After what seemed to be hours of laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling, fully encased in a plaster shell, Beth heard the door to her left swing open and the familiar voices of Andrea and Kelly still chit chatting as they walked in.
"OK, everything looks good" Andrea said as she walked up to Beth, placing her hand on the plaster cast.
"Hard as a rock" she said jokingly as she knocked on the cast with her knuckles
"How are you doing in there?" asked Kelly in a caring voice.
"Well, it's a different feeling, that’s for sure" replied Beth in a strained voice.
"Yes it is " answered Kelly, smiling back at Beth in a naughty way.
"Well, lets get you out of this cervical traction so you can talk a little easier"
Beth could hear the wench clicking again, but this time the pressure on her chin, head and neck were ever so slightly relieved as Kelly backed the 20#’s of pressure down to 0 and Beth’s head settled into the cast.
After the tension in the wench was released, Kelly quickly undid the strap that attached the head halter to the wench.
"Their, does that feel a little better?" asked Kelly
"Well, a little better, at least it’s easier to talk" replied Beth
"Soooo, you have been put into a body cast like this yourself?" ask Beth with a puzzled look on her face
"Oh yes, Andrea and I both have, Andrea put me in one just a week ago and I fully plastered Andrea back in February of this year"
"Dare I ask why?" asked Beth in her muffled voice
"Well," Andrea interjected, "As I mentioned to you earlier, both myself and Kelly are very interested in knowing exactly what the patient is experiencing as far as their bracing and fittings are concerned. We really want to be able to say to the patient, "yes, I do know how that feels".
"In fact, we have tried on virtually every brace in this place and have actually worn them for an extended period of time to really get a feel for what the patient goes through in there day to day routine while in the brace. Everyday things like getting dressed, going to the bathroom, bathing, eating, sleeping, going out in public, exercising and even having sexual contact." Replied Kelly as she held Beth's hand, trying to comfort her.
"So you actually wear these braces 24/7 for what, a day – 2?" asked Beth, now almost forgetting about the fact that she was still encased in a plaster shell that hugged her every curve of her voluptuous body from her hips to her chin.
"Well, sometimes it's only a day or two, but it has been as long as 2 weeks" said Andrea, smiling strangely at Kelly, winking ever so subtly.
"Gosh, I am truly impress, that is just fantastic that you go through that ordeal just to be more in tune with your patients --- good for you two"
"Well, it is something both Kelly and I feel very strongly about, and we feel the knowledge we gain from each experience is invaluable in our practice. In fact, Kelly here is going to be wearing a brace very similar to yours starting Wednesday of this week. Just a few days before you get your brace. She will be wearing hers 24/7, for 2 weeks, the maximum time we "test drive" braces for medical research" Andrea now was looking directly at Kelly with a cute but very nasty smirk on her face.
"Why the 2 week rule?" asked Beth, oblivious to the non-verbal communication going on between the 2 orthodists.
"Well, it is because after 2 weeks, your muscle tissue begins to breakdown and you start losing mass"
"That is why you will slowly begin a very strict physical therapy program after about 2 weeks or so, to keep your muscles toned as well as possible while in the brace" replied Kelly.
"Really, well, I don’t think I’ll be doing anything like my high impact aerobic classes" laughed Beth.
"No, you won’t be doing to much of that anytime soon but low impact aerobics and aqua therapy will be in you future quicker than you think"
"What do you mean" Beth now had a suprized look on her face.
"What I mean is that your Doctor is a firm believer in physical therapy and exercise and will probably have you enrolled in the new women's physical aqua therapy / low impact aerobic class before you know it"
"You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all, I'm totally serious and I think you’ll really began to like it! What it is, is a group of women patients from different orthopedic surgeons around the area, all getting together twice to three times a week to do aqua therapy in the pool and low impact, non strenuous aerobics, lead by two wonderful female physical therapist's. All the women in the class have had a recent back or neck injury or spinal surgery and the class is geared around that, it’s also a great place to meet other women who are going through the same thing you are - that can make your recovery a lot easier."
"Wow, that sounds like it will be a nice break from the body brace, how long are the classes?" asked Beth, excited about the prospect of getting out of her brace, if only for an hour or so.
