Toe Bro: So, the supervisor says my light-- my letter will be good enough?
Patient: Yeah.
TB: And so we can get you back to work.
P: Yeah, but there's no form.
TB: No form, just a letter. P: Yeah.
TB: That's nice,
nothing too bad.
Okay,
so,
how long have you had this now? I can't remember all together
(how long) you've had this.
P: April 17th.
TB: And the first time anyone scrapped it down was me.
P: Yeah.
TB: And this is the third time now, isn't it?
P: My second time-- my second time.
TB: So, we're taking everything off, its-- but it--
P: I would say this is my third time. TB: This is your third time.
It's really, really, really changed a lot.
It's really gotten a lot smaller.
Before, it was really wide
and it just was not filling up, huh?
P: Yeah.
TB: And, so, when the nurses finally say maybe you should see a foot specialist?
P: No, they were telling me I need to see someone but I couldn't get an appointment.
TB: No, huh?
P: I tried to Saint Michaels--
TB: Yep.
P: --they wouldn't give-- they-- they wouldn't give me one.
They still haven't gotten back to me.
I tried Providence, I tried a couple places.
TB: Let me just spray this down, get it a little bit clean, okay?
P: Yeah.
TB: No one-- no one wanted to see you, huh?
I was the only crazy enough to see ya. P: Yeah.
And I had to do
something on my legs, they wanted to know what my legs were doing.
TB: But you had an exam to check how the blood flow was and everything, right?
P: Yeah.
TB: And everything looks good.
P: That took quite a while.
TB: But what happened - you went-- you were in hospital when this started, right?
P. Yeah, I was in the hospital for about two months.
TB: Two months.
P: Yeah. TB: And it was-- just all the time you spent it in bed?
P: Yeah.
TB: Okay. So, if you feel anything sharp, you let me know.
We're gonna clean up the wound like we've been doing.
But, I’m-- it's unbelievable how much this is really closing up.
P: Well, if you use your skills, I should be okay.
TB: I hope I brought them today.
P: Me too. [laughs] TB: [laughs]
P: It's surprising the difference between
you and the nurses.
TB: What do you see is the difference?
P: I can't feel anything.
TB: And when they do it?
P: I can feel it.
They maybe discarding the dirt off, so,
I don't know.
TB: Well, we're gonna get all that bad stuff off like we always do
so the wound looks much healthier.
I know hard for you to see because you're lying down but--
P: No, I don't need to see. TB: No, no, but every time--
basically, there's this film
of yellow tissue that builds up.
P: That's right.
TB: And this is what needs to be
removed.
P: So that's what they show me.
TB: Oh,
they're nice enough to show you all the good stuff after, huh?
P: Yeah, they show me
once a month-- once a month.
TB: Anything sore here?
P: No.
So, you think of you go back to work the end of November?
TB: I think so.
It's already-- it's already gone half the size
smaller so it's already improved quite a bit.
P: I’ll call and let them know
and,
so, we're shooting for the end of November,
maybe earlier, maybe not.
TB: But walking on this doesn't really bother you too much?
P: No, no, not until I got these shoes.
These shoes make a real big difference.
TB: I’m happy. And you've got more padding in there?
P: Well, it's a soft shoe,
it's like a slipper.
TB: I would still suggest, you know, you-- if you can fit a little bit more cushioning in there,
you do it; some more padding,
the way-- way more comfy it's gonna be and better for your foot.
P: Well,
I'll need to go and get some padding, I don't know.
TB: Well, it's doing pretty well.
No soreness here?
P: No. You enjoy your job?
TB: No.
P: [laughs] TB: I love it. [laughs] I love it.
P: Yeah,
you seem happy.
TB: Well, you gotta--
yeah, you're right
cause I love it, I enjoy what I do
so this
keeps me going.
We're getting down to the nice
red level - that's what we want to see,
we want to see a healthy red tissue, no more
kind of
film that was growing on top.
Doing pretty well.
Okay, hold on, so, let's dress this guy up.
And are they still using Iodosorb on it?
P: Yeah, they use a--
a square
brown
piece of film.
Yeah, it comes as a film, doesn't come as a paste--
or comes as-- it's like a piece of paper.
TB: Okay.
And then so you're gonna see them when?
P: Tomorrow.
Today's Tuesday, tomorrow.
TB: Okay,
but, like you say, you're gonna start switching it to a Wednesday, huh?
P: Yeah, I’m gonna--
it-- tomorrow-- everything is gonna be going on on Wednesday so, if I come here, I don't go there.
I’ll talk to them and find out if they want me to change it
from tomorrow or not,
they only [inaudible] if they keep it.
TB: Okay.
Well, they got them-- they got the nice dressings.
I will invent my own.
P: They have-- they have something like, uh, that is-- at the--
to shoppers health care center
but it's expensive.
TB: It's expensive.
Wound care is
very, very, very expensive.
P: It is.
TB: It costs those clinics a lot of money to run
and to have all those nice dressing.
P: That's why the government pays for it.
TB: Yeah, we're lucky.
P: Yeah, we are very lucky. TB: That we have access to things like that.
P: I was very lucky to have [inaudible].
A lot of people don't realize it;
it doesn't cover everything but we're lucky to have it.
TB: Okay.
Almost done.
P: That's okay.
I’m gonna have my soddie before I leave.
TB: You always gotta get your soda, right? P: Oh yeah.
TB: [laughs] That's why you come.
P: No, it's just-- it's-- it's different.
TB: Which one's your favorite? You had the ginger ale outside, right?
P: No, I had the Pepsi, Lime Pepsi.
TB: Oh, the Lime Pepsi.
P: No, it's different. Most doctors or professionals don't do that for you
no matter where you go.
TB: I just want to make sure everyone can, you know,
can enjoy themselves, have a little something.
P: Yeah, I told the-- I told the kids that-- he took a chocolate, I says, "take one free candy-"
TB: I heard you say that last time. [laughs] You giving the little kid tips, he's gonna leave with his pockets full next time.
P: Yeah, well, hey, he needs to smile.
I gave some candies to these-- to two girls--
TB: Yeah.
P: --the first time I came.
TB: And were they happy when you gave it to them?
P: Oh yeah, they were looking at me, their mother was smiling.
She was just looking at me like, "oh, really?" [laughs]
Kids are nice though, kids-- kids aren't as bad as what they say they are;
most of them were pretty good.
TB: So, that was-- does that mean you were a good boy or a bad boy when you were young?
P: Oh, I was horrible.
TB: [laughs] So, that's why everyone's good then - compared to you, they're good.
Okay, sir, we're all finished.
P: Okay.