Surgery Looms

 
(Photo Credit) 

On day two of my Spending Fast I met with an orthopedic specialist regarding my knee injury. Upon examination of my leg, she showed me the MRI taken of my knee last week. (Side note: MRI technology is amazing!)

She recommended I proceed by making an appointment with a surgeon. I will need to have the cartilage fragments and fluid scoped out of my knee, which is a fairly minor operation. However, I may also need to have a screw inserted on the side of my knee to hold it in place. If it is determined I should have that surgery, I would not be able to put any weight on my leg for six weeks post-operation. That means I can't drive, I can't go to work, I can't navigate steps, and I can't climb in and out of the shower. Gee, I sure know how to fall like a champ!

The good news is my meniscus, ACL, MCL, and quadriceps are all intact and undamaged. This means that after the operation and rehab, I should be able to recover most of my strength and mobility. Knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel is great news to me.

This is where preventative measures really came through for me. I've been paying extra for short-term disability coverage at work for the past four years, so I will receive those benefits when I am laid up after surgery. I also have accumulated enough sick days in that time frame to cover the six week spectrum, so I will also be able to receive my full paycheck during that time. This month's Spending Fast should knock off a huge chunk of my annual deductible. Hopefully that will take care of most hypothetical money woes.

The other details--- such as how I will get in and out of bed, who will feed my cat, and which books to read in my downtime--- will work themselves out when the time comes.