February 05, 2004
Patience
I hate that word. My mother, one of the most imperturbable women in the free world, was forever spouting - "Good things come to those who wait". My arse.
My orthopedic surgeon wants me to be patient. "It will take 4 weeks for your knee to heal" quoth he 3 weeks ago. This is the same man who has had 3 different opinions (on 3 separate occasions) of which ligament is torn. The same man who would sit in perfect silence for 3 minutes (no exaggeration) ruminating about what to do to fix my knee. This man's life is bones and muscles and he doesn't have a repertoire of fixes? The same man who wanted me to take 4 weeks off work (ya, like that's an option), then when I asked for a doctor's certificate, decided "No, you can work. Just sit down while you're teaching". Like, make up your mind, dude!
When it comes to teaching, I'm a goddamn saint. Cool as a cucumber in an ice tray. But when it comes to long queues, incorrect timetables, retarded decision-making and the limitations of my own body, I am choleric at best (personally, I blame astrology). Damn, I got places to be.
Its been over 4 weeks now and I'm going birko. The worst part about it is that my way of letting off steam is usually 1) to kick something (objects, generally not people although some salarymen are begging for it) or 2) to go for a power walk around the block. Alas, I can do neither. The other day I was so frustrated, I hit the wall with my hand. But hell. That hurt. Won't be doing that again.
The things I've always taken for granted, like bending my knee, sitting cross-legged, riding my bike, walking normally, let alone fast (like I said, got places to be) and god forbid, using a Japanese-style toilet (unfortunately de rigeur at most public bathrooms), are beyond my reach for god knows how long.
Of course, this is a temporary thing, but I've recently gotten a taste of how hard it must be for wheelchair or crutches-bound people trying to navigate the public transport system here. Where is the sense of having an elevator (proudly displaying the fact that it's wheelchair friendly) from the train platform to the ticket gates, and then an infernal flight of 100 steps to get to street level? It's like they're happy to take your money, but then, honey, you're on your own. Some stations are better than others (thank you Iidabashi!) but its enough to make you crack your head against a brick wall.
But I told myself not to do that again after the last time.
Hi, or more properly... G'day,
Reading through the Hiking posts at the Japan Today site, I found your we site and checked it out. Obviously you guys share an interest in hiking. Not only that, you share the same vicinity with us, Toshima-ku. And by the looks of your photo collection, it's a wonder I haven't bumped into you in Ikebukuro or other nearby points. I understand your frustration with the local gov't, been dealing with it for 8 years here. And most recently, I experienced both a divorce, marriage, and birth, all in 2003. Busy... who me? Not at all. Life is too much fun to not have fun!
can relate to the knee thing.. but just to make you feel better (possibly. i didnt read how you hurt it, actually!) - i just recovered from the stupidest injury i could (or rather, couldn't) imagine while living here in japan.
spent about two months with some kind of weird brace around my right forearm becuase i, *gulp*, got really drunk one night and, *gulp*, woke up the next morning with virtually NO feeling in my right arm from my elbow down.
Yeah... I 'slept' on it wrong.
no shit.
'shinkei(nerve) compression'
spent the next day at the hospital, completely hung over, with some guy touching my arms with a paintbrush saying, 'onaji?' and me saying 'no!, it's totally different! see, my left arm works.. and my right arm is focking limp!' i got a cast, some vitamin B, no use of hashi for about a month and a half, and electric shock 'rehabili' twice a week for the duration.
worst part is i woke up during the night it happened and couldn't take my pants off because my right arm was numb.
flailing about in a drunken stupor.
stupidest thing ever.
oh. love your blog, btw.
i live up in fukushima and read your stuff all the time.
lol. tried to put a pin in your blogmap, but it filtered the word 'FUKUSHIMA'
-abz
Hell, man. That made me feel heaps better!
What I did wasn't stupid exactly... our couch is at around knee level, so the morning we left for Kyushu, I was sitting at the computer, swung around, stood up and promptly hit my knee, so one half of my leg went one way and the other half went the other. What I don't understand though, is how a seemingly mundane action could land me in a splint for 6 weeks+. If I was pro-wrestling (which, incidentally, is the official 'story') I could understand it, but...
Are you sure the electric shock 'rehabilitation' is for your arm? Damn, I've been healed many a time by a Japanese doctor, but am still left in the dark as to what they're actually *doing* for me. Maybe I shouldn't complain, cos their treatments always work, but there is no culture of divulgence in the medical system here. Just take these pills, and shut the hell up!
I also have been to the doctor here many a time, but the whole system in general just makes me damn nervous. Even speaking the language doesn't help that much coz you're dealing with a deeply-ingrained cultural psyche. I hate that doctors here make you come back one million times (slight exaggeration) - just fix it already.
Anyway, flying across oceans tonight and have set up no less than three medical-related appointments (sighs with relief!!) - see ya when we get back kinki!!!
Take it easy young Pinku. When you land in Oz, I'll be having my millionth 'appointment' (pah! like such a thing exists in Japan, its all first come first served) with aforementioned orthopedist. C.a.n.'t w.a.i.t. See you when you get back!
It sounds like you're ready to go bezerk - but you can't even kick anything. Bummer.