Wendy
Rating:
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Genre=Fiction;
Pages=4;
Characters=7,772;
This is a true story of a female friend of mine, her name is Wendy.
Wendy was heavily involved in soft ball, volley ball, and field hockey.
Wendy had a major problem with playing sports, Wendy had weak ankles and was always limping no matter what sport she played or even just walking Wendy's ankles would give out on her. Well I have not seen Wendy in a couple years and when she got off the plane as usual she was limping, I asked Wendy if she hurt her ankles recently and she said that she was doing pretty well lately and that her ankles had swollen during the flight. We had previously made plans to see Bush Gardens in Tampa the next day and I asked Wendy if she still felt up to the trip? Wendy replied yes and asked me if we could go for dinner.
We went to a nice steak house and had a couple drinks before dinner. On the way out of the restraunt Wendy missed a step, twisting her right ankle severely as she fell. I heard a pop and knew that she tore a couple ligaments as I assessed her right ankle, I'm also an Emergency Medical Technician and I have had ankle sprains that I have heard that familiar pop, her right ankle didn't hurt in the bony area and as I felt along the lateral out side of her ankle, Wendy said that hurt a lot and that she didn't want to go to the hospital and ruin our first night. I got a bag of ice and a wet towel and i set it on her ankle after I carried Wendy to the car.
We drove the 40 minute trip back to my house and I carried Wendy to the couch, Wendy's ankle was swollen even worse than when she got off the plane. I asked Wendy if she wanted a pair of crutches to be able to get around, Wendy said that crutches would be great and she already knew how to use them. I brought Wendy the crutches and an ace bandage to wrap her ankle, as I started to wrap Wendy's ankle Wendy surprised me, she told me that her ankles feel better casted when she injures them. Well being the recreational caster that I am, I had both plaster and fiberglass casting supplies on hand and asked Wendy boldly "If you could have a cast right now what would you say?"
I got the answer that I was looking for from her eyes and the smile on Wendy's face. Then Wendy said how can I get my ankle casted this late at night? That is when my secret that only I knew was revealed, I told Wendy about the problems that I had with my right ankle for the past many years and that I got tired of spending money on doctors bills for something I could do myself.
Wendy was drueling as she said, "lets do it". I asked Wendy what she preferred plaster or fiberglass? Wendy replied "I want to try fiberglass because I always had plaster casts and want a lighter cast for Bush Gardens."
I was in my glory getting a dream come true to put a cast on a woman's leg, Wendy was still sitting on the couch with her swollen right ankle propped up on the coffee table, I told Wendy that I had light blue fiberglass, and that was fine with her, I told Wendy that I would be right back as I got the supplies.
I got an old sheet and covered the floor and coffee table as fiberglass sticks to everything, I then grabbed the box of 5 inch fiberglass, a bucket of water, the stockinette, and the cast padding. Wendy was perspiring with the thought of another cast and said "I'm ready."
I gently removed the ice off Wendy's ankle and dried off the moisture from the ice, I measured the stockinette so that I had 3 inches above her knee and 3 inches below her toes, I then cut the stockinette from the roll and rolled it like a doughnut with 3 inches left un-rolled.
I gently unrolled the stockinette over Wendy's beautiful toes her foot and her swollen ankle to above her knee. Wendy watched me all the while as she knew the routine, I then took the 1st roll of cast padding and started wrapping Wendy's toes, her foot, ankle, and her calf, I did this 3 more times with a fourth roll around her ankle and her toes.
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Then came the fiberglass, I put on a pair of casting gloves took the first roll out of the package, dipped it into the bucket of water and wrung it out, Wendy asked me if I would make her cast tight? I told Wendy to tell me what she wanted and I would do it for her. I started the first bandage on Wendy's toes about an inch behind the padding wrapping three times around her toes, I wrapped around her foot tightly but not so tight to cut off circulation, and then her ankle. I wrapped her ankle tightly working toward her calf, I took the second roll and dipped it and started where the first roll stopped, working to two inches below Wendy's knee, I took the third roll dipped it in the water and again worked from toes to knee, wrapping extra around Wendy's ankle and up to her knee.
I then pulled the stockinette back behind her toes and below her knee, I secured the loose stockinette with a fourth roll of fiberglass. I rubbed the cast to make sure it was well fused and the cast was starting to harden. Wendy couldn't wait to do Bush Gardens in her new cast, publicking in a larger public place than a mall.
Wendy used her crutches to get on and off rides but we got her a wheelchair for getting around the park. When we got to the park a women asked Wendy what happened to her leg? Wendy's reply was she twisted her ankle badly and needed the cast for 8 weeks, the women seemed surprised at 8 weeks for a sprained ankle to be in a cast. Wendy rebounded quickly and told her how her ankles are always getting injured and casting for long periods of time was necessary. The women stated that she had a partially torn ligament in her left ankle a couple months ago and all she got was an air cast, "Piece of junk that didn't relieve the pain" and a pair of crutches. The strange women said out loud I wish that I had my ankle casted! And before I knew it Wendy asked her if she wanted her ankle casted before doing the park? The women thought a couple seconds and asked how was that possible?
Wendy was doing all the talking while I was flabbergasted and my jaw dropped with what I was hearing. Wendy told her that I had applied the cast and that I was a recreational caster, the women said that the cast looked like it was applied at the hospital. Well the lady asked where we can get the supplies and she would pay me to cast her ankle. Wendy and I introduced ourselves and the women said her name was Jody, I asked Jody what type cast she wanted? Jody replied fiberglass because it dries quicker.
We looked in the phone book and found a medical supply place and called our order in: one case of red fiberglass, one bag of padding, a pair of crutches, and six feet of stockinette, they sold it by the yard (we got 2 yards). Jody gave me the money for the casting supplies, well to make a long story short.
Jody got her wish, a short leg red fiberglass cast, sitting in the van. After Jody's cast had dried we did Bush Gardens together, Jody asked a good question: "How do I get this cast off after I leave?" I had an answer for Jody. Call some orthopedic offices and tell them that you had injured your ankle while visiting Germany and the doctor put your ankle in the cast and you need the cast removed, or be careful and use a hacksaw blade. Jody said that she would choose the first choice since she wanted to be in the cast for several weeks. We all had a great day.
Jody still calls me every once in a while and tells me about her own casting adventures and she told me that she bought a cast saw. I am happy that we met Jody that day, another happy recreational caster was born.
Mike.