A new one

A new brace/sogo/thingy that is. We went to Beppu today to see the plastic surgeon and the 'plasterer' again to get the new one fitted. I thought we were going to get away with it at first, when he first fitted it on, and it seemed quite comfortable, but the doc took one look and got him to re-cut it to squeeze that thumb back. So, as expected, this one is going to hurt.

Not a particularly sympathetic doctor either, his only response to my comment that she keeps trying to take it off, is that I'll just have to do my best. My best, I think, will be to give her pamol before we go to bed, and then try to slip it on once she's asleep, then buy some more batteries for my booklight because I'm going to be spending A LOT of time coaxing her back to sleep over and over again.

We don't have to go back to Beppu for a month, at least, unless we have trouble with the brace. And then it'll probably be six months of monitoring, with a possible skin graft taking skin from her foot if she doesn't regain movement.

At least the 'plasterer' is a lot nicer, a very sweet man, talkative, and constantly comments about how hard it is to design a brace for such a small hand, but he keeps trying. He has the worst halitosis I've ever encountered on a person though. I still like him more than the plastic surgeon, who seems very knowledgable and competent, but rather impatient. Certainly doesn't take the time or effort to explain things to me, I just hope Kanji remembers it all!

Kanji came with me again today, though I did the bulk of the driving. We ran out of gasoline!!!! Can you believe it? A Gasoline Stand man and his wife, I think it was a bit embarrassing for him, though it was largely my fault, since I was driving. But I've gotten so used to him filling it up for me whenever he has the car that I often don't even look. At first he wanted someone to come from Nakatsu, from our Stand, but we were a hour's drive away! So he took my suggestion that we ask at a nearby post office (Higashi Yamaga, for those who know the area). I have a friend nearby, but I couldn't call her because my phone is stuffed!

The PO people called a local gasoline stand for us, and he came with a delivery in about ten minutes. Thank goodness for gasoline delivery, back in NZ we'd have been in for a long walk and the purchase of a tin.