See this cute little doggie? His name is Toshi. He is our daughter’s 7 year old Sheltie, and he is dangerous for old ladies who try to keep up with his running while walking on uneven Kaimuki streets. That is how Aunty tripped, flew forward, and broke 2 bones in her left forearm recently.
As Aunty struggled up, holding her dirty misshaped wrist and battling shock, Toshi was not concerned and of no help. This dog is far removed from the hero dog that he looks like – Lassie – the problem solving smart dog we all grew up admiring on our black and white TV screens in the “old days.”
Since no one was home, Aunty drove, one handedly to Kahala Urgent Care just before they closed for the night. The entire staff was sooo nice and efficient, washing and wrapping Aunty’s many wounds, taking an Xray, being seen by a real doctor, putting the entire elbow, forearm and wrist in a splint, and sending Aunty home with discharge info and instructions to see an orthopedic doctor asap the next day.
Not choosing the emergency room
Why didn’t Aunty go to Queen’s emergency instead and have it possibly taken care of in one visit? Aunty heard that after 6:00 pm, the ER staff is made up of the rookie doctors, because Queen’s is a training hospital. No rookie (deceivingly known as “resident doctors”) for Aunty. Also, their triage admission process is agonizingly long and requires sitting, waiting, moving, sitting, waiting, on and on.
Kahala Urgent Care was close by, uncrowded, and they did a great job of stabilizing Aunty’s arm. It was also SO reasonable in price, HOW do they make money?
Dr. Atkinson and Thelma
Aunty called the first name on the list that Kahala Urgent Care recommended, Dr. Robert Atkinson at Hale Pawa’a Building on Beretania Street, (808) 536-2261. Thelma answered the phone. Thelma! A really nice young woman with an old fashioned name. We hit it off and Aunty went in that day to see Dr. Atkinson. Surgery was scheduled for the next day in the same building, on the 6th floor.
The 6th floor was top notch, clean, excellent nursing and operating staff, bright and modern, with a state-of-the-art operating room. Aunty’s surgery went well, and a good friend took Aunty home to recover with a partial splint and a bandaged arm. A follow up appointment for a hard cast was scheduled in a week.
Tammy and the Beautiful Cast
Aunty’s hand was still swollen and her wounds were still raw and open at her followup appointment so with a gentle suggestion from Aunty’s newest pal Thelma, Dr. Atkinson directed Aunty to see Tammy of the Hawaii Hand & Rehabilitation Services located in an adjacent office on the same floor (so convenient that the Xray room, rehab, casting, and doctor are all on the 7th floor!)
Tammy is a pretty Okinawan looking young woman who really knows her stuff. See her picture with Aunty? She followed Aunty’s coaching about angling her body, bending her elbow, and pulling back her face from her ears the way that Jalna shared in her photo shoot tips. She looks good, yeah?
What impressed Aunty the most was how she “made” Aunty’s HOT pink gorgeous cast out of a flat sheet of plastic, expertly fitting, shaping, cutting, forming and adjusting – into a work of art that Aunty is SO happy to wear! It is hard, super light weight, easily removable (Aunty was worried that she would get itchy in a regular hard cast), and comfortable.
Tammy went through a worksheet of hand exercises to speed along recovery and mobility.
Aunty is ready to hit the town
Aunty is going stir crazy at home as well as watching the weeds in her garden laugh and grow. Aunty’s wounds are almost healed with the application of Anti-Infection that kills ALL bacteria on contact but can cause screeching pain at first. Aunty has also been on her BEMER machine (a future post) and using its infrared light attachment directly over the largest wound.
These therapies and the excellent care that the above fine professionals have provided, along with the help and food from friends and family have made this latest journey of a broken arm quite wonderful.
Aunty has cancelled some of her previously scheduled commitments, is taking it easy, and has a really good reason for not working at projects that have been put off anyway.
Life is good, even with a broken arm.