"Well, I hate to disappoint you here Beth but you won’t be loosing the brace. All exercise and therapy, including the aqua therapy are done while WEARING your CTLSO. Your doctor and I both agree that you will need to be in your brace 24/7 for at least the first 6 - 8 weeks of your recovery, NO EXECPTIONS!! After that we will see how you are healing and make a decision on hen we can start to wean you off of the brace."
"Well, that won’t be a lot of fun in a full body brace" mumbled Beth
"It will be a little hard for the first few weeks but I think you’ll get used to it soon and actually begin to enjoy getting out and moving your body a little." Responded Kelly.
"Hum, I think the jury’s still out on that…….. So when do I start? " asked Beth
"Probably not for a few weeks or more, I’m sure Doctor Leemoore wants you to rest and take it easy for a while but I would think he’ll have you enrolled in some very light exercise program before too long. Maybe 2-3 weeks or so.
Andrea smiled at Beth and nodded to Kelly as she glanced down at her watch.
"4:15, we need to get moving if were going to get you out of here by six." said Andrea as she turned the conversation away from her and Kelly’s brace research and Beth’s Physical therapy program.
"OK, lets get cracken" replied Andrea as she nodded to Kelly to carefully began replacing all the parts of the casting table that the two women has removed earlier.
"There, that’s the last piece" replied Kelly as she snapped the finial section of the stainless steel table underneath Beth's casted body.
"Beth, I am going to carefully pull this head strap out from underneath your chin and then released all the wrist and ankle straps that are holding you to the casting table, so please remain very still"
"Like I really have a choice?" replied Beth
Kelly carefully released all the straps that suspended Beth's body while Andrea checked the density of Beth’s cast with a sonic measuring device.
"There, now you are almost free" smiled Kelly
"Oh my God, I feel as if I am a foot taller"
"Yea, a lot of patients say that, you did great and I promise you we won’t put you back in that thing again’
"Well, that's a relief, I’m not sure I could do that again" replied Beth, putting her hands to the round plaster mounds that now encased her large breasts.
"Yes, It is a quite an ordeal but we are almost done so hang in there" replied Kelly as she steadied Beth's casted body on the traction table.
"What we need you to do now is get up and walk around a little," Andrea said.
With both Andrea and Kelly’s help, the two women carefully helped Beth up off her back and got her into a sitting position on the edge of the casting table.
"Wow, this is a very strange feeling" replied Beth as she shifted, trying to get comfortable.
"We are now going to have you get up off the table and walk over to the stool and have a seat there so we can mark where the cast needs to be trimmed" added Kelly as she reached out her hand to Beth's
As Beth slowly slid off the edge of the casting table, Andrea and Kelly held her left and right arms firmly and assisted her slowly across the room to the stool in the corner
"There you are, slowly, slowly, ---- good, your doing just great."
Trying to sit was now very difficult for Beth due to the fact that the bottom of the cast was a little too long and was hitting the top of Beth's thighs as she sat.
"OK, it looks like we will need to trim the cast here," said Andrea as she marked two semi-circular lines on the cast with a grease pencil.
"It also looks like she needs a little relief in the arm pit area" marking more lines underneath both of Beth's arms pits.
30 minutes went by as Andrea and Kelly worked more on trimming and marking the cast until the fit was perfect.
They then had Beth stand up, sit down and walk around the small fitting room while they skillfully measured and detailed every movement. Finally, at 5:45 PM, Andrea made some final trims to the top and bottom of the cast and proclaimed that they were finished.
"OK Kelly, I think we can get the cast saw ready and cut Mrs. O’Connell out of her plaster shell"
Beth was very relieved to hear those words.
"Beth, we are going to have you sit over at our other traction table where I am going to put the head halter back on you an apply 20# of overhead cervical traction. We need to do this to keep your cervical spine immobile while the body cast is cut off and you are fitted with a temporary cervical brace. Please remember that you will need to remain as still as possible during this procedure"
With Beth now sitting upright on the other traction table Andrea carefully placed the head halter between the cast and Beth's chin and around the back of her head, tightening the jaw line connecting straps snugly. Then she began to slowly crank the traction wheel until the tension gauge read 20 #'s.
"OK, Kelly is going to begin cutting the cast off you now so please remember to stay very still, the saw can not cut you but we want to make sure we don’t mess up the cast"
As Kelly carefully manuerved the saw along the left side of Beth's torso, Andrea stood close by, holding Beth's hand as the screeching saw cut through the hard plaster like a hot knife through butter.
