Dr. Reed entered the room. He gave Kelly a smile. "I heard you did great in x-rays. Let's see what we have, ok?" Kelly nodded. She had a curious look on her face. Almost a look of anticipation instead of pain or dread.
"Dr. Reed turned on the overhead viewer. He studied the x-ray carefully. I could see Kelly's expression change; she was trying to diagnose herself just as Dr. Reed was trying to do the same. She saw something unexpected.
After studying the x-rays for a few moments, Dr. Reed turned to Kelly. "Well, Kelly you were partially right. As you suspected, you have a trimalleolar ankle fracture. You can clearly see the breaks. He paused. However, what I didn't expect to see was that spiral fracture in your tibia shaft."
"Well the stage was about 4 or 5 feet high." Replied Kelly.
"Yes, it looks like at the time of impact your ankle twisted inward and that twisting motion not only caused your ankle fracture, but also caused the spiral break in your tibia. Good news is that it is not displaced. We won't have to reduce it, and it probably won't need a plate and screws."
Kelly seemed to accept the bad news well. Dr. Smith continued. "However, there is obviously some displacement in your ankle. I think the best course of action would be to go in and let me place a couple of pins in it and clean it up. It will promote the healing process and you will be able to return to activities much sooner."
Kelly replied "I'm sorry, Dr. Reed, but I don't want to have surgery. My preference is for you to set it for me and let it heal naturally. Plus, I have to wait on the spiral tibia fracture to heal, so I probably won't be speeding my recovery up too much with surgery. It's just not worth the risk to me."
"Hmmmm" Dr. Reed seemed to be surprised by this reply and was pondering how to respond.
"Well, I think the break in your ankle is stable enough for me to do a closed reduction. I just want to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. You will not be able to bear weight on your leg for 10 to 12 weeks. You will have to be in a full leg cast for the first 6-8 weeks. You will have to visit your orthopedic doctor often so we can make sure that the fracture has remained stable. Additionally, because you will be in a full leg cast for so long, you will have an extensive physical therapy and rehab at the end of this to regain full range of motion in your knee and ankle. Are you prepared for this? It is going to be a long ride."
A big smile formed on Kelly's face. "Yes, I am prepared for this. And since I work for an Ortho, regular checkups won't be a problem. We also have a Physical Therapist in our office so I will remain diligent with that aspect of my recovery.
"Ok, it looks like you understand the risks. One more thing - For the first 2 weeks until the fracture starts to calcify - I'm going to use plaster for your cast. It molds better to your leg and will help keep the fracture stable. I'm sure you know this - but plaster is not easy to live with. It is heavier, can even get damp, and leaves a crumbly residue everywhere you go! Are you sure you want to do this?"
Kelly was noticeably more at ease as we chatted. She seemed to be recovering from the traumatic x-ray session. It seemed as if a huge burden had been lifted off her chest. She really didn't want surgery and here she was getting her wish. My cock which now seemed to be in a permanent semi-erect state lept to attention hearing that Kelly would be in a full leg cast.
"Yes, Dr. Reed. I understand the inconveniences caused by a plaster cast. I am fully prepared for them. Thank you for respecting my wishes and accommodating me."
"Ok, well that settles it. I will have Laura prepare the room for me to cast you. I'll be back shortly" Said Dr. Reed as we walked out of the room.
I sat by the gurney on a portable stool. Kelly's color had returned. I marveled once again what a beautiful woman she was. It was now almost 4pm.
I took the lull in activity to see how I could help Kelly.