First step to getting out of the rigid brace

23 February 2012

I went to the Launceston General Hospital this afternoon for the orthotics appointment.  When I got there, they were still awaiting the written instructions from Hobart. And, they were not aware of the consultation in Hobart on 30 January that I was told to wear the brace for another 6 weeks. After a few phone calls, they managed to get a few lines in writing from Hobart confirming that I could wean out of my brace.

Iwas still wearing the same brace but the thoracic 胸部 part had been removed.  I would have to wear the rigid neck brace for another week and then gradually reduce my dependence on the rigid brace by replacing it with a soft collar.

At the time the thoracic part of the brace came off, my skin felt good and fresh. After a while, I started to have a headache and feel dizzy. My back muscles felt weak too.

Anyway, I was glad that I had embarked on 開始 the first step to getting out of the rigid brace.

What happened was that there was a neuroradiology meeting in Hobart on 14 February with the presence of senior neurosurgeons. There was still a  crack in one of my vertebrae but it was not serious enough to require keeping the brace.  

The consultation in Hobart on 30 January was like a scene in the movie Catch Me If You Can 逍遙法外. Leonardo DiCaprio went into the room, kept asking the junior doctor for opinions and then off he went. One of my carers likened Dr Dubey to Dr Patel, the Queensland doctor who is dubbed 稱為 the "death doctor" by the media.