Malory Towers Break Barriers

Tori's Rehabilitation

The fourth week since Tori's feet and leg operation arrived. The time was quite eventful with her shunts causing issues. She had finally stabilized neurologically. She was relieved she wanted to start her rehabilitation.

She was woken up early by Dr. Rivers. He told her that she would be taken to the surgical examination room. She figured it was for a diaper change. She hadn't realized yet that it's been 4 weeks since her feet and leg operation. He told her he would see her in the surgical examination room. He left.

Moments later, the nurse arrived with the stretcher. The nurse was one of the surgical nurses that was helping Dr. Rivers. Tori also noticed her dad was gone. She figured he was getting ready to assist Dr. Rivers. She hoped she wasn't subject to a shunt examination. The surgical nurse lifted Tori from her bed onto the stretcher. She made sure Tori had a comfort. It was her doctor bear of course. She covered Tori with a blanket. She then wheeled Tori out of the room.

In the surgical examination room, Tori lay on the cold metal surgical table. She was just in her diaper with her casts on her legs. She heard the nurses getting things ready. She felt that it was to deal with her casts and to deal with her diaper. She felt her anxiety building. She really wanted her dad. She held her doctor bear tight. She waited for her dad and Dr. Rivers to arrive.

Moments later, she heard footsteps coming towards her. She heard the squeaky wheels of the cart of supplies being pushed towards her as well. She wasn't sure if it was for her diaper or cast removal. Only time would tell or Dr. Rivers would tell her.

She felt her anxiety continue to build. Cuddling her doctor bear wasn't helping at all. She needed more comfort like her dad's touch. The trauma from her polio as a young child definitely changed her and it wasn't just physically, but mentally as well. She wanted to call for her dad. She couldn't as her anxiety prevented her from even speaking.

Suddenly, she felt gloved hands gently holding her head. She knew it was her dad. She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want his surgical garment to trigger her anxiety even more. She knew eventually she would have to open them.

Things had to be done. She understood that she couldn't sit in a soiled diaper. She knew the consequences of that was a severe diaper rash. She didn't want that. She knew it would make it difficult for her to do her physiotherapy.

She knew she could have her casts on for much longer either. She knew that having the casts on longer would prevent her from starting physiotherapy on time as well. She wasn't looking forward to have the pins removed that were in her feet from the operation. She didn't want that pain. The removal of the casts was something she was concerned about. They were different casts than she had before. She hated that her mind was over thinking things. She hated that her anxiety was doing it.

Just then, she heard her dad's voice. He told her in a soft gentle voice that she needed to open her eyes. She then heard Dr. Rivers tell her that he would deal with her diaper first as he was concerned about a rash. He told her that she was in a soiled diaper for far too long. She knew that meant she had to open her eyes shortly, so Dr. Rivers could check her diaper and if it caused a rash. She was very uncomfortable. It wasn't just from embarrassment of being an 11 year old wearing a diaper, but true discomfort from the diaper itself. That worried her that indeed she had a rash again.

When Tori opened her eyes, she saw her dad's masked face staring at her. He saw how anxious she was. He told her that Dr. Rivers knew how anxious she was as well. He told her that Dr. Rivers wanted to speak with her before he removed her casts.

When Dr. Rivers came over to the surgical table, he went to Tori's head. He knew he would trigger her, but there was no getting around it. She saw him. She wanted to cry. Dr. Moore then looked at her. He told her nothing scary or painful was happening. Dr. Rivers echoed it as well. Dr. Rivers told Tori that he would do her routine diaper removal and examination before thinking of doing the cast related things. Tori was relieved about that. She was ready to have her diaper removed.