Saturday, April 08, 2006

My Right Foot

[last Tuesday]
Physical Therapist: So tell me how you sprained your ankle
Me: Well, I sprained it while playing basketball last Saturday. It wasn't too bad afterwards but then later that night I went to a bar. Some fat guy next to me was being really drunk and obnoxious and yelled in the bouncer's face, who threw him down. On his way down, the guy bumped into me, which made my ankle much worse.
Physical therapist: Oh...

Two days later I pay a visit to an acupunturist in Chinatown referred by a coworker. If acupuncture has been trusted for thousands of years by millions of people, I figured it must be good. Then again, the same could be said for organized religion.

Chinatown Acupuncturist: Before I put the needles in you, the physical therapist needs to come in to treat your ankle and warm your muscles so the needles won't cause any pain for you.
Chinatown Physical Therapist: Where did you get that air cast?
Me [stupidly]: I got it from my current physical therapist
CPT: I can't treat you if you already have a physical therapist.
Me: Why not? I'm not using my insurance for this treatment. Why does it matter?
CPT: Because it's against the law to have different physical therapists [then hastily leaves]
Me: Mwah?
CA: The physical therapist can't treat you because you already have one. I guess I will have to proceed without physical therapy on your ankle.
Me: Wait, didn't you just say it would be painful if my muscles weren't warmed up?
CA: It's not going to hurt much. Don't worry about it
[5 seconds later]
Me: Ouch!

A couple of years ago, I saw a cockroach stuck to our sticky mousetrap. I watched with amusement as it struggled to free itself in a futile attempt. A few hours later, when I walked past the mousetrap again, the bugger was gone. All that hinted at its predicament was one hair-thin leg.

Lately, I've been wondering if I should be the roach that's stuck in a hopeless situation just waiting to die or be the one that breaks free but at great cost.