Getting ready

My knee replacement surgery is scheduled for June 19th, three weeks from today as I write this. 

I started going to physical therapy more than a year ago, and I have continued to do the exercises. I am also riding a stationary bike several mornings a week and going to our local recreation center and using a resistance machine. All of this, according to my surgeon, should help with my recovery. 

I am following closely my blogger friend Debby who, from where I sit, seems to be making a remarkable recovery, already walking unassisted, if I am reading correctly, at two weeks. 

The last time I saw my doc, he told me he would schedule a CT scan to get a better view of my knee. I did not question him, as I figured he knows best. Anything that will help him be more precise, I am in favor of.

My insurance company, not so much. Per a recent letter from them: "Based on the information we have, this CT scan is not medically necessary." According to them, it is medically needed "when there are certain x-ray findings . . . and you have hardware in your knee from a previous surgery."

With neither of these being true, they are nixing coverage of the CT. 

My doctor was copied on the letter. I emailed his office yesterday, reporting my receipt of this letter and asking what I should do. While I have not received a response, a little while ago I noticed on the patient portal that the appointment for the CT, which was to be 9 a.m. Monday, June 2nd, is no longer there. I have other appointments Monday -- a meeting with the Physician Assistant, a "Total Joint/Spine class" which I assume will fill me in on what to expect, and blood work.  I guess we will discuss the CT scan and whether we will appeal this decision. 

I am pretty anxious about the surgery. I contemplated out loud to Wife yesterday as to whether I am doing the right thing. I am walking better, I told her, and if I were to lose some weight and periodically get the injections, I could be OK, I suppose. 

As she has learned to do after 40-plus years with me, she listened and was careful with her response. She pointed out how long I have been dealing with this, and that it's not like I made some rash decision. 

And she is right, of course. 

So that is where I am. I suppose I am ready to face it. The surgery will be on a Thursday morning and if all goes well, I will be home that afternoon.  My first PT appointment is already scheduled for the following Monday. 

All thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated. 

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My son-in-law's cancer journey continues. He is three months out from surgery, and all things considered, he is doing pretty well. He is back at work, and he can sit for lengthier periods of time. I won't go into all the complications he has experienced but suffice it to say it has not been easy. But over the past few weeks, he has shown much improvement. 

There is good news and not-so-good-news from recent scans and blood tests. His scans (CT, MRI, full body PET) show "no visible evidence of disease." The blood tests, however, indicate the very likely presence of microscopic cancer cells in his body. It was one of these particular blood tests that detected the presence of cancer in his colon again last fall, which resulted in his surgery in February. 

For now, he goes on with life and continues to heal. And he waits. We all wait. There will be more tests and scans in late June. For a few weeks, however, he and his family can enjoy each other and the relaxed pace of summer. They are thankful for that. 

I am reminded of the verse Kelly has at the top of her blog page: "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Oh hail no!

Have you ever witnessed a hailstorm? They are fascinating forces of nature, and I have seen about three in my life.

In the south Arkansas town where I grew up, my dad was an independent insurance adjuster, meaning he worked under contract with different property and casualty insurance companies to work and settle claims made by their policyholders. Car wrecks and fires were his "bread and butter" so to speak, but the occasional storm was a big boon to his business. He carried a ladder with him to climb up on roofs, with roofing damage being some of the main claims to come from storms. 

Not long after he had bought out a partner and gone completely on his own, a hailstorm hit our town. I am guessing I was 14 years old at the time. It was late afternoon and only my mother and I were at home, and it sounded as if someone was throwing rocks at our house. 

The hail was golf ball and baseball sized, and it was remarkable. When the storm was done, I went out in the yard and picked up a few of the hailstones to put in the freezer so I could show my dad when he got home. 

He had been in a nearby town during the storm and knew nothing about it until I showed him the hailstones. 

His phone started ringing that night, and he and my mother (who worked with him) worked almost around the clock for the next six months settling storm claims. 

Yesterday afternoon about 3 p.m. I was at home alone, working in my upstairs office, and I heard sounds reminiscent of those I heard more than 50 years ago. Rocks hitting the house, pelting the windows. 

While it was not as intense as the one from my youth (there were golf ball sized stones, but most were the size of a large marble) this was a strong storm. I opened the back door and watched and listened. 

I had parked my truck in the street because of a visitor in the driveway earlier in the day, and my car that I need to sell was also out. There is no damage I can see, surprisingly. 

I have not been on my roof and will not be climbing up there, but plan to call my insurance agent to ask him to send an adjuster early next week to inspect for damage.

Here is a sample of what happened here yesterday: 

Procedures, surgeries, etc.

This aging stuff gets tricky sometimes. 

Yesterday it was a colonoscopy, the third one in my life. I am on a more frequent rotation because of a history of polyps, and even though my doc told me yesterday everything looked fine, I should schedule another one in three years. 

As anyone who has experienced this procedure knows, it's not the procedure itself that is burdensome (other than the inconvenience of taking a day off work to go to the surgery center, and assuming everything turns out well) but, rather, it's the preparation that is unpleasant. But it's necessary so you arrive for your procedure, uh, "cleaned out," if you will. 

For my first one, about 15 years ago, I took pills for the preparation. Not bad, and they did the job. 

For the second one, pills had fallen out of favor, and I was prescribed some nasty, chalky liquid. Yuck. 

For the one yesterday, everything was over the counter, mixed with Gatorade, and it wasn't bad at all. I hope this is still the preferred method when I have my next colonoscopy. 

Typically for me, there were three polyps, but the doc seemed unconcerned. Guess I'll see him again in three years. 

I suppose yesterday, getting an IV and being briefly anesthetized, was the warmup for the big act, which will be June 19th when I have knee replacement surgery. This has been coming for a while, and although I don't look forward to the surgery, I do look forward to being on the other side of it. 

My knees have been deteriorating for years, and both seemed to get significantly worse a couple years ago, which led me visit an orthopedic surgeon. He initially prescribed physical therapy. That, along with riding a stationary bike and getting really good steroid injections, helped considerably and the pain level is better than it was. But I am bone-on-bone, and at some point, the benefit of the exercises and steroids will diminish. 

So, I am starting with the right knee in June. If it goes well, I will eventually have the other one done. I have a lot of walking to do. 

And while we're on the subject of medicine and surgery, I will update you on my son-in-law. His surgery was February 27th and, not unexpectedly, his recovery has been rough. Slowly but surely, however, he is getting better and has recently returned to work. 

We will be holding our collective breath as he continues to have scans and lab work, fervently hoping and praying this awful cancer is gone for good. Any prayers in that direction are greatly appreciated.