One post operative, open fracture patient I’ve been following for weeks came to my clinic today asking me if I could remove his leg external fixator now so he can go to a “neighbor-recommended” bone setter that will “fast tract” his bone healing. A bit amused by his persistent pleadings (despite numerous occasions of explaining the need to maintain the external fixator for now), I chose another uncanny method to dissuade him.

I told him these:

1. that my own neighbor actually recommended a butcher to cut of his left leg and free him from all his temporary worries now.
2. a bone setter could not possibly do any bone setting at all because his once fractured bone, is aligned already and is showing signs of healing (2-3 cortices joined already). He cannot claim what nature does beautifully and without pain now.
3. I also told him that if the bone setter can attend to him 24 hours a day, answer all his questions via text message or calls anytime, stand on trial testifying for his “serious physical injuries” charged against those who mauled him, and then take it on stride that his services may be for free, then he can go to that bone setter now.

That bone setter lost one more patient today.