Before Kelly's saw reached the bottom of the cast, Andrea placed three pieces of surgical tape along the cut. Then Kelly moved around to the right side and began cutting down, starting just below Beth's ear. Andrea again placed three pieces of tape along the right cut, essentially holding the two half's together, just as the saw buzzed through the last 2 inches of the cast, around Beth's hip.
"There, now we will slowly remove the tape and carefully remove the front and the back half of the cast"
Kelly slowly removed the tape from the left side of the cast as Andrea removed the tape from the right side.
"On 3 we will pull the two halves of the cast apart" proclaimed Andrea
"1, 2, and 3" Both women carefully pulled the plaster shell apart, Kelly on the back half and Andrea on the front half.
"Slowly, slowly … there, a perfect cut, nice job Kelly" complimented Andrea as they slowly removed the front and back half of the cast and placed them on the workbench.
With the 2 half's of the body cast now removed, Beth's naked torso was fully exposed, her nipples now slightly erect from the rush of cool air on her sweaty body.
"Sorry for this, I know it’s a bit cold" apologized Andrea as she reached up in the cupboard and pulled out a hospital gown. "Put this on for a minute until Kelly comes back, I know it’s always a cold shock coming from the warmth of the body cast to the cold air. Hang in there Beth, we should be done shortly, Kelly has just gone to get your bra" replied Andrea as she removed a new SOMI Brace and a LSO back brace from a cupboard above and placed it on the counter.
"Here we are Beth" replied Kelly as she returned with Beth's navy blue bra in hand.
"Let me help you with this"
As Beth lifted her arms, Kelly helped her off with the gown and then slid the padded straps of Beth’s Navy Blue Bra on to the left shoulder and then the right, and finally hooking the clasp in the back.
"Their, does that feel ok?" asked Kelly
"Mum, fine" responded Beth in a muffled voice.
Andrea next walked over and picked up the soft back brace and placed it on the traction table next to Beth
"First, I am going to fit this soft corset over your torso, just underneath your chest. We in the business call this a soft LSO but it is known to most as a back brace or a corset. It does have 3 steel stays in the back with a triple ply front support panel that I will lace up snugly. This will temporarily help keep your spine stable until your CTLSO is finished."
As Andrea begin to lace up the cream colored LSO, Beth could feel her stomach become even flatter than it already was and her ribs and back felt like someone had just put her in a vise and starting turning.
"There, that should do it for the LSO. Does it feel ok for you?"
"Well, maybe a little snug, but its not pinching anywhere" mumbled Beth
"That’s normal, it will stretch a little so we want it real tight to start"
Next, Andrea went back to the table got the SOMI Brace that was now lying on the counter and carried it back over to the fitting table.
"Now I need to fit this brace on you for the time being, your Philadelphia collar won’t provide enough support for your neck "
Andrea slowly placed the SOMI chest piece over Beth’s shoulders and on to her chest, making some notes on another clipboard as she looked over to her assistant.
"Kelly, this should take me about 20 minutes or so to fit Mrs. O'Connel so while I am working on her, why don't you call and get all the parts ordered for her new CTLSO. Cascade Orthopedic should be open for another hour or so if you want to give them a call"
"Oh sure, good idea; you sure you won't need an extra hand?"
"Na, I think well be fine, I have done so many SOMI fittings I could do it in my sleep"
"Great, then I am off to my office. It was nice meeting you Mrs. O'Connel, I will probably see later, if not, then next week for sure"
"Nice meeting you Kelly and thanks for your help, I guess when I see you next week you will be in your brace as well. Maybe you can give me some pointers on the new brace." Mumbled Beth, unable to clearly speak with her head & neck still in traction.
"Yes, that’s right, I'll have logged in a few days when I see you, so I'll take good notes"
As Kelly closed the door behind her, Andrea looked at Beth and smiled
"She is the greatest assistant I have ever had, she has a true love for orthotics and for her patients, I don't know what I would do with out her"
Beth smiled back
"Yes, she seems like a very nice young woman"
"OK, I’m going to need to make a few adjustments on the shoulder bars here" removing the chest piece and bending the shoulder supports so that they contoured Beth's shoulders exactly.
"So you have done this before" replied Beth as Andrea placed the chest piece back on her torso.
