So the knee. It's not getting any better, and I finally found the time to go to my orthopedist. He'd suggested we take a look and consider scraping some of the arthitic growth off the knee. So we did X-rays (my doctor's office is affiliated with Lenox Hill Radiology. Actually, a couple of my doctors are.) What's cool about them is they make the capital investment in cutting edge medical technology, which results in an enhanced patient experience, which means you're likely to keep using them. For instance: I had an 8:30 am appointment yesterday (btw, I'm not sure I have any reason to see doctors who don't respect my time enough to have office hours outside the 9-5 window). So I had an 8:30 appointment. He looks, we talk, we decide on X-rays. I go down the hall and the X-ray tech does the X-rays. I don't have to get undressed, don't have to do anything but stand there and let him position the machine to me. I remember back in the day when you had to angle your knee all kinds of ways to get X-rays, I think because they used fixed machines. But with the rotating machines, you can just stand there and the machine adapts to you. And no more waiting -- before you leave the room, the X-ray tech has the views (guess I can't call them films any more) up on the monitor and you can see them.
So then I go back to my waiting room, and the doc comes back. He pulls up the views on a computer and we look at my knees. He shows me the narrowing of that space where the cartilage is spozed to be, shows me the bone spurs (that are causing that clicking and catching in my knee), and shows me the arthritic deposits. Then we have a conversation about next steps. I love the fact that every single doctor I have is a co-partner with me in my health care. They all understand and respect the fact that I am granted stewardship over my body, and that they are simply trusted servants for my journey.
We talked. My primary concerns are quality of life: no, I'm not going to stop working out, and I need to jump out of this plane in August, and I need to climb all the way to the top of Mt. Sinai in November. So we decided we'd do the arthroscopic debridement. And then we scheduled it for June 15, because I need to get healed as soon as possible so I can do that airplane jump. I left his office (this all probably took about an hour), went to take care of some work business at the bank, and then headed back to the office.
Thankfully, I remembered to call my primary physician's office to get the pre-op testing done. My PCP has a twin, and ever since I've been going to Israel, he's been talking about taking a trip there with his twin. It's for some birthday, maybe 65, I don't remember. But he's finally going at the end of the summer. I'm excited for him; it's something he's wanted to do for a long time. And I know all that because I called his office about noonish and was given a 4:30 appointment. That's right, even in NYC you can call your doctor and get an appointment for the same day. Of course it wasn't with him; it was with a medical assistant and a physician's assistant and another, more junior, MD; but I got what I needed done.
This morning I picked up the after-surgery meds (again, I love the planning. No more waiting until after surgery when you're in pain to get your meds; get them before the surgery so you'll have them ready when you need them!). I've gotten my bloods drawn, I have the email addy of the coordinator and the date of the surgery. Now all I need is someone to pick me up (I still don't like that requirement: because I'm having surgery, I have to ask someone else to interrupt their day? But I'm the doctor's responsibility until someone else signs that I'm their responsibility.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the knee.
On another note, my Bishop called earlier this week and asked me to team teach Bible Study at Annual Conference. The person I'll be teaching with is a former assistant to the Bishop, and since he's like my father in ministry, it's a big honor. It's a big honor, anyway, but the fact that he selected the man who used to work closely with him and the little girl he nurtured in the faith is a fact that is not lost on me. As I said to him, I'd be delighted, honored, and privileged to do it! I had the privilege of teaching Bible Study once before at Annual Conference, but in an abysmal breakdown of planning, the Bible Study was in a room separated only by a partition from the Young Adult Breakfast, where several candidates for Bishop were busy making their cases. We were literally drowned out by the politicians in the next room.
It's also interesting to me to note how we "Christians" can never manage to go to Bible Study, and how in our Christian organizations (church, conferences, etc), we actually schedule other activities in the same time slot as Bible Study. Granted, I am biased: in my mind, studying the Bible and engaging in worldly activities are not in the same league. It's the whole Mary/Martha dichotomy (Luke 10:38-42). Now, to me, Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and learned from him -- Mary's approach is the more nobler one. Martha, after all, was the one who was scurrying about making the house ready for visitors. It is important to do all that stuff, but as Jesus said, "Martha -- you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." It just seems to me that Jesus Himself has told us we should focus on Him and His Word, or, as the Gospel of Matthew tells us, we should "Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these (other) things will be given to you as well." I just think if we seek God first, everything else will fall into place.
Finally, I want to post here about a FUNdraiser we're having. Most people reading this know I'm the Executive Director of a nonprofit that provides low income housing and other supportive services for people. We're partnering with California Pizza Kitchen to raise money for our event. It will work like this
You take this flyer:
Print it out.
On Thursday, September 8, you go to the California Pizza Kitchen at 30th Street and Park Avenue South in Manhattan. (be sure to take the flyer with you!).
Eat. Drink. Be Merry.
Give the flyer to the server when you pay your check.
TWENTY PERCENT of the profits from all checks presented with the flyer will be donated to our organization.
This is awesome! Instead of asking people to dress up in an evening gown or a tux, pay $100.00 for a rubber chicken and listen to a lot of boring speeches, all we're asking you to do is go to a specific restaurant AT ANY TIME during a specific day, and buy food. Everybody's got to eat, right? So start saving now and plan to come out and support us on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at the California Pizza Kitchen in Manhattan!!
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