Chis Gets His Cast OFF

In the dieing minutes of the BGS vs Nudgee Under 13 Rugby Match one week before the end of last school term, Chris was tackeled and broke his arm as he hit the ground.  Since then it has been in a Cast.  5 weeks had past so yesterday I phoned Royal Childrens Hospital at Herston Brisbane to find out the procedure to remove it.  Took me a few minutes to find the phone number and I rang the first one that popped up on google which turned out to be the car park.  When I finally made it through to Children's Othopedics, the kind lady informed me that they [the hospital] would call us.  She then kindly asked for the patients details and fed the ever hungy computer which in turn kindly informed her that Chris was expected at 12:30 that day.  (I think it was about 9am when I called).  She looked further and said that she could see on the computer that they [the hospital] had not attempted to call us.

So I texted Chris and phoned him and he did not answer.  I discovered later that he was complying with school rules to have the phone off.  I rang the BGS middle school office who sent a person to alert Chris and he responded to my text.  The middle school office said that I had to come in and sign him out.  I asked if he could just walk down by himself but that would necessitate letters and interviews with more senior staff.  So I stuck with their method and drove in.

Having enjoyed the comfort of the middle school office and signed my life away we drove to Royal Childrens Hospital (RCH) just a few minutes down the road and parked in the large parking station behind the hospital.

Our attempts to enter the hospital were twarted by automatic doors that stayed closed.  A power failure we were informed.  We entered via the coffee shop.  I later mused to myself that in a big public building open 24/7 with security etc etc, one would think that it might be safer for the main doors to move to the open position upon loss of power.  For example if the power failure was the result of a fire.  Anyway maybe closed is better to keep the oxygen out.  Ok back on topic.  We walked in and through to the Childrens Orthopedics.  Luckilly queensland health can continue to operate without the computers and there were still some lights on.  Although I guess the computer will not count the workers as being present during its period of unconsciousness and they [the staff] will not get paid.  (get back on topic).  We took a number and waited.  Knowing that we could be in for a wait, Chris had a book and I brought some work.  Somewhere along the way the power came back on but the computers stayed off.  bet they have a UPS. Eventually our number came up and a kind fellow with what looks like an angle grinder attacked Chris's cast.

Then sent him off for an X-ray.

while we were waiting for the X-ray, the staff apologised that due to the power failure, the X-ray would not work and they were getting an old one up and running. Feeling the threat of competition, the new one conceeded to boot and we were off and running.

 No photographic plates anymore.  Some kind of plate sensor that feeds directly into the computer. 

here is the X-ray on the doctors computer.

He extolled us that for the next 6 weeks not to participate in activities such as horse riding, football, motor bike rising, skate boards, roller skates or rip sticks.  Low impact sport such as Rowing is probably OK.

Hmmm should have asked about dish washing and lawn mowing.