Slow but steady progress...I hope

 We are making slow progress. The campaign to get these MRI's done and sent off to my New York doctor is getting closer... I hope. If you remember, I have a recommendation for doing an MRI from the New York doctor based on my newest (7 months now) pain. However, the Israeli medical system wants a recommendation from a plastic surgeon here in Israel, not from new York. I'm supposed to get an Israeli plastic surgeon to sign off on getting me MRI's so we can evaluate this pain. Easier said than done. To make a long story short, I got a referral for an immediate plastic surgeon consult from my family doctor. Then I had to physically take it to the hospital plastic surgery clinic by hand to try to get an appointment. Today they sent me confirmation that I got an appointment for next Thursday. That is great. Now I have to hope that the surgeon I see agrees to refer me for the MRI's. They are making me jump through many hoops to get these evaluations, and meanwhile I'm in pain. It's very frustrating, but in a way I understand why they are doing it. They don't want to wind up paying for a surgery in New York. Last time they paid for the portion that my private insurance didn't cover, so I think they are trying to be cautious. But the New York doctor is the only surgeon I trust these days, and he is the most recent surgeon who has really known how to help me.

Robert did a little research on plastic surgeons in my city, and seems to have found one that has a great reputation and ratings. He's the one with whom I got the appointment for next week. So, we'll see.

In the meantime, I had a CT scan done last week, and I got the results from that already. Today I sent the scan to my New York surgeon for his evaluation. The results show lots of deterioration in my left hip joint in many junctures (the right one is the one that is bionic), cysts in the joint, and it also reported on the clips in my belly that are holding in the mesh. I am supposed to see my orthopedic oncologist at the end of the month with these results. I think he is going to suggest a hip replacement for the left, but I don't want to do it. And, I honestly think that the pain I have now is from nerves in my scar areas, not the joint itself. When my right hip needed to be replaced, it hurt very differently than the pain I have now. And my physical therapist is working on the fascia and scar areas and it is getting a little better. Not enough better to abandon this ship I set sail to get the MRI and evaluate things, but a little better. Recently the physical therapist is helping me with my knee problems, which also stem from all the injuries and surgeries I've had on that side. My knee always hurts with stairs...and there are lots of stairs in my life.

Physical therapy hurts sooooo much. I am willing to do it because usually the pain doesn't last past one or two days thereafter, but it's not fun in the slightest. But I am sticking with it because my orthopedist said to do it diligently before I return to see him, which is at the end of this month. And because it helped my hip pain a little. I am also still going to the gym three times a week, like it or not. I have had 14 surgeries in as many years, and was in a coma, and have serious pain issues, I have to keep moving. I'm always afraid of Gd forbid winding up in a wheelchair. That's one of my biggest fears. So I go with the adage "use it or lose it" and keep on truckin'. I want to keep being able to sit on the floor with my granddaughter to play with her. That's the real goal. So far, so good, pain and all.

Last week we had a mini vacation in the north of the country. It was a welcome excursion, I was very happy to get out of Be'er Sheva and be with the kids at a beautiful bed and breakfast. We swam in a lovely pool, and also in the Kineret (Sea of Galilee), and went to the Australian park that has kangaroos that you can pet and feed. It was topped off by Shabbat in Bet She'an with Dovi and his wonderful family. Got a good dose of my incredibly cute granddaughter.

Blessings abound, they just have to be sought out and recognized, right?

All-n-all, I'd rather live life without constant pain, though. Let's hope that the appointment next week with the plastic surgeon will be fruitful and he will give the green light to get the MRI's.