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The long journey down dank hallways, with paint peeling from the walls was arduous but somewhat comforting, as she knew who the chief of Orthopedics at Nikita Kruschev Memorial Hospital was. His name was Nikolai Shlamov and his Mo for orthopdics was ALWAYS CAST if you can. |
There were few situations that didn't call for a cast for him and the larger the cast, the better and if the patient was female, she was guaranteed a cast, even for a slight ache! The women still, in spite of the doctor's obvious fixation on casts loved the older doctor, as he would always talk about the wounds he treated in Afghanistan and other places Russian Army and Soviet Army men were treated, and they loved his gentle but firm bedside manner as he applied his casts in a way that implored the patient's every obedience to the treatment regimen.
Cristina was brought into the X_Ray Room and the doctors Xray technician, a lovely young blonde woman named Natalya Plinsky immediately greeted her like she was her very best friend, saying "Ah, Cristina, how are we today!!!" in her typical high squeaky voice when excited. She knew instantly, from the way way Cristina was positioning herself on the gurney that she was going to get to help Dr Shlamov apply her favorite cast, as Ms Plinsky was also doubling as the Cast Technician . Xrays of Cristina's hips were taken as well as some of her legs and upper body and Dr Shlamov studied them very carefully. He then said to both women, with that little smile on his face when he knew a large cast was made to order, "Ladies, this is one SERIOUS situation. You have a double dislocation of your femurs and several stress fractures of the femoral shafts. You also have bilateral strained Anterior Cruciate Ligaments which was caused by the knees taking the additional strain of the weight of the body bearing down on them due to the lack of support. We need to prep you and take you to the Cast Room IMMEDIATELy!!! Some orderlies were summoned by the doctor on his new Motorola phone and they came down in 2 minutes as they could tell by the doctors serious but happy tone that he had a female patient and they wanted to check her out. Cristina knew this as they always came quicker for the women, in 2 minutes but if they knew it was a male patient, the orderlies took all the time in the world.
Dr Shlamov ordered his supplies from an American orthopedic company because he loved the quality and the smell of the Johnson and Johnson Fiberglass Bandages. 2 large cases of 6 inch wide bandages were taken out as well as the required cast padding and stockinette. Cristina knew as soon as she saw the amount and size of the supplies that she was getting another Double Hip Spica even before the words came out of Ms Plinsky's and Dr Shlamov's mouths. They and 2 medical assistants went to work on Cristina and about an hour and a half later the cast was finished. Both of Cristina's legs were covered from her toes which had a toe platform, up to her groin, which joined a body cast that went just under her breasts. Her body was so stiff and she said to Ms Plinsky in simultaneous agony and ecstasy "Oh my God, I can't move anything at all! How will I wash and eat and most of all, make love to my boyfriend" (She didn't have a boyfriend the last 4 time she had a double hip spica which all occurred when she was 13 years old and younger, now at 23 she had other desires just like most sensual women these days). Ms Plinsky smiled and winked and said you'ss find a way and very quickly!