"Ya, I have done a lot of these, if fact Kelly and I just did a fitting for another one of Dr. Leemoore’s patients a few weeks ago. An attractive young lady by the name of Heather, poor girl, she was so upset when she left, she has to be in her brace for the next 3 months, maybe more. It's hard when your only 24 years old, single and full of vanity" Andrea continued to work while she talked, tightening up the two straps that came from the back of the brace around her side and under Beth’s breasts, attaching to the chest piece.
"I think I just met her at Dr. Leemoore’s office this morning, auburn hair and a nice smile, she seemed in good sprits today" replied Beth
"That's good, she has probably gotten used to her brace by now and she may even be enjoying all the attention"
"What do you mean?" asked Beth with a puzzled looked on her face
"Well, this may sound a little strange, but as I tell all of my female patients, there are a lot of men out there who are….how do I say this ……..ummm , well….. are excited by a woman in a spinal brace. In fact, the more restrictive the brace is, the more some men are turned on!! So be aware, you will probably receive more attention than you can handle" replied Andrea as she bent the aluminum bars that held the occipital piece.
"Your joking, right??? That's, that’s’…….not right, sick, even demented!"
"No, I can assure you, I am not joking, I get a lot of my female patients telling me all kinds stories of how men shower them with attention or about how there husbands or boyfriends are now frisker that ever before."
"Wow, that's really interesting and very, very strange. Come to think of it, I did noticed Jim seemed to be a little "excited" the entire time I was wearing the Philadelphia collar, do you think he might be one of those "brace loving men"?" mumbled Beth, now almost getting used to talking while in the traction device.
"Well, I guess you’ll find out shortly, if he liked the Philly collar, he’ll goes crazy when he sees you strapped into this SOMI brace and LSO and – and, well I don’t even want to think about the CTLSO"
Andrea continued to work on the occipital piece of Beth's brace, making sure the height was just right and that there was not too much pressure placed on the back of Beth’s head. When she finished the final bend, she placed the two aluminum rods into two brackets mounted on the chest piece and snap locked the stainless steel latch closed.
"There, almost done, all we need to do now is the chin piece"
Andrea slid the chin piece into another bracket on the front of the chest piece and snap locked the bracket closed. She then made a few final measurements and removed it, making two bends in the upright bar that supports the chin pad and conforming the chin pad slightly to Beth's face.
"Beth, I am going to release the cervical traction unit now and remove this head halter. After I do that I will need you slowly tilt your head back so that it touches the pad at the back of your head piece" Beth complied as Andrea released the 20# of traction, undid the head halter and removed it. Then Andrea slid the chin piece under Beth's jaw again and attached it back in to the bracket on the front of the brace.
Finally she attached the two leather straps that connected the occipital piece with the chin piece and tighten them snugly.
"There, I think were done, how does it feel?? Is it pinching anywhere??" asked Andrea as she inspected the fit.
"Well, to be truthful, it feels a little like I still have the 20# of traction pulling my head up" replied Beth as she put her hand to the brace.
"Great, that's exactly how it is supposed to feel, that is very normal" relied Andrea
"Most patients feel that way for the first week or so before they begin to get used to the brace, and then most of them tell me they hardly know there wearing it." Andrea smiled as she tighten a couple of screws on Beth's chest piece and formed the chin piece one more time to ensure the fit was perfectly form to Beth's face and jaw line.
She knew she was stretching the truth a bit but was trying to comfort Beth as best she could. Beth smiled sarcastically as Andrea handed Beth her cream colored nylons, navy blue skirt and shoes she had been wearing earlier.
"You can put your nylons, skirt and shoes back on while I go check on Kelly and see how she is doing with ordering the parts for your CTLSO"
"Do you think my skirt will fit over this back brace?"
"It should, it really only adds a ½" or so to the waist line because it is fairly thin and laced up very tight." Replied Andrea with a nasty little smile as she left the room.
"What about my blouse?" shouted Beth
"I might need to make a few more adjustments after I see you move around a bit so leave your blouse off for the time being"
As Andrea closed the door behind her Beth slowly slid off the fitting table and carefully began pulling her cream colored panty hose up, starting at the ankles and working her way up. When she reached her hips, she had to very carefully slide the hose underneath the LSO brace, which now came down to the top of her panties. Beth then pulled on her navy blue skirt up over her pantyhose. The skirt still zipped up the side as it had before, however the fit was now a little tighter than before. Another thing Beth discovered was things once done without so much as a thought were now much more difficult being immobile from her head down to her waist. The shoes presented even more of a challenge as Beth found it easier to sit down in the chair while putting on her short, red colored pumps.
