Hello everyone
This is Rech from Turkey, I have started to work as a translator in Istanbul for one year. One day a Scottish guy offer me a job. He was going to have a limb lengthening surgery and I was going to stay with him for 5 days. This is how I met with the limb lengthening surgery. Before I met him, I had no knowledge about that surgery.
I was translating the doctor s advice first; it was forbidden to eat and drink 12 hours before the surgery. He was going to have upper leg (femur) surgery. He was 177 cm and his goal to be 185 cm.
At the surgery day I had met with the patient in front of his hotel, he had an agreement with a company that provides him so many lux services. Very lux VIP car came and took us and our journey started. It was great to have travel on Bosphorus with that luxury car. Finally, we arrived to hospital which looks very nice and clean. After he register, they showed us our room. It was really big and nice room like 5 stars hotel room. There was a caretaker bad too. Private bathroom, fridge, tv, free Wi-Fi, wardrobe etc.
A good-humored nurse came the room and start to ask him some questions.
Do you have any allergies?
Do you have any genetic disease?
Do you have any metal in your body?
Do you have heart disease?
These are some questions that I remember now
When she completed the questionnaire, she started to measure blood pressure and took 3 tubes blood. She left the surgery clothes and said ‘please remove everything on your body and just wear these clothes.
My patient was little bit excited and it was normal, I think.
He already had his decision and no one could change it. He wore the clothes and laid down the bad. He was ready
2 nurses came and put him on a drip (he had given serum by nurses)
I went to until the surgery room with him, he smiled and said ‘see you another side’ that put me a smile on my face 😊
I was nervous, I was waiting in the room and praying.
After 4 hour the doctor came the room and he said ‘it was successful surgery’ I was really happy to hear that. The doctor said that nurses will bring him room soon.
After 30 minutes they brought him to room. He was shaking, I asked to nurse ‘why he is shaking’ answer ‘because the surgery room is so cold and he will be ok after 15 min’
I turned on the heater and after 15 mins he stopped shaking. I told him ‘it was successful surgery’ he smiled and slept for a while. When he woke up, he felt some uncomforted because of the lengthening device. There were 2 external fixator devices and he was not able to turn around. He was not allowed to eat and drink 4 more hours after the surgery. They said, if he eats or drink, he would puke all.
So, it was really hard to stay hungry and trusty for 18 hours. I gave him some water to shake in mouth and split it. Even it was relaxing for him because his lips were so dry. They brought him very nice vegetable soup; he ate really slowly. He was feeling better.
First night was the most difficult one. He could not sleep well. Nurses were coming to room in every 3 hours and measure his blood pressure, checking his heart rate and gave him some pills and setting his serum flowing.
Next day after the surgery the companies sent flowers and chocolate. That made him really happy and after a few hours, the companies assistant doctor came the room and he helped my patient for his very first steps. First, he just sits down on the bed and waited for 5 mins. He felt dizzy at the beginning after some time he was ready to stand up. I was not sure he could stand up but he did with assistant doctor. He was looking his leg, assistant doctor recommended to him look forward, if he looks down, I would feel dizzy and blood pressure would decrease. He started to look forward and stay stand up for 2 minutes, then he got tired and sit down. It was so surprising for me, he had 2 broken bone but he was able to stand up and walk.
Every day he was feeling better, pain was gone and he was walking more and more. He is really tough guy. He never asked painkiller.
We had visitors almost every day, company’s worker came and brought us many gifts. (milk, fruit, yogurt, nuts, many natural foods) my patient was really happy. During the 5 days the doctor who made the surgery came to visit only one time.
Days past so quickly. Last day company’s assistant doctor brought all medication that he is going to need (painkillers, antibiotics, blood thinner pills). And he explained how do lengthening, how to use hex key (always turn to key left side, 90 degree turning equal 0,25 mm lengthening and do it once in a every 6 hours , that means every day 1 mm lengthening ) he also brought surgery reports , flight report, walker ,crutches, lengthening manual , shortly everything that my patient needs. He explained how to do exercises, how important exercises are. They explained everything and answered all questions that my patient asked.
Same VIP car came to take us to airport. when we arrived to airport, I called the flight company and asked for help for him. They sent us a wheelchair and 2 people for help. It was time to say goodbye.
We hugged then they took him to plane…
We talked on phone next day, 4-hour flight was tired for him. but it was ok, he was in his home.
I had to wait 3 moths to see him again. I could not wait to see how tall he is going to be.
Somehow days past and he was coming to İstanbul again to have device removal surgery. It has been 90 days that I haven’t seen him.
I went to airport 2 hours before he came. It was so excited for me. I was look forward to see him.
finally he came with wheelchair, I could see the differences about him. I helped him to stand up and it was like a miracle. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We almost have the same height (by the way I am 184 cm). I just looked him for a few minutes, I couldn’t take off my eyes on him. it was like seeing the miracle with my own eyes… he was 177 cm at the beginning but now he has 183 cm. he got 6 cm. it was obvious. Anyone could see the difference.
We went the hospital; they took him the surgery room. after 2 hours he came to room, he was shaking but I wasn’t worry because I knew it would pass after 15 min. he looked so relaxed.
He was so happy. he said: ‘finally I got rid of these things (fixator). We stayed in hospital only one night. Tomorrow morning, he had flight. We promise to see each other in the summer. For now, it doesn’t look possible because of the corona virus.
He wrote a really good feedback to company about me. After one week the company’s manager called me and offered me a job. I agreed and started to work as a caretaker and translator. next 2 months I had seen 7 different patients and 3 different doctors and several methods about limb lengthening. I will continue to write about my experiences…
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Topic: lengthening surgeries through the caretaker's eye (Read 904 times)