another saga comes to a close.

as i sat, waiting, i pondered the possibility. could this be my last morning spent among the throngs of sicklies, in the sea of chairs all facing the tv playing the same loop of that elderly person exercise show? as i waited in line to see the orthopedic surgeon, i looked around the familiar space, smiled at the nurses i knew and even chatted with a couple of older men i've come to befriend; they were both incarcerated in my ward back in april. i heard my name, changed into slippers, took a seat in another waiting room, got the signal, repeatedly bowed and said the `shitsurei shimasu` [multi-purpose excuse me] phrase all the way into the exam room. koizumi sensei [they use the same suffix for doctors and teachers which speaks to the way they are viewed in this hierarchical society] always giggles his way through my exams; half out of nervousness and i think half because i amuse him with my rotten japanese skills. he gives me the thumbs up, that's my cue to reciprocate with the same action. he lets out a relieved sigh...`yokunata ne`...`it became better huh?` although my thumb`s ability, appearance and pain level are not normal, it has become much more human-like in the last six months. the doctor confides in me that he was a little worried after i returned from korea with `extreme flexor tendon contraction` that he wasn't sure could be corrected without another surgery. i remember clearly the day he wrote `trouble` in huge letters across a page in my file and began circling it feverishly. last week he closed that same file and turned to me, `you're finished`. i let out a `woohoo!` they all died laughing. my adrenaline was through the roof. i patted him on the back while thanking him, a move that made him giggle and shy away as the japanese aren't used to touching each other. interesting considering their concept of personal space is so minute, but moving another inch closer and actually physically contacting someone is fairly taboo. i knew it, but didn't care. i consider that part of my mission here; spreading culture and ideas, like handshakes and back pats are acceptable, among other things. i beamed all the way upstairs to rehabiriteshion, where i sat for my last thumb bath. [photos courtesy of sissy patty who accompanied me on one of my frequent visits here.]

i got my last massage, my last ultrasound, my last thumb bend angle measurements. i got a little nostalgic saying goodbyes...the nurses said it`d be lonely and they'd miss me. the other patients congratulated me. i've been coming to this too-familiar space 4 times almost every week for the last six months. quizzing my nurse about new japanese words i`d heard and getting her explanations on local happenings has become part of my weekly routine. she speaks no english but always makes a tremendous effort to communicate with me in easy to understand chunks of japanese. in this way we have discussed topics running the gamut from her recent marriage, to myths and fairytales, to international politics.
noguchi sachiko san, patty and i.

i will in some ways miss the days of madness that ensue when you hang out in a hospital ward with so many head injury patients...like this cute but nutty man. also pictured, abe san who is always upbeat, sometimes almost annoyingly so.

i'll miss the amusement, the kindness, the grandparent-like talking to, the grocery bags of vegetables from the garden, the adult conversation, the time to relax. i'd learned a new phrase in anticipation of this day, osewa ni narimasu, or thank you for all your help and kindness. i bowed deeply to my friends and left rehabiri.
all told, i've spent about 600 hours at chuo hospital in the last 6 months, including the three weeks i lived there. what a bizarre thought. i was ecstatic that i didn't have to schedule follow-ups this time, but i was also a bit sad. partly because i finally got around to learning the words and methods that are necessary to `do` the hospital, partly because i won't be seeing my friends anymore, partly because i won't be bumping into that hot doctor again, partly because my hand is still a bit grotesque.

the doctor said it takes time and determination, although he wasn't able to definitively tell me how much better it would get. it's definitely come a long way...i'm buttoning my own pants and shaving my own armpits at this point. it's bizarre. i'll wait and see.