Broken Elbow

Pre-dinner playtime downstairs turned into a disaster for Kristine Tuesday evening, fracturing her left elbow while playing on her roller board (Ripstick). She obviously felt a lot of pain, unable to move her arm. While she sat at a park bench, Kimberley went in her own way to seek help. She found Uncle Tom (Scarlet's father). Took Tom a while to understand via Kimberley that Kristine was in trouble.

Tom insisted on accompanying us to a local hospital in a taxi instead fof taking his car. Smart thought as we ended up zipping in and out of two hospitals before finding concrete help in a third. Imagine the hassle to park his own car at each hopsital...

Our first stop was the biggest and newest local hospital, Chaoyang Hospital east of Kristine's school. They recommeded we take Krisitine to Beijing Children's Hospital because the Xray machines at Chaoyang are designed for adults, too 'powerful' for kids so the nurse said. After we registered Kristine at Children's Hospital and walked to the paediatric clinic, the nurse told us their Orthopedics dont work at night and suggested we take Kristine to JiShuiTan Hospital. This is a busy hospital. The emergency ward was bustling with all types of orthopedic patients. I could tell the doctor on duty was overworked and under-appreciated.

We were very lucky to have Uncle Tom chasing all the hospital registration for us, even pushing the doctor on duty to attend to Kristine early. Such is the rule in a Chinese hospital, show your face to get attention. Unlike in Melbourne where patients wait in turn outside of consultation room, patients here jammed inside the consultation room (War Room). The doctor on duty gets requests and question in true Stereo sensoround mode. Uncle Tom even became a radiologist's assitant for Kristine's Xray. Forget the radiation here --- door was wide opened and anyone can walk in anytime. Only the radiologist gets to hide behind lead door while Xrays are being taken.

Kristine eventual got her arm casted by 1030pm. Another 4 yr old girl splinterred her fingers while playing on similar roller board. She required a GA to put her finger bones back in place. The operation was not scheduled until past 12am. Kristine was brave to hold back her tears most of the time, but the technicians who fabricated her 'state of the art' arm cast did make her cry. The cast costs Y520. Xray Y100, Orthopedic consultation Y5, Taxis Y100. No medicines prescribed.

The Orthopedic Accident trophy score is running at Kristine 1 : Kimberley 2. Kimberley's 2 scores were before age 3, while Kristine's first is at age 8.