Saturday

Dr. Ben Davis came in early and checked her stump. He smiled. “We need to get you down for a new cast. Nurse, get her down to the therapy and tell them we will be casting that stump with the new connector in place. Tell them to get ready. I’ll meet them in about a half hour.”

Denise was taken to therapy in a wheelchair. She protested the chair but the nurse and Carol were adamant, she would ride. The doctor was about five minutes behind them and was accompanied by two other people. He introduced them as doctors who had assisted in her surgery. He explained that as he did each surgery he was having two colleagues assist to learn the procedure. He felt that if the surgery were approved for general use there would be others who could perform it.

The therapist had Denise remove her pylon and had her stand facing a bar for support. A technician came in carrying a large bucket. He started pulling out the casting material and wrapped it on her stump. The doctors watched as he did it. When he finished they waited a few minutes and carefully slid the cast off and sat it on a cart.

They cleaned her stump and had her sit in the wheelchair. The technician lifted her stump to see the end of it and inserted a rod into the center hole in her stump. He turned a bolt on the end of it and then tested, it was tight. “That locks it in place by expanding a tab into a depression in the sleeve that is in your femur.” He took four small rods and threaded them into the other four holes in her stump. He coated the rods with Vaseline. “Now we will cast the stump.”

They covered the stump again with the cast material. When it hardened the technician took the cast off. “Now we will take out those rods, clean up your stump and get your old cast back on.

We will be making your sockets. I will be working on them over the weekend and have them ready to fit on Monday.” He bent down and turned the bolt again. “That releases the rod inside the sleeve. Then we unscrew the smaller rods and take them out. Now let’s get that old cast back on so you don’t swell up.”

She was tired when she returned to the room. She slept for about an hour and then got up for more exercise. As she and Carol were going down the hall she started to cry. “I have to get myself in shape. I’m holding up you, Diane and Susan from having your surgery.”

“We will be fine.”

“But I owe you so much.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“I was drowning in alcohol.”

“So.”

“I saw no real reason to quit till the night before I signed to have my leg off. I remembered what you said about seeing the drunk in the mirror. I went to the bathroom just after I put the bottle back to look in the mirror at the drunk. Then I went to the kitchen, looked at the bottles in the cupboard and I dumped them. I realized the only reason to keep them was to get drunk. I can’t afford the luxury any more. I realized I had no choice but to sign to have a leg cut off because of booze. This has to work.  Now I can’t afford to give another leg.”

“I know. That was how far I sunk before I quit. Sad isn’t it?”

“Yes. Just promise me one thing. If I take a drink, remind me of this.”

“I will. Can you do the same for me?”

“Sure, but you wouldn’t drink. After your accident.”

“Want to bet?”

“Huh?”

Denise Chapter 01: Success in Hollywood

Denise Chapter 31: Carol Gets the Nod for Surgery

Denise Chapter 33 – Carol’s Confession