Happy New Year!

I am thoroughly happy to say that I have made it through 2012, and I am still in one piece!  Woohoo.  After three surgeries, having to stop school, and numerous physical and emotional struggles, I made it.  2012 has changed me as a person (I hope for the better) and I look forward to returning back to a normal life of productive and meaningful activities this year.  In 6 weeks I will return to school.  I am excited/nervous about this, but I do really need to return to a somewhat normal lifestyle because sitting around at home is not very healthy for anybody.

I haven't updated in a while, and it is simply because I have been too busy.  I took my second board exam on Dec. 17th and then went out to Vail the next three days for a follow-up, then Christmas came, after that got some horrendous insurance news that could literally ruin my financial life (more about this plight later), and then New Years just crept up and went without any update.

On the hip front, things may be getting a bit better.  Any progress is progress, right?  My left hip still has pain and limited ROM (about 100 degrees of flexion) and a very weak psoas, and bursitis.  While my right hip is almost pain free (just dealing with soft tissue swelling and a bit of a pinch with internal rotation).  After an intra-articular and a bursa injection, Dr. P thinks that in 6 months or so I should have my hips all settled down and not need more hip surgery.  The longevity of the hips cannot be determined as they really don't know, but at this point, I have no activity restrictions and I should heal up nicely.  I really do hope he's right because I barely have any tangible results on my left side.  It is exciting though.

It was very anticlimactic, I have worked so hard to be able to have these surgeries and make it happen, we have had so many struggles.  During my appointment he had his mind up that I was all better even before he examined me.  He wasn't even going to look or touch my left hip without me having to basically force him to.  It was a weird appointment and a little disappointing.  He's done three surgeries in 9 months on me and he kind of just waved me off.  It just happened so quickly and that was it...over, done, never have to go back.

On the insurance front, I am terrified and scared.  I really am frightened that having this last surgery may have ruined my financial future for years to come.  I just got a letter from the insurance company stating that I am not eligible for my policy because I wasn't an 'active' student for the first 30 days of the policy.  Ok, technically I wasn't actively participating in class, but I am enrolled and my school requires me to have health insurance with this particular carrier.  And now the insurance company says I can't have insurance.  This is very concerning as the bills for the last surgery are at $90K now and I apparently don't have insurance.  This is NOT what I was told, I had called the insurance company and my school before purchasing the policy.  In fact, I called my school and asked if I needed to return back to school for a month to qualify for insurance and they said that it would be silly that they would write letters and ensure that I get insurance.  Well, apparently their initial letter did not suffice and I am facing having to self pay for my surgery.  This option is horrifying as I simply cannot pay for bills of this magnitude.  I would have to file bankruptcy before I could pay these bills.  I have a sinking feeling all of the time and cannot stop thinking about the mess I have got myself into.  I know I could have problems with insurance, but I would have never had major surgery if I thought that being on medical leave would null my ability to qualify for insurance.  I was led to believe that this was not going to be any problem at all by my school.  I really have a sense of impending doom.  I am trying to keep calm, think straight, and not draw any conclusions until I speak with my school and appeal the initial decision of voiding my insurance all together.

If you've made it this far through the post, I beg you, please pray about my situation.  Each and every prayer helps.  I do believe in miracles, and I hope that I get one that will help me through this difficult time.  Just when I got news that I am done with surgery, the fight continues in a different form.  I do think it will work out, although it may be VERY difficult for me in the future, I have faith and that is what keeps me sane.