We went to the Imaging Clinic yesterday morning to pick up my MRI results. I was handed a very large envelope containing my MRI CD, actual X-rays taken from that and a report written in Spanish. I had to pay extra to get it translated and that arrived today. I was supposed to meet the medical doctor who is the head of the clinic but he was delayed a further three hours.
King David, one of the owners of this RV park had given Colin a name and direct phone number for a doctor at the Marina Hospital. So we called him and he said to just come there and he would meet us. We had about a 45 minute wait and then he spent over an hour with us and we had no appointment. He was detailed and informative.
Waiting to see Dr. Ivan. At this point I only knew that I needed surgery.
I have a tear in my lateral meniscus ( right knee ), except the English translation says that I also have a tear in my medial meniscus as well. Dr. Ivan did a physical examination, looked at the knee x-rays, then at the MRI x-rays. I was so stunned that I had this problem that I can’t remember what he showed us on the MRI x-rays. Colin says that he only referred to the one rupture and that it was not severe. However the orthopedic surgeon is still on Christmas vacation and he was not certain when he would be back. Meanwhile I was fitted with a knee brace. As long as I keep my leg up and don’t walk too much within the RV, I don’t have to wear it. But the minute I head out the RV door I need to have it on. I also am on two different anti inflammatories and pain meds. I have to go back next Monday morning to be reassessed and to see the surgeon if he is there.
My head has been spinning. Needless to say, I have done a good deal of Googling and have made several phone calls and sent dozens of emails. I hope that the travel medical insurance will pay for the surgery here, however they may not consider this an emergency and probably would rather fly Colin and I back to Canada. They will pay up to $2000.00 to have a professional driver return our RV to our home.
There is no point flying home as I would then have to go through the system, see my GP, then be referred to an orthopedic surgeon and then finally surgery. I would be lucky to have my surgery before next October. My wait time to see a surgeon re my hip replacements was ten months. Plus we have no suitcases and the RV is full of our stuff, including my desktop computer and five guitars. We can’t travel with that on an airplane.
As I had my knee brace on – which by the way does not bend much in terms of getting in and out of an Uber car nor an easy step into the launcha – we stopped at El Velero. We were both hungry and frankly I wanted a margarita. I had visions of this being my final meal out in Mazataln this season.
We still have to get the RV back home as well. So we could simply pack up and drive north. North!! I don’t think so, no way could we drive all the way home. Likely we could get to Las Vegas and put the RV in storage, pack up the Jeep and drive home in the snow. They are supposed to get up to 11 inches of the white stuff today. Plus we still don’t have a generator, that won’t happen until February.
My new office for who knows how long.
So the only options are to not have surgery and just sit around until early March or pay for the surgery ourselves ( that is if the insurance does not come through ). No idea how much but it will be at least $8,000.00, could be USD. All of this will have to wait until we see the doctors again on Monday.
So how did this happen? Usually a meniscus tear happens due to trauma or severe twisting. That never happened to the best of our knowledge. I did read that this can happen to older people based on their bones. The only good news is that I am not bone on bone and don’t need a knee replacement.
My head is reeling. Obviously we will not be heading out to the Plazuela Machado for dinner tonight. Plus we are having a very dreary New Years Eve, cool, damp with rain showers. The forecast is for up to two inches of rain by end of day tomorrow.
One of the three ships in port today. It certainly was not a fun day locally. Hope they have a special night on board.
……and so ends 2019.
