“Who is he again?”
“He’s the doctor who did surgery on your feet.”
“My legs?”
“No, just your feet.”
“What is he going to do to me?”
“It’s just a checkup. He’ll want some x-rays of your feet and legs, and probably your back too.”
“Okay.”
I can’t fault Namine for not remembering her foot surgeon and bone specialist based on name alone; she has so many doctors, after all. Besides, the second foot surgery (and subsequent skin graft) was over two years ago now, and she hasn’t needed any follow-up procedures since. She’s had checkups, of course, but as Namine grows, they are progressively becoming more and more infrequent. The last clinic visit was four months ago, and the next one is six months away.
There were (and still are, to an extent) concerns about Namine’s scoliosis getting worse, but in the years since Dr. Black started following her, changes in her spine have been negligible.
But recently, Namine has been experiencing increasing pain in her feet and legs. Her first therapy session upon our return home from vacation, she was leaning far too much, and tiring far too quickly. Not only that, but Namine has also increasingly and consistently complained of pain in her legs, even when just sitting still.
I suppose we might chalk that up to being on vacation and just needing to get back into the swing of things — and maybe I just worry too much — but we want to be sure the bone structure in her legs and feet aren’t taking a turn for the worse. We ought not to have worried, though. Today’s x-rays show that Namine’s bone structure in her pelvis, legs, and feet are more dense: they’re stronger than ever.
In comparing x-rays of Namine’s legs even from a year ago with today, it’s no surprise Namine’s legs hurt. Her femurs have actually started to straighten themselves out.
After Dr. Black examined Namine’s feet — and he was quite pleased with how flexible they are — Namine wanted to show him how strong she is. So she showed off how she does pushups while I hold her legs.
Then she scooted back and forth in the room, saying, “I have to think of some other kind of pushup or something!” Then she came over to me and asked me to hold one of her hands and one of her feet. I was a little apprehensive because I know how fragile her hips are, but she told me to trust her and just do it. Fine.
Then she lifted herself up on a single arm. I provided the balance, but I hardly bore any of her weight. That was pretty much all her.
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