Tender Loving Care

Continued from... Verdict Is Out.

Finally, after the 4th call, Dr. Ong Yew Hong was at his clinic ready to see my son.

We reached Neptune Healthcare clinic at 3:00pm, but there were already people queued there, before us from before lunch but had yet to see the doctor.

We had to wait for almost 40 minutes before Dr. Ong finally called my son's name.

The X-ray was already on the lighted box when we came in.

He confirmed that my son's toe was indeed fractured. A "clean" one fortunately and the healing should be less complicated.

He assessed my son's condition and tolerance for pain by asking him to perform some physical movements. Before that he asked how it happened.

My son finally told the doctor himself that he broke his toe while trying to break a fall from his bicycle on the way to the playground. His friends brought him back home on foot.

Great! Just great! His first broken bone at age 11, caused by his birthday gift from me! To not disappoint me for some reason, he told me that he fell while playing at the playground.

He looked at my son's toe and asked for him to walk around. Then to stand up on a stool and jump down onto the floor. My son did, but with caution, trying to avoid any pain.

Dr. Ong then asked my son to dash across the room, which he also did but still with caution,. His faced squinted, obviously trying to endure the pain.

He then explained how it should be handled... alright, brace myself as I listened...

He had seen many similar cases in the hospital, but because my son is young, this type of fracture should heal quickly. In 6 weeks time!

Not sure if that time frame IS quick, but I take his professional word for it.

Since there is little need for surgery to mend the fractured bone, no little "toe-cast" either, He instead proposed using a "buddy" aid to the tender toe.

Using a disposable sticky band-aid, he showed us how we should perform it daily after every bath or when the bandage became dirty.

The 2nd toe will have to be bandaged together with the big toe to assist as a splint, aligning it back straight.

The pain he would feel while he moves "will trigger his brain to send more calcium" to the broken area to mend it. The bone needed only to be aligned straight while the process of joining back and healing occur.

He was given a medical chit to be excused from PE lessons in school and just in case, from wearing shoes in school for 6 weeks.

He can wear slippers, though it was strongly encouraged to wear shoes to school to better protect that tender toe from being stepped on, or accidentally hit against something or by someone.

He was still prescribed pain killers just in case, only to be taken if he felt pain again.


Off we went to Century Square at Tampines Central for early dinner. My son suddenly had the urge for a Tom Yum Noodle which I, cannot also resist. Chicken Rice take-away for Wify.

To "relieve" his pain further, we bought Prestige Chocolates, white and dark Swiss chocolates. Consider this a little "bribe" to award him for being tough to endure the pain for the past days.

Phew!!! No hospital, no surgery, no annual leave off work left for me!

Wify was still in a daze with the medication at home while all this was happening. She was all the while in slumber land.

No complaints of pain or sore throats, but blissful slumber while the antibiotics take effect. That is a good thing.

As for my son, sticky "buddy-bandage" for the next 42 days.

No PE, no strenuous activities, just walk, walk and more walk to stimulate faster healing.

I thank The Almighty for protecting my family. No panicky situations here today! Just extra room for tender-loving care for these 2 angels of mine.