After Beth finished dressing, from the waist down, she stood up and carefully walked over to the full-length mirror that was mounted to the back of the fitting room door. She peered intently at the image that starred back at her, this was the first time she had seen herself in her new "hardware." Her skirt, cream colored panty hose and red heels contrasted with her now corseted torso. The white chest piece of the SOMI Brace now covered the center portion of her navy blue bra and pushed gently on each breast, forcing them slightly apart. The metal shoulder straps began just above each of Beth's breast, encircling each shoulder with a precise fit and continuing down her back, stopping and the bottom side of the shoulder blade. Two white, foam padded nylon straps started there, crisscrossing at mid back in a "X" pattern and continuing on around the torso, underneath her breasts and connecting at the bottom of the "Y" shaped chest piece. Attached at each of the upper edges of the chest piece were two white plastic channels with a stainless steel latch that firmly locked the two round aluminum uprights in to the chest piece. The uprights extended from the top of the chest piece, along each side of Beth's neck and around to the back of her head where they supported a white, aluminum head piece covered with a 1/4 " thick foam pad. Holding her chin firmly in place was a single aluminum bar that locked into another plastic channel mounted to the middle of the chest piece. The aluminum bar rigidly held a white, cup shaped aluminum chin piece covered with a soft, 3/8" thick low-density foam. Two leather straps ran along Beth's jaw line snugly connecting the head and chin together. Just below her breast line was a flesh colored "corset" looking device that continued down her torso and over her hips, stopping at about the top of her panty line. This "Soft LSO", as it was called, had triple ply material in the front, similar to a support girdle or a corset. In the back, it had 3 steel inserts to give it additional rigidity and provide extra support for the middle and lower portion of the spine. In front, it laced up much like the old whale bone corsets of the nineteenth century.
Sitting back down in her chair, Beth's thoughts returned to Jim, how would she tell him? what would she tell him?, would she stick to her roller bladding story or would she now be forced to tell him the truth. Beth hated lying to Jim, as they had always been honest and forthright with each other, but she felt she had no other options as she knew the truth would end her horse riding for good. How would Jim take this new news about the further injuries and what about what Andrea had said earlier; about the strange fetishes some men have? Was Jim one of those men, had he kept that secret to himself for all these years, was Jim actually turned on by Beth's immobility and her brace? So many questions, Beth thought.
The sound of the door opening behind her brought Beth’s thoughts back to the fitting room, looking straight into the big, brown caring eyes of Andrea.
"Beth, are you ok?" Andrea asked
"Oh yes, I guess I was just daydreaming" Beth's smiled
"Well, I’m sure you have a lot on your mind right about now, but remember, everything is going to work out, you need to put the "Why me" and the "if only I would have ……." thoughts out of your mind and concentrate on the future. Concentrate on getting better and healing quickly. You have one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country, a supportive husband and the best darn orthodist's in world!!!! -- Who are all going to pull together and make sure that Beth O'Connell makes a full and speedy recovery." Andrea stepped closer to Beth and took hold of her hand, stroking it gently.
"Your right, and thanks so much for everything you have done so far, your great " Beth smiled and embraced Andrea’s hand firmly.
"Now lets see if we can get you on you feet and out of here" replied Andrea as she helped Beth up out of her chair.
"That sounds like a plan" Beth said in a positive voice.
"Now remember, for the next few days, until we get you into your other brace, you need to remain in bed except for eating and going to the bathroom. And no showering, just a light sponge bath for the first week. Also, I highly recommend that you have your husband or someone stay with you for the first few weeks, until you get adjusted. One other thing, when changing your bra, make sure it is a back closure type, that way you won't develop any skin irritations from the clasp where it slips under the chest piece of your SOMI brace. . Well, I think that should cover the basics, and it looks like the brace fits well so unless you have any other questions, I think you can finish dressing and be on your way home."
"Great, but I do have a few questions" replied Beth
"Please, go right ahead"
First, the Dr. mentioned earlier that he wanted to see me on Friday to check the fit on the SOMI brace, but that was before the new injuries were discovered. Do you think he will still want to see me even though we will be changing braces in a week?"
