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Health & Fitness

Modern Medicine! What Will They Think of Next?

They have the technology and the knowledge to put Liz back together - I don't know if she'll be bionic, or faster & stronger, or worth 6 million bucks, but she'll be able to walk again...

     If you've read my last couple of posts, you know that my daughter, Liz, was seriously injured in a rock climbing accident at the beginning of August. After initially being cared for at the University of Vermont's Fletcher Allen Hospital, we brought her home to NJ, knowing that some of the best orthopedic doctors in the country are so close. We certainly ended up with a good one!
     We decided to go with the Rothman Institute after reading up on their surgeons, and were very fortunate to have Liz seen by Dr. Joseph Daniel. He is a specialist in foot/ankle trauma and sports injuries - how convenient, right? From the first moment of her first appointment, Dr. Daniel made a good impression. He was very honest with Liz, almost blunt - but in the best possible way - telling her exactly what would be involved in putting her back together. She liked that he didn't pull any punches, and that he promised not to mess up the tattoo of a compass on the top of her foot. All of that impressed me too, but more than that, he knew how to read the CD-ROM of her x-rays and MRIs immediately! I have a copy and still haven't figured out how to open the instructions telling me how to open the rest - forget about trying to figure out what the pictures showed!
     Just because I don't understand technology (I think copiers that print on both sides, collate and staple are magic) doesn't mean that I don't appreciate it. And I certainly want the person handling my daughter's surgery to be comfortable with the latest innovations. He made us laugh when I asked if she would set off metal detectors at airports, and he said "Oh, yea!".He put us even more at ease when he knew exactly where East Riverton was, because he lives in Riverton. I asked him if he was a PHS alumnus, and he said that he had gone to Holy Cross. Then he asked what year I had graduated from Palmyra - at the exact moment he asked me if I knew his brother, I made the connection between his last name and a guy I went to school with. OMG, the surgeon is Chud Daniel's brother!
     I was okay with that - Chud was a really nice guy (and good looking too!). I'm thinking that if his brother was a good person, the doctor probably is too. Then I found out that he's Chud's younger brother!! I'm still getting used to professional athletes being younger than me. I've had to adjust to having classmates' grandchildren in classes that I've subbed for. But having this really talented surgeon turn out to be younger than me ... that will take some getting used to.
     At least he's older than Liz, and that makes it perfectly normal for her. Liz just came out of surgery, and Dr. Daniel came out with before and after pictures of her foot. He explained everything so that even an old bat like me could understand, answered all my questions, and even gave me a hug. As badly damaged as Liz's foot was, he managed to get it all back together - although he didn't put in the spring or blade runner device that my son suggested, there's enough metal in there to tell people that she's bionic.
     I get to go see my little girl in a few minutes, though she probably won't remember seeing me, and I get to take her home in a couple of days. It will be a bit of a rough road to recovery for her, but she's a very determined young woman, with a very good doctor. Between the two of them, she'll be back in the mountains  before we know it.

I'll keep you posted.

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