And we bid good-bye to Ellie's cast...

It will be 6 weeks tomorrow since Ellie broke a couple of bones in her foot.

Six long weeks with a cast;

showering with one leg wrapped and propped up on the side of the tub;

being carried up the 3 flights of stairs at school;

having someone carry her books;

being dependent on others and not liking it one bit!

 We have an SOS International Clinic here, but for the x-rays, we go to the

TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, which is Chinese.

I'm sorry the following two pictures are not in focus--you'll have

to use your imagination.  I included them to show that the hospital

is very clean, bright and modern.  And at least the signs are in

English as well as Chinese.  

 I wish I had dared film a video as Ellie crutched through the hospital. 

(BTW, we have decided that "to crutch" is a verb.  

If you can google, you can crutch.  What else do you say, hobble along?) 

There were probably 200 people in the waiting rooms, and EVERY head

turned and EVERY eye watched her all the way down the hall.

The Chinese have no problem with staring!

It was like watching a wave go through the crowd.

 Then came the moment of truth and the new x-ray.

 And the bone is still not filled in!

The crack is still visible, and hasn't changed much at all.  What a disappointment!

But the doctor consulted with the orthopedic surgeon in Beijing

and they decided to take the cast off anyway, with a strict injunction to

take it slowly--keep using the crutches for a week or two, gradually putting

weight on the foot.  

(I have since heard from others that movement is required to finish healing.)

 So, goodbye cast!

And hello emaciated calf!

Let this be a lesson to all of you who aspire to be couch potatoes.

Look what happens in only 6 weeks!