'Leg muscle damage instructions'

'Leg muscle damage instructions'
Originally uploaded by p1ckle.

So. Last week i found that i had a lump on my left leg, about halfway up, in between the two main muscle groups on the top of the thigh. I'd hurt the leg about a month ago playing football, but I (and everyone else) assumed that I'd just pulled a muscle, and despite it hurting like crap for about a week I'd not really thought anything more of it. Then last week when I felt the lump, and I thought I'd better get it checked out - but i had to wait over the weekend, which was somewhat tense.

We got paid on monday, so armed with about 20,000 yen I headed for the doctor's early. I was seen pretty much straight away; the doctor took one look at the leg and sent me straight to the 'Kawashima Orthopaedic Surgery' about 4km away. I got myself a referral letter, and headed over there on the mama-chari.

Two X-rays, two consultations and two hours later and the process was complete. Turns out that what i thought was a pulled muscle was in fact a torn one - the lump is scar tissue (possibly exacerbated due to me training, cycling, running and playing touch rugby and football for the last month) and will now be with me for the rest of my natural.
The last consultant who saw me spoke very good English, and told me that it should be back to normal in about a month. If not, I can go back for an MRI (which sounds cool - maybe I should go anyway...)

I was worried about the cost of all of this nonsense, given that my medical insurance is reimbursement rather than pre-paid cover, and private medicine even sounds expensive, but the total cost of visiting a doctor, getting a referral, two x-rays, and two examinations by consultants: 7940 yen, which is about 40 quid. Nice.

Anyway, I've got to lay off it for a while, which is OK, but it does mean I may have to lay off the 'keeping for a month or so, which is a shame - I'm quite enjoying it (which is something I never thought I'd say...)