"Good question, knowing Dr. Leemoore, he will probably still want to see you, I will have Kelly call his office now and see what he says" Andrea excused herself from the fitting room and instructed Kelly to contact Dr. Leemoore's office regarding Beth's next appointment.
"OK, I'm back, I have Kelly working on that as we speak, was there any other questions?" Asked Andrea
"Yes, just one other thing, how am I going to wash my hair in this thing?"
"Well, for the rest of this week, you won't. When you come in next week, I will go through the whole thing with you so that you will be able to wash your hair that next week" replied Andrea in a very "mater of fact" tone, looking down at her clipboard as she spoke. Her tortoise frame glasses positioned at the end of her nose.
"Well that's not good news, of course, I guess I won't be out and about much so I'm not really going to see anyone other than Jim and maybe Dr. Leemoore."
"That's true" replied Andrea.
Oh, by the way, when you come back in next week, make sure you bring a cotton leotard and a firm support girdle and make sure you have at least a couple more of each at home, you'll need to change these once a day.
"I'm afraid I might be a little short in firm support girdle department, in fact I think I only own one. The cotton leotards are no problem, but why will I need all of that, especially the girdle?" asked Beth, looking rather puzzled
"Well, this is what you will be wearing underneath the plastic shell portion of your CTLSO Brace."
"Wow, that sounds like a lot of stuff" replied Beth
"Actually, you should consider yourself lucky. Normally, I require most of my female patients to wear a leotard, girdle AND a full support bra with their TLSO or CTLSO Shell if their bust size is 34 C or less because normally with-in that size range, they are in a shorter Body jacket with the T-Bar configuration. The bra helps in protecting the skin from the hard edge of the TLSO shell and offers support as well. However, in your case, with such a large chest and the fact that the plastic shell of the CTLSO will cover your bust, we will actually build the bra into the shell itself so that it offers full support and protection without the need for a bra. This will help support your bust and keep you from putting undue stress on your thoracic and lumbar spine. The cotton leotard will provide a soft, smooth, wrinkle free foundation for your brace to rest upon and it will absorb perspiration, especially important in these hot summer months. And finally the girdle will provide you with much needed lumbar support, as well as some additional padding around the hips and abdominal area, where the hard plastic part of the brace rests."
"You're really beginning to scare me Andrea" replied Beth, as she listened to the description of the additional lingerie required.
"Another option for you is to go with a "all in one" girdle/briefer – They also will work very well as foundation wear and instead of having two pieces to deal with you will only have one. I would recommend that you try both options and see which one works best for you" replied Andrea as she scratched a few more notes on her clipboard.
"Trust me, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds, you’ll see" Andrea smiled and gave Beth a gentle hug.
"Oh, and other thing, whoever is going to be helping you for the first few weeks should also come in with you next week. They will also need to know how to help you get in and out of your new brace and assist with other things such as bathing, dressing, eating, etc. Also, I want to make sure they understand the importance of changing all your undergarments everyday and the order in which they are to be worn under the brace. Also, make sure you bring comfy, loose fitting clothing to wear over your brace when were all finished.
"Well, I have to be honest, I will not be looking forward to seeing you next week" replied Beth as she placed her naked arms through the sleeves of her floral silk blouse.
"Seriously Beth, it's not as bad as it sounds, everything will be fine," replied Andrea as she helped Beth slowly slide off the fitting table.
"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who is going to be encased in a plastic and metal shell for 3 months"
"Well, you do have a point there but I promise to do everything within my ability to make you as comfortable as possible during that time. Anytime something with the brace does not feel right, just give us a call and myself or Kelly will have you in for adjustments. Heck, well even make house calls if we can."
"I know you will Andrea, your great. Sorry for complaining, I'm just scared to death."
"No reason to apologize, I know you are going to have a rough few months ahead, but remember, try to keep positive and ...."
"I know, I know ...Your right, hell, if Jim is one of those closet brace lover's like you described, I may even enjoy it a bit!!" Beth jokingly said as she laughed, trying to make light of a serious situation.
As Beth tried to finish dressing, she struggled with her now tighter fitting blouse.
"My blouse does not seem to work real well here over this new contraption" replied Beth as she struggled with the top buttons on her blouse.
