[Artemisia] malkins surgery update

[Sue Clemenger]

Goodness, how frustrating!
And frankly, it sounds like they handed you a huge load of...(oops, 
maire, family list, remember)...uhm, fertilizer.  I've never heard such 
nonsense! (let alone such nasty rudeness--who the f..., uhm, just what 
do they think they are doing in the medical profession, if not helping 
people?)
I was pushing 40 when I had my first knee surgery (the ACL replacement), 
and, well, over that when I had my second.  And there is no way on god's 
green earth that I could be anything except, well, large.  I don't 
remember pre-surgery PT coming up for me, ever, although I know it did 
for a friend who's had both knees replaced recently.  And I certainly 
had post-surgery therapy!
The only times I've ever heard age being brought up as an issue in joint 
surgery is with replacements--they often stall on those because there's 
a limit to how long the replacement parts can last.  It sounds like you 
seriously need a second opinion.  Is this something you can get through 
the VA? (I'm a complete and confirmed civilian, so I have no idea how 
these things work, governmentally). If it was a job-related injury, why 
not pursue it through Workman's Comp?
--maire, sympathetically

Georgia Foster wrote:

> I have just had the most frustrating day.  I was told to report to the 
> Department of Veterans Affairs in Salt Lake City for a Surgery to repair 
> torn and damaged ligaments in my knee that were the result of an 
> unfortuitus landing at the Trout Creek Fire ... 15 months ago.  Part of 
> my very cool job involves workining as a Wild Land Fire Fighter.
> 
> The journey to the VA is 2.5 hours or 189 miles.
> 
> When I got there, I was told that the sugery had been cancelled.  The 
> reasons given were all insults, delivered in an insulting tone by a lad 
> young enough to date my daughter.
> 
> 1) reconstruction is rarely recommended for patients over age 35.  (I 
> will be 40 in February)
> 
> 2) I have not had any kind of official pre-surgery therapy (of course, I 
> run 2.5 miles in 30 min, three days a week, I lift weights three days a 
> week, I swim recreationally with my children at least three days a 
> week.   In 18 months I have lost a total of 112 pounds.   None of this 
> counts as presurgery therapy, and obviously none of this shows 
> dedication to improving my physical health either.
> 
> 3) If I am not willing to undergo presurgery therapy ... then I 
> obviously can not be trusted to follow through with post surgery therapy.
> 
> 
> he also pointed out that the x-ray and MRI are almost a year old.  At 
> that point I lost control of my facilities.  I informed him that the day 
> those were read... I was added to the surgery schedule.  The reason the 
> things are so out of date is because it has taken 10 months to get a 
> surgery date.
> 
> He indicates that because of my advanced age, the degenerative disease 
> (aurthritus) in my knees likely precludes the possibility of 
> reconstructve repair.
> 
> The jist was ... I should buck up and stop being a snivling old biddy.
> 
> The end result... Malkin is NOT having surgery tomorrow.
> 
> I would like to thank all those who send well wishes my way.  Your kind 
> thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.
> 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Malkin
> Otherhill
> Artemisia
> 
> "It is a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word" ...
> Thomas Jefferson
> 
> Jo (Georgia L.) Foster
> jo_foster81 at hotmail.com
> 
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