Fated Delay
Posted Thu, 06/25/09
My surgery has been postponed because I've developed yet another infection. Apparently, hip replacement parts are highly susceptible to infection no matter where it is present in the body. If I went ahead with the surgery now, the contagion would travel to my hip and the doctor would have to remove the parts in a second surgery in order for me to be treated for the infection, and then perform a third surgery to put the parts back in again. Thank you, no.
One surgery and hospital stay will probably top $30 thousand, so I'm not keen to have three of them in a row.
It also begs the question: What happens in the future when I get an infection? Say, a year down the road? I've been prone to contagion for most of my life, so it's only a matter of time before another bout sets in. Although I have the infections treated, they always come back with a vengeance. Will I forever be in and out of hospitals having my hip replacement taken in and out because of it until the day I die? Will this be the story of my existence, for chrissakes?
And what's the worst alternative in the long run – the constant pain that makes normal living impossible or the prospect of spending a lot of time in the hospital to endure the same procedure over and over again?
Never fear, I'm not letting the latest round of roadblocks get me down. Rather, they are completely pissing me off. I'm fighting mad and determined to work on my own health solutions at the moment, which is half of the battle.