Impact of compensation and experience in the medical system.

"Well on the 7th I was on a Ripstik and hit a patch of ice. I landed knee first on the slate part of the quad at my university. I have been having extreme difficulty walking and I had to walk with one leg totally strait and immobile to move without pain. Within hours I developed soreness all over as well as being pretty much unable to get around my room. It really made me realize how much compensating for an irregularity can really mess up everything else. Funny to think that our bodies also have to compensate for a certain irregularity under most of our feet. Think about it people thats probably the worst place for something to be out of whack. Everything is above them. Anyway so on the morning of the 8th I woke up in extreme pain and missed class. My mother picked me up at my school (we live about 45 min away) to take me to the infirmary to get checked out. The nurses took a look at me and commented on my lack of footwear.

Here is a transcript from the recording of what they said.

Nurse 1 "Can I help you?"
Me "Uh yeah I am here for a leg injury."
Nurse 1 "For what?"
Me "Is there anything you guys can do for a leg injury?"
Nurse 1 "Come on in what kind of leg injury?"
Me "Uh well I-"
Nurse 1 "Where's your shoes?"
Me "Oh, I don't wear shoes."
Nurse 1 "You don't wear shoes?"
Me "Y-Yep that doesn't have anything to do with it though."
Nurse 1 "Ok."
Me "I was on a skateboard and slipped on some ice and hit my knee on-at Gaebe."
Nurse 1 "Yup."
Me "Yeah that was yesterday."
Nurse 1 "Okay."
Me "So it didn't hurt at first but the swelling has got much worse and it hurts do do any kind of walking."
Nurse 1 "Awwww I think you're going to have to get an X-ray is this part of the injury here?"
Me "Um that little one right there is [pointing to scrape] these are old scars."
Nurse 1 "You never wear shoes?"
Me "Nope."
Nurse 1 "Oh."
Nurse 2 "Oh maybe thats why you slipped."
Nurse 1&2 "Hahahahahaha
Me "No, no I was on a skateboard."
Nurse 1 "What year did you start here?"
Me "This year."
Nurse 1 "Ok whats your name?"
Me "[First]"
Nurse 1 "[First]? is that the first name or last name?"
Me "First."
Nurse 1 "What's the last name?"
Me "[Last]"
Nurse 1 "Lemme pull your chart."
Me "Yep."
Nurse 1 "[spells out first three letters]"
Me "[spells out rest]"
Nurse 1 "Gotchya, come in lets take a look."
Me "Alright."
Nurse 1 "Let's see what'd you injure?"
[fall]
Nurse 1 "Careful!"
Me "Ow...um...that. It's right in the back here and at the top of this bone here."
Nurse 1 "Ok we are going to need to send you over to get X-rayed."
Me "Ok."
Nurse 1 "Do you have classes right now?"
Me "Uh I did but I wont be going to those classes for obvious reasons."
Nurse 1 "Ok do you have transportation or do you need me to call the van to bring you over?"
Me "I do have transportation."
Nurse 1 "Ok."
Me "My mother is actually trying to get in here without an ID right now."
Nurse 1 "Oh really?"
Me "Yeah she dropped me off and said she would find a place to park."
Nurse 1 "Oh ok yeah."
Me "It wasn't until I got in here that I said oh wait to get in here she's going to need an ID."
Nurse 1 "Yeah, I wantchya-youre gonna need an X-ray just to rule out anything skeletal."
Me "Ok."
Nurse 1 "This is the closest one, but its up to you guys [gestures to information sheet]."
Me "Ok."
Nurse 1 "Ok?"
Nurse 1 "Let us know how you make out because-"
Me "Alright."
Nurse 1 "You definitely need to be X-rayed just to rule anything out."
Me "Alright."
Nurse 1 "Ok?"
Me "Thanks a lot!"
Nurse 1 "Alright be careful huh?"
Me "Yup have a nice day."
Nurse 1 "You're going to be going over there today [Name]?"
Me "Yeah probably right after this."
Nurse 1 "Ok ok."
Me "Yeah I mean- I did it yesterday at like 12:00 and went up to my room and took a nap I woke up I couldn't move."
Nurse 1 "Eh yeah go get checked out. See ya later."
Me "Bye."




Anyway long story short we decided instead of waiting hours for an X-ray in a dirty city hospital, we decided to drive home to have local urgent care look at me. I got passed the front desk, the lady in-between that talks to you while you wait for the doctor, and the doctor, NONE even mentioned my feet. It was like they were only concerned with the problem at hand and not the unconventional lifestyle I lead. Westerly Urgent Care, I applaud your professionalism and maturity. If only the rest of the world were that progressive!

Next stop was the X-ray place. Sat in the lobby with no issues, a very elderly old woman in a wheelchair looked at my feet we exchanged smiles and she winked at me. The technician who the signs claim is actually called a technologist (but I refuse to use that word) led me into the X-ray room. She asked me where my shoes were. I told her that I don't wear them anymore and that it fixed my back pain. She stared for a minute and said "Whatever." She told me it was a bad idea to do that and I told her the streets of Providence are much more hazardous than floor of a medical facility cleaned daily. She also said that its a public building and I couldn't be in here without shoes (which we know is actually the opposite of the truth, public = public) and that I would end up injured and sue the place. I told her there was nothing to worry about and she did the X-rays and I went on my way. She clearly disapproved but at the same time respected my lifestyle and for that I thank you.

Barefooting is easy

Barefooting is good for you
Barefooting is NOT illegal
Join the revolution
GO BAREFOOT

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