Visit to the Camp

There have been other development since I last wrote. Keith is walking pain free the first time in years!!!!

This came about due to our land lady who seen an ad in the Hindustani times about a camp for knee braces to help with osteoarthritis the theory is the brace takes all the weight off the knee, allowing the cartilage to rejuvenate. The brace is worn for as long as that takes and is monitored by the Dr. She was going to go, it was in Delhi. Worth a look so off we go. I just love the way the Indians organise things at times. (apart from the club) we arrived at 930 am, Gopal took us. It was in a house, the front lawn had been set up as a large waiting room with scaffolding holding up a canopy to protect from the sun. Chairs were laid out in lines facing the registration desk, to the side a long table with a tea urn and snacks, it reminded me of a garden fete!

After registering we sat and waited, people were arriving all the time, all ‘hobbling in’ a lot were women and some were unable to walk unaided, and did not look that old, but of course there is no health service here. Keith had to take an x-ray with him the Dr who devised this brace and has it licensed in India assessed Keith and felt he would benefit even though he has had a partial knee replacement, he also felt Keith should have one for his other leg. It meant another x-ray, fortunately there was a local trust hospital close by. Not a trust hospital as we know it. This semi is private/government. All donations greatly received.

The x-ray was going to cost 100rupees, (£1-20p) we paid and sat by x-ray room and waited a few minutes before he was called in. Well!!! I have never seen any thing like it, talk about health and safety. The room door remains open, Keith lay on the couch, in the room was Keith, Gopal, the radiographer, and bloke who was being nosy. Gopal has to hold Keith’s leg in place, no protection apron, and only the radiographer went behind the safety barrier ( he must know something!!!) the door is still open and there are a full row of seats with the full attention of the audience sitting on them.

Keith is then told to wait outside, we stood in the sunshine, holding the X-ray plate, allowing it to develop and dry. Other wise we could have pegged it up to dry. Where else can you have an experience like that, India is real magic at times. Back at the ‘camp’ he sees the Dr again, gets measured for brace, and told to come back tomorrow. At this point he is thinking, ‘I’m not going to wear them,’ but when he went back next day and had them fitted he could not believe how pain free he could be. There have been teething problems, but he is persevering, and able to walk much better. We did speak to others at the camp, and the feed back was very encouraging, he goes back after 2 months for check up.