"I have a big sweater in the back that you can borrow if you like, it should work fine over the SOMI Brace, in fact, I used it when I was test driving a SOMI Brace a few months back"
Andrea ducked into a closet and pulled out a light pink oversized sweeter and helped Beth pull it over her head.
"How's that"
"Oh gosh, that’s great, I will bring it back when I see you next week"
"No, no, it’s fine, take your time, you’ll probably need it another time when your able to go shopping again, but not for at least a few weeks."
"What do you mean NO shopping for a few weeks?" replied Beth in a joking, yet aggressive tone.
"I love shopping, except maybe in this case because I know I will need to pick up a few less "form fitting" outfits to fit over this brace. But it is shopping, none the less, which is always good " replied Beth as she put her hand to her brace.
"I am sorry Beth, but I really must put my foot down here. I absolutely do not want you out of bed for any reason other than for the necessities, you need to rest and take it easy. I don’t mean to scare you here but you do have a serious injury and until we get you into your CTLSO, you really need to try and keep your movements to a minimum. I am sure Dr. Leemoore shares my feelings on this matter."
"Well how do you expect me to pick up the additional lingerie you said I need?" asked Beth.
"Maybe your husband can go out and pick up a few things for you or …….."
"Or maybe Andrea and I can go shopping for you and pick up what you need" responded Kelly with a smile as she walked in during Beth and Andrea’s conversation.
"Cascade Orthopedic says they will ship all the parts tomorrow so everything needed for Beth's brace should be here on Wednesday. Also, I spoke to Dr. Leemoore and he said he still wants to see Beth, but he would like to move her appointment up to Thursday at 1:00" announced Kelly
"That's great news about the parts for the brace, and you confirmed that they are now distributing Florida Braces Parts and that they have the J-24 cervical components in stock for shipment tomorrow?" ask Andrea
"Yes Andrea, I checked with Sherri at Cascade and she said everything is in stock and will ship tomorrow."
"Thanks Kelly for taking care of all of that with Cascade, that means we should be right on schedule for getting Mrs. O'Connell's brace done by next Monday. I kinda figured Dr. Leemoore would want to see Beth this week." She said to Andrea with an ever so subtle smirk on her face.
"Will you be able to get a ride down on Thursday?" asked Andrea
"Well, I think Jim can take me, It shouldn't be a problem."
"Great" replied Andrea
"Beth, I will have some free time later this week since Andrea will be putting me in the CTLSO on Wednesday. And since you and I are almost the same size, I think it only makes since that I be your personal shopper for this lingerie adventure, with Andrea’s assistance, of course. What do you say Beth?" asked Kelly with a big smile on her face as she looked at Beth.
"Well, I don’t know, what about …………."
"I think that’s a great idea" Andrea chimed in
"Why don’t we go Wednesday evening after you get me fitted into the CTLSO" responded Kelly
"That’s perfect, I need to pick up a few things for myself anyway so that will work out well. What we can do is swing by Victoria Secrets first and pick up the bra and panty set for me and then head over to Nordstrom's to get whatever Beth needs. I understand they have quite a good selection of foundation lingerie there" remarked Andrea.
"Yes they do, in fact I was talking about that with one of our patients earlier this month."
"Oh yes, that nice young lady we did the SOMI fitting on a few weeks back, I think her name was Heather. She is also a patient of Dr. Leemoore." replied Andrea
"That’s right, Heather, well I am not sure how we got on the subject but she told me that she runs the lingerie department there at Nordstrom’s and that she has expanded the foundation wear section due to an increased demand by her customers. It seems that more and more women are looking for girdles, all in one support body suits, long line bras and more, kinda like mom used to wear back in the 60’s." replied Kelly
"Yes, I do remember that conversation, if fact she mentioned that she had helped a few of our patients with lingerie in the last year. The one woman with the back injury who needed a few firm support body suits to wear under her TLSO shell and a couple of other gals who had neck injuries and were buying full figure support bras and girdles to help with shoulder and lower back pain. That’s right, we'll go there, they should have everything we need. Maybe Heather will be working" smiled Andrea.
"She mentioned that she wanted to get back to work as soon as possible but I doubt that Dr. Leemoore would let her go back so soon. Plus, she was pretty upset with the way she looked in the SOMI after she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, remember she left the office in tears" Kelly added.
