Last week we went to El Santuario to collect some packages from Jaime’s house, and on leaving the car park, I stepped on uneven ground, and my hip went, Marcela went on alone, and I waited in the car. As a result, on our following trip to Rionegro, we went to an Orthopaedic Supplier, and bought a ‘zimmer’, and a hip brace, with the help of both, at least I can get around.
I had an email from my Healthcare Provider SURA, to say that I was on the list for hip replacement, sent to Clinica El Rosario, in Medellin, and they would call me last Friday, we waited, and waited…Nothing, on Saturday Marcela contacted the Clinic, who explained SURA had been told time and again, that there were no phone calls, only emails, and that I should recieve one later that morning or Monday.
The woman explained that I am on the list, but that is no guarantee of surgery, I have to fill a questionaire, and send copies of my x-rays by email, then four Specialists make the decision for surgery or not.
Monday came, no email, today it arrived, the questionaire was in effect the Oxford Hip Score, with a couple of other questions thrown in but they were all tick box, so nowhere to add anything, any decision is going to be in the lap of the gods.
Their meeting is scheduled for November 20th, or there abouts, so I should know by the end of the month, apparently if they decide against Surgery, they give other options, what they would be I have no idea, since they don’t know that I have the same problem with my knees.
I am trying to get as many jobs done as I can, before a decision is made, just in case, but there are things I cant do, such as using the Brushcutter, because I can’t swing my hips! we are trying to get someone in to cut the grass, but so far that has come to nothing, if it gets much longer, I will have to employ a couple of cows!
In the meantime, I am looking at the jobs I have to do on a regular basis, and trying to work out what tools I could buy to do the job myself, or whether paying someone else on a permanent basis would be the better option, if I go for the latter, I will have to lower my standards, which would be hard for me to accept.
Marcela has been an absolute Star, without her, I would really have been struggling, both physically and emotionally, I will never be able to thank her enough, hopefully when all this is sorted, I will be able to make her life a bit easier.
That really brings me up to date, with not being able to get around, except at a snail’s pace, there is really nothing to report. I can only hope the Clinic dont keep me waiting too long for their decision.
An Englishman in Colombia 