i combined a visit to the indian consulate with a trip to a western clinic this morning, just to let them have a quick look at my crappy cast and my ankle and tell me how things looked. they x-rayed my ankle several times and decided that they don't think my ankle is broken at all. yes, according to them, my break was misdiagnosed, or at least they're 95% sure. how do you look at an x-ray and declare a break where there isn't one? and the other doctor seemed so sure. i'm not sure who to believe. perhaps they were both right and i have superhuman healing powers.
anyway they've removed the cast, which they declared the worst cast they've ever seen. walking still results in pain and my foot is still badly swollen, but i guess i'll see how the next few days go. oh and thanks to the cast, i now have additional bruises on my foot as well.
interesting facts:
my charges at the filthy vietnamese hospital:
exam, x-rays, cast: 140,000 dong, or about $9.
at the clean, air-conditioned western clinic:
exam, x-rays (they only charged me for one of the several), cast removal, a few ankle supports (stiff socks really): 1,200,000 dong or about $75.
and i assume the price at home would go up one order of magnitude.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
a shocking second opinion
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4 comments:
Nice news.
I think I'd be leaning toward the 'filthy Vietnamese hospital' being incorrect instead of the 'clean, air-conditioned western clinic'. Maybe that's too obvious and the gods are trying to trick you.
You could always go to another western clinic to be sure, or you could stick with the cast applied by three thumbed hillbilly. Hmm, another $75 or a needless month in a crappy, backwater, Vietnamese cast? Can I assume your foot doesn't smell nice? That would be a 'stench laden, crappy, backwater Vietnamese cast'.
Hope it works out and you can either go on with the vacation, or at least not be crippled while you fix Tagg's boring bugs in Bangalore.
hey i already removed the cast, and yes my foot stunk. i admired the doctor for maintaining a straight face during the removal process. he even poked my stinky foot with his bare hands afterwards.
I'm glad I didn't read about the break until you'd posted the good news from the second opinion.
Breaking something in a far away place makes me think of that movie "touching the void" ... which you can probably buy on DVD for $1 over there.
With your gimp look you'll bring out the best in all the locals from here on out.
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