Out of the brace

Yesterday Dr. Wagner the orthopedist cleared me to take off the Borg brace! I fell and dislocated my elbow on March 29 and have been in a splint or brace ever since.

I learned that he was called out of town for personal reasons and so needed to change my appointment. The first available was in June and I didn't really want to wait an extra three weeks in the brace if it was avoidable. I left a message with his nurse and while at the physical therapist got the idea to have her call the doc, give an update on my improving condition, and ask if he would recommend taking the brace off now.

By the time I came home from my appointment and support group, there were two messages on the answering machine. One was from Dr. Wagner's nurse, saying that he might be in town next Friday and if so, she'd try to squeeze me in. Right after it was a message from their therapy staff. Their therapist had called Dr. Wagner, gave him my therapist's update, and Dr. W said it would be fine to take off the brace.

That's the way the medical system is supposed to work, smoothly and with excellent communication among all parties. NOw I have to practice stretching my left arm to regain full extension. Slow but surely it will happen. I remember it took six months to recover from the compound fracture of my left femur. But after six months, I was out-walking Rik all over Paris.