Linda Lou had her second surgery on her broken leg back in May, the lowest inch or inch and a half of the incision still isn't healed. So, after months of asking various doctors, like every one we saw, including Docs we met in, say, the supermarket about it, our family practice Doc finally referred her to the Wound Care Clinic. So, we drove to town for the morning appointment ( you do know how much I love mornings, right?) and we were going to the lab to have blood drawn, too. I have a standing order, seems that I need this test called an "INR" that checks to see that my blood thinner is working right.
So we got there earlier than we were supposed to but, unfortunately, not early enough to be comfortable with going to the lab first so we had lots of time after Linda Lou filled out the new patient paperwork. Eventually, though we got is and did the rest of the new patient stuff. We finally saw the new Doc, nice enough guy, who explained that the reason Linda Lou's wound isn't healing is because she keeps her feet down too much and her lower legs and ankles swell. So, now we have this oddball sort of thing like a finely woven Ace Wrap only with little squares and rectangles in brown and green on it. Seems that if you pull it tight enough to make the brown rectangles into squares, you have so much pressure to keep the swelling down. This. BTW, turns the green squares into rectangles. They say that later we'll pull it tighter to where the green squares which turned into rectangles become square again.
Even more fun, Linda Lou is supposed to either lie down or sit in the recliner with her feet up, only a half hour at a time sitting in a normal chair or standing on the walker.
Now this, while exciting enough, is not the half of it. Linda Lou's breaks are "collapsing" and her leg isn't healing straight. So, after November, when her Medicare kicks in, she gets to go BACK in the hospital for the third surgery, please note that the original break was toward the end of February. and people wonder why I'm in a bad mood all the time. Oh, and the first trip to this Wound Care Clinic was Thursday morning, when we changed the dressing, she was bleeding from another spot on that leg. I think that one of the rods is starting to stick through the skin now that the swelling is starting to go down. This means that it may well not be able to wait until November.
You know I never really believed that it was possible for someone with halfway decent medical insurance to need to declare bankruptcy over medical bills. This, though, is really killing up. I do believe, though, that we may finally have paid enough to where we don't have that stupid percentage thing left for the rest of the year. I'm really spoiled with my insurance. Everything that Medicare doesn't cover, our insurance does. this is what Linda Lou will have, after November, assuming we make it that long.
By the time we finally got out of the Wound Care Center and into the car, it was after noon. Naturally, the lab closes at noon for lunch, until one. Did I mention that Linda's lab work was fasting? And that I had not eaten anything in solidarity? No wonder I'm always in a bad mood. So, we finally got into the lab and out in just minutes. If you have a Quest Diagnostics around and need lab work, try them. I have needed bloodwork every month for the last five years, since that stroke. In all that time I have only gotten one bad stick.
We then went to Wally World to get a few groceries and some dog food, as well as a tad of cash. We went, from there to Peddlar's Pizza, we don't often get to the county seat but, when we do, we sometimes go there. I don't think they are a big chain but it's a buy one, get one free place and it's some pretty fair pizza. So, we drove by the place on our way to Wally World and they were nice and open, by the time we got back they were sort of closed because the power was out, the transformer blew. I used an ugly word. My mouth was set for Pizza, I ended up at Taco bueno. Shucks and other colorful comments. Then home we went with one last stop for Linda Lou's burger.
Every day a new adventure.
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