"She seemed to be doing a lot better this morning when I met her at Dr. Leemoore’s office" replied Beth
"You know Heather?" asked Andrea with a puzzled looked on her face.
"Yes, well, actually I just met her this morning at Dr. Leemoore’s office, I think I told you earlier, didn't I?"
"That’s right, sorry, just a lot of stuff going on right now"
"And she seemed better?" asked Andrea
"Yes, she was in to have a check up and a brace adjustment. I talked to her on the way out and she seemed in pretty good spirits. Her only complaint was that the Dr. had raised the head and chin piece on her brace which made it a little more uncomfortable for her to wear" remarked Beth
"That poor girl, I feel for her but after a few weeks in the brace, things tend to loosen up and stretch a bit so raising the head and chin piece is pretty normal. Dr. Leemoore usually does those type of adjustments himself but I wish he would send them here where we could go through and check and adjust the entire brace." Remarked Andrea
"I understand from some of his patients that he really seems to enjoy adjusting and readjusting their braces, sometimes having them in once or even twice a week for adjustments. Maybe he’s a closet Orthodist at heart" laughed Kelly
"Or maybe he’s a Doctor who’s also a NBAK Fan!" replied Andrea
"Now that’s interesting, maybe …………" responded Kelly slightly snickering.
"What are you two talking about and what is NBAK? I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Leemoore and the way he runs his practice."
"Oh absolutely Beth and please don’t misunderstand us, we just joke a lot of times about doctors who try and be orthodist’s as well, that’s all. Some Doctors try to do all the ordering, building and fitting of the braces themselfs and a lot of times it can cause problems for the patient. On several occasions, Kelly and I get called in after the fact to fix, readjust or even replace a brace that was fitted incorrectly, built poorly or even prescribed for the wrong type of injury. Dr. Leemoore is actually very good about sending his patients here first and letting us do what we do best, the ordering, building and fitting of orthopedic braces. It’s just the adjusting part that drives us crazy sometimes, that’s all."
"I understand, let the Doctor be the Doctor and let the brace experts do what they do best --- braces!"
"That’s right, I am glad you understand, after all, it’s in the best interest of the patient" responded Kelly
"What’s this NBAK thing you mentioned – you still have not filled me in on that" asked Beth.
"Well, what say we table that for another day when we have more time since we all need to get going here"
"OK, that sounds fine, but remember, next time I want all the dirt!" Beth said, now smiling.
"Deal. Now, what we will need from you right now is all your measurements and color preferences so when we go lingerie shopping Wednesday we buy the right stuff." Andrea responded.
All three women sat around the fitting room joking and laughing while Kelly scratched down sizes, colors, styles etc. for their upcoming foundation wear shopping trip. After they were finished, Andrea brought the conversation back to a more serious and stern tone.
"Now remember Beth, I want you to spend the rest of the week and next weekend resting in bed. I only want you up for the necessities and for your Doctors appointment on Thursday. Also, make sure you have someone with you this week and next weekend, your husband or maybe a friend, to help you in and out of bed and to get around the house. You may be a little unsteady at first while in the braces and I want to make sure you don’t fall"
Beth tried to nod her head in agreement but the padded chin piece of the SOMI brace only allowed her head to move ever so slightly, but Andrea knew that was a yes.
"I will give you a call this week to check –in and see how you are doing and let you know how Kelly and I did at our shopping adventure" responded Andrea
Andrea walked Beth out of the fitting room and around to the front reception area where Mrs. Finny, the receptionist, was waiting with her appointment book open.
"Will we be scheduling another appointment for Mrs. O’Connell?" ask the receptionist as she looked down at her appointment book.
"Yes, lets put her down for next Monday at 10:00 AM, will that work OK for you Beth?" Asked Andrea
"Let me check with my husband to see what his schedule is, you did mention that he needs to be here as well, didn't you??"
"Yes, that's is important. Why don’t you check with him and then call us back on Wednesday and confirm it with Mrs. Finny " replied Andrea
"And what will she be coming in for" asked the gray haired receptionist as she looked up from her appointment book.
"A CTLSO fitting, Mrs. Finny"
"Oh my, very well then, a CTLSO fitting at 10:00 am on Monday " replied Mrs. Finny as she wrote it in her appointment book in pencil
"And you will call us Wednesday to confirm?" asked Mrs. Finny to Beth
"Yes, I will call you Wednesday"
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