Cut Me Open...Make Me Bleed

No, I haven't suddenly turned Goth. I went to the doctor this morning. As expected, the MRI confirmed I have the meniscal tear that three other professionals had already said I had. The MRI also showed that I'd lost a good bit of the cartilage on the end of the bones from wear and tear, but there's not much they can do with that other than smooth it out. I'm in the upper 300's here - if there WEREN'T some cartilage loss, I'd probably be a case for the medical books.

As it is, I'm set to arrive at 6:30am at the Healthsouth Lexington Surgery Center. It's supposed to be a 30-40 minute surgery, with another hour or so spent in the recovery room, and then they'll turn me loose again. According to the doc, if she can save the torn cartilage, then I'll be on crutches 3-4 weeks while the cartilage heals. If she decides the cartilage isn't worth saving (which is my bet, considering I've been walking on it and grinding it into pulp for the last two months), then she'll cut it, smooth it as best as possible, and turn me loose without the crutches. I know in the long run I'm better off if she can save the cartilage, but I'm certainly not looking forward to another 3-4 weeks back on crutches.

And for anyone in the medical field, when did surgery become something that inspired it's own facility??? The last time I had surgery (broken ankle - 1996), they did it in the hospital. Every time I've EVER had surgery (cleft palate/lip repairs, tonsilectomy, jaw surgery), they did it in a hospital. As if Lexington doesn't have enough healthcare professionals with its 3 large hospitals, it surprises me that Healthsouth has figured out a way to make money by outsourcing surgical services.