But the orthopedist scheduler finally called and it looks like my crunchy pain riddled knee will be on the table by the end of October.
I’m happy to finally have a date, but still immensely frustrated with the process and our healthcare system in general.
I started this journey in January. Which means a nine month wait.
I waited 3 weeks for an appointment with my primary.
Waited 6 months for an appointment with the orthopedic PA.
Waited another month to see the orthopedist.
Waited almost another month to be scheduled.
Then two appointments at the dentist… so I could be ripped off to the tune of $3,500 …. for a clearance letter.
Followed by an appointment at the hospital for an EKG, MRSA swab and multiple blood tests.
Still to come?
A 2 1/2 hour pre op class.
An hour long pre op phone call with the surgical nurse.
An appointment with my primary… again… for another clearance letter.
A pre op appointment with the PA and an orthopedic nurse.
Then, finally… the surgery.
10 appointments in nine months for a partial knee replacement. When I had my full abdominal hysterectomy in 2015? It went like this – primary sent me to a gynecologist, gynecologist said you need a hysterectomy, 3 weeks later I had a hysterectomy. To my mind that was a major surgery and I zipped through it with ease.
This has been a nightmare in comparison. Though I’ve had friends tell me it’s taken them upwards of a year.
This first picture was on the Facebook page of the Island where I used to live… and it made me laugh.
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It’s from a visiting veterinary service but look, we share a name. Though she definitely wears it better.
Also from the Island, a party invitation.
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The ‘I’m Still Not Dead’ party. Wouldn’t want to miss that.
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Believe it or not this ancient picture is of my husband’s mother on a Harley. That’s her driving the middle one. It was taken in 1944 and she was wearing a custom made white leather jacket.
What a hoot.
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Our lawn is browning in weird spots thanks to the summer drought. His Lordship checked out the dead grass on a recent walk and alerted me to a disturbing fact.
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The woodchucks have dug a burrow under the cement cover to our septic tank access.
This may not end well, for anyone.
🫤
In other news, I’ve discovered a funny Facebook page that reminisces about the good old days in the Garden State and it makes me miss my crazy childhood.
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Jungle Habitat was bizarre. You paid admission and drove through the park in your car. You couldn’t get out and let me tell you…. as I kid? I definitely didn’t want to. I remember ostriches ferociously pecking at our windows, a baboon trying to rip off the windshield wipers and a chimpanzee masturbating on the hood of our station wagon. It was a strange form of family entertainment to say the least.
The journey toward knee surgery continues. Albeit slowly, like a three legged blind tortoise fighting a headwind.
I swear if I’d known it would take this long I would have started the process last year.
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Three weeks ago I finally saw the Great and Powerful Oz my orthopedist who told me the scheduler would be in touch.
Three.
Weeks.
Ago.
I’ve waited three weeks for someone to call and no, not very patiently. After the first week I called the scheduler, but no one answered. I continued calling through the second week and no one continued to answer. I left messages. Multiple messages. But no one called.
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In the middle of week three, I received a honking folder of information in the mail.
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Filled with pre op tips, pre op instructions…
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Even pre op exercises… for the op that hasn’t been scheduled yet.
Included in the packet was a list of hoops I’ll have to jump through before I finally get my poor aching knee on the table.
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So let me get this straight – I waited 6 months to see an orthopedic PA….who told me all about the surgery and recovery.
Then another month to see the orthopedist… who told me all about the surgery and recovery.
Three weeks after that I get a packet of papers in the mail…. that tells me all about the surgery and recovery.
And now? I have to take a 2 1/2 hour class… so someone can tell me all about the surgery and recovery – followed by a one hour phone call from a nurse…. who will tell me all about the surgery and recovery – ending with a second PA visit… so he can tell me all about the surgery and recovery.
Again.
What. The. Utter. Hell?
I’m not a surgeon, I get it.
But even for a lay person? This seems a trifle redundant.
I’ll be having partial knee replacement sometime in the near future. And yes, I admit I’ve been doing some online research.
That was a mistake.
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Big mistake… because now my algorithms have picked it up and I’m flooded with knee surgery disasters everywhere I look. On Google, in my news feed and on Facebook.
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Especially on Facebook . Every day there’s a new horror story, written or on video.
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This is not what I need to see right now.
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Nope.
She doesn’t look at all happy.
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Good grief. As if I’m not nervous enough, now I have to worry about nausea and not pooping?
I really need to stop reading these things.
🥴
Of course for all the horror stories, there are a few things that make me smile.
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That looks doable.
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I’m going with tennis ball.
The pickle jar and beer mug would just result in crunching and I’ve got enough of that already.
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My normal day right now is between bees! and I can’t stop crying… with occasional bouts of hurts so bad I can’t move. I’m guessing after surgery I’ll have to keep an eye out for bears and ninjas. Though honestly, unconscious sounds preferable.
River's world..... 