This is the night before surgery about 11pm - the surgery is scheduled for 7:30am in the morning. Had dinner around 8pm, went for a haircut at haircuttery just about the time they were closing which made them upset (I could understand), but I told them this is urgent and I couldn't go earlier - they were not impressed. It showed in their attitude and the lady actually messed my head up a little bit. I was saying thanks many times expecting an acknowledgement but nada! I guess I really made them unhappy! Will not go late again I guess.
Took shower and just drank two full glasses of water and am pretty much done drinking/eating until surgery. Earlier in the evening, the rep from the company that's providing (on rent) the CPM machine came over. The appointment was actually scheduled for yesterday - the guy called and asked if he could come today at 7pm instead. So he came and gave a demo and told my nurse, I mean my better half, how to operate it and left. Again, this seems to be a simple mechanical device controlled by a wired remote nevertheless - no engineering marvel, believe me - and they make it sound like it is such a big deal. I think anytime anything pertaining to healthcare is involved, there is money to make. I don't know at this time what the costs are but they rent this simple equipment and I bet it is quite expensive. Writing about expensive, another thing about the healthcare costs - during my last posting I forgot to mention one thing. I asked my doctor what I need to do to get my knee ready for the surgery. He said that the better shape it is in prior to surgery, the better it would be after. So, when I asked him what I need to do, he prescribed pre-op physical therapy. So, I went back to the office and the first appointment I got was for the following Monday (7/18).
On 7/18, I go to the PT office and forget to take the prescription with me (my ACL is beginning to affect my memory). Now, I'd think it should be fairly easy to verify, but she wanted me to call my doctor and have them send it and until then I can't be seen! So, I call my wife who goes home and faxes the prescription (thankfully our office is just about a mile from home) - God bless her. In the mean time, they give me a bunch of forms to fill out. This is another common feature - anytime you go to a different doctor, you need to fill these forms out. This is the electronic medical records era we are living in!
The physical therapist himself had both of his knees repaired - one for ACL and Meniscus - so, I wasn't alone. He thought I will be in a bad shape but was surprised to see my flexibility and lack of movement in the knee. So, he 'diagnosed' this a meniscal tear and probably partial ACL tear. Anyway, so he takes me and makes me do these simple exercises which I breeze through and at one point he looked like he was out of ideas. All this lasted about an hour. I knew if I didn't do these exercises at the PT office, I would not do them at all - so took another appointment and went there yesterday (7/20) and it was even easier this time. In fact, most of the work outs seemed pretty straightforward. I wonder what their bill is going to look like. As far as I am concerned, it shouldn't be any more than a trainer's cost at a gym. Remember, anything you attach to healthcare - it will b expensive. No wonder these costs are so expensive in this country!
Well, on home and work fronts, it's been as busy as usual - if not more as we are getting some work done at home. That's for another day! One funny thing though is that I have had some friends call and visit me this last few days and tell me not to worry and that everything will be fine. I am not really worried and not even thinking about it for most part until they tell me not to worry, when I begin to think if I should worry - may be it didn't sink in due to my busy schedule. Now, I am actually telling them not to worry! This is it! Will update in a couple of days on how it went...
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