 12. We just go "China-style!" :) (Your judgement is noted and though respected, dismissed by we who live here and where it still seems "normal" to roll this way.) The point of the digression from the current story is to say that the van, serves as school bus, ambulance, and blessing-mobile for not only our family, but for many in our community. We are EVER SO GRATEFUL for the change this vehicle has made in our lives!!!! In another post I will detail what the process is like to obtain a driver's license and vehicle registration...but I just don't have the hours to do so now! Though, I feel it would be good therapy.

At any rate, we loaded up the boy into the van after wrapping him in blankets and descending the three floors to the van/ambulance. We drove forty-five minutes through hair-raising traffic and arrived at the gate of the hospital...which was closed to vehicle traffic...and they attempted to waive us away.

***In previous years of living here, I would have undoubtedly allowed myself to be waived away...no more. I opened my door, mustered up my most serious Chinese (sounding like I was yelling/cursing, while asking "nicely" to enter because my son can not walk the remaining two blocks to the hospital...nor can I carry him that far!) And voila...the gate opened for the H family ambulance.

Then, we arrived at the driveway approach to the Emergency room. It was closed. I repeated the above performance and was awarded entry. Magpie went into the building, wrestled a gurney from a cleaning lady who was suspicious that Magpie was stealing said gurney for unknown purposes...and came out to load our boy.

I then attempted to back through seven-thousand souls to reach the entrance to the parking garage that was closed. I relayed my story for the third time, this time insisting that my son was now on a gurney in the hospital without me...and a card was given to me...the gate opened, and I descended into the bowels of a dark, dark garage.

After parking the ambulance, I hoofed it up three floors, sucking in clean air to replenish my lungs ;)...then arrived in the ER hallway. We needed to go to the 15th floor to see the doctor. There were nearly 50,000 people throughout the first floor of the hospital that we needed to press through to reach one of the two elevators that reaches 15. Again, I note a real difference in my manner of navigating...I extend my right hand and touch/urge people out of the way while shouting. This appears to me to be the only successful way to make it through the hordes. Upon arriving at the waiting area for the elevator, I insert the gurney through the people and Magpie and I take our posts to discourage interested parties from lifting The Charmer's blankets in their attempt to diagnose why he is in the hospital on a gurney.

Up to fifteen, the doctor confirms that we have a problem. That The Charmer's left leg bone is brittle and the pin is tearing through the bone. This is not good news and confirms that he has osteoporosis because he has never used the leg bones for weight bearing.

The decision was made to remove the first pin and to insert another pin, higher on the left leg. As you might imagine...none of us were thrilled with that prospect...but, we did it.

Two hours later, we argued our way out of the building using the gurney, retrieved the ambulance, carefully loaded the boy with a new, longer pin extending out of his left leg on both sides...and settled him on his traction bed again.

3 days of traction done...6 to go.

We can FEEL all of your prayers.