Needless to say I can empathize.  Purrs on the way, Dan.

Hugs,

CatNipped

Dan I am sending some mega purrs  for you.  Being a victim of  medical
malpractice  when the idiot doctor torn that very thing you described doing
a simple operation to fix basically water on the knee.  I know how you feel.
Keep that knee wrapped.  I wore a knee pad over it under my pants to keep
idiots from bumping in to me or me doing something stupid

Have they been giving you cortisone shots and got you on an
anti-inflammatory medication.
Do they have you physical therapy?

some sites for you
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/meniscusinjuries1/a/meniscus.htm
http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp05005.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meniscus_(anatomy)
http://www.stoneclinic.com/menca.htm

If you were in Florida I could recommend a great orthocenter.  GOOD LUCK

Careful gentle purrs on the way.  Sure wish you didn't need to put this off,
but it sounds like there are lots of other things going on that make waiting
not a bad idea.

Dumb things include shoveling snow.  Trying to push a car out of a ditch.
Basically trying to play superman.

If you do something to make it worse, at least try to do it on the job.

Jo

Ouch, Dan.  Knees are so tricky and painful.  I've got a bad one myself.
Purrs, lots of 'em, for the best outcome.

that sucks, knowing how this feels I will pray for you along with the purrs,
I had physical therapy for mine, but I refused surgery couldn't handle the
thought of another surgery... make sure to ask the Roth if PT might help in
the meantime, Lee

I'm sorry Dan, and I agree that is obscene. We're in the same boat.
Blue
Cross and Blue Shield just doesn't pay like they used to.  But usually
it takes so long for the insurance/hospital to sort things out. I had
my
stent in mid-Sept., and still haven't gotten the final bill yet.
Sometimes
it takes 4-6 months for them to finally decide what I owe. Maybe
you could get the surgery done sooner?

Sherry
Sherry

We will purr and pray mightily that you don't injure
your knee further until you can get it fixed. How about
going on some sort of scheduled payment with the doctor
or hospital? I'm sure they have something like that for
those who can't afford to pay a large amount in one lump
sum. God bless.

Lily & her mama

No need to be sorry, purrs come from an inexhaustible, cuddly source. :)

Yikes! Take care of yourself. Do you get a lot of interest free credit
card offers? You may be able to take advantage of that to get whatever
medical care you need. Remember, you only have one body, you gotta take
care of it!

Purrrs!

Dan my right knee gave me trouble from the time I was 17 years old.  I am
very old now but I had a total knee replacement about 12 years ago.  I can
truthfully say it is the best joint in my body.  The operation is painful
bur the knee seems to heal faster than a hip.   Best wishes  for your
problems.   MLB

Purrs on the way. That is a huge sum. I'm waiting for surgery myself,
but not due to money shortage (the operation will cost me some 20-30
euros total), but because the queue to this kin of operation is very
long. Now the nurses are preparing to strike for higher pay that our
current government promised them during the elections last spring. They
eaten their word, of course. Suddenly there's no money for paying the
nurses more, though they said there would be during the elections. What
a surprise. The consequence for me will be that the operation is
postponed even further. Still, I support the nurses and their right to
strike. They deserve proper pay for their hard and dedicated work.

Purrs are on the way.

Purrs are on the way.

You do realize that JUST an MRI runs from $1500 to $2000?

The knee surgery can cost anywhere from $15000 to $50000. Or more, if
there is rehab, etc.

I know it doesn't seem  'right', (and it isn't: health care in the USA
is by far the most obscenely expensive in the world) but you are better
off than a great many people.

My brother has no medical insurance at all, and needs knee surgery very
badly; for about 10 years now.

I have asthma. The three medications I need to control it cost over $500
per month. That's over $6000 per year.

Medical costs in the USA are one of my 'hot button' issues.

I hope that doesn't offend anyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein

Life is very difficult. Once you understand that, life becomes easier.
-Buddha

Purrs and prayers coming your way

Lots of purrs on the way. I think it's terrible that you have insurance and
still have to pay so much. :-(

"Daniel Mahoney" <dan@catfolks.net> wrote

Anti-Klutz Purrs en route

Gordon & the FF (Profoundly grateful to live in a country which,
despite many shortcomings, has free medical care).

Dan, of course you have purrs coming.  Medical costs are outrageous even if
you have insurance!  I don't even want to think about it.  Just know purrs
are on the way for the best possible outcome for your knee.

Jill

There are more than enough purrs for any one who needs them.

Purrs on the way tht every thing works out with you knee.

Ann

You got it, Dan.  Purrs that your knee says injury-free.

Ginger-lyn

Purrs and gentle headbutts on the way that you are able to control the
pain and avoid doing anything that will cause you to further injure
your knee until you are ready to have the surgery.  Keep an eye out
for kitties who love to rub ankles, especially near stairways.

Julie, Hobbes, Lacey, Sam and Barnabus

I was diagnosed with a "torn miniscus" nearly thirty years
ago.  The orthopaedist I saw told me the surgery was not
compulsory - it depended upon how much trouble it gave me.
(What he actually said was "Recovery would take time and
extensive physical therapy - if you were younger I would
recommend the surgery without question, if you were older
I'd  suggest it might cause more distress than it
alleviated, but at your age it's pretty much up to you, and
how much it restricts your activity.")

My chiropractor (who was the one who sent me to an
orthopaedic surgeon) gave me a sort of minimal knee-brace
called a "cho-pat", which helped to keep the kneecap in
place without unduly restricting movement.  For a couple of
years, the discomfort came and went, but it gradually got
better.  When I mentioned this to my doctor, he told me that
cartilage - including the miniscus - heals slowly, but if
the tear is not too bad, it can heal itself. (Which is
apparently what happened - once in a great while the knee
gives me a few twinges and I use the cho-pat for a few days,
but basically it returned to normal without surgery.

Well, I tried to reply to this, but I don't see that I did, and my
computer went wonky (yet again!) about that same time, so . . .

Purrs coming your way for a trauma-free knee.

Ginger-lyn

Purrs coming your way, Dan.

Sam, closely supervised by Mistletoe

...> Dan

Purrs are heading your way for pain relief for your knee and your
wallet.
Annie

A lot of purrs for you, Dan; so sorry for your medical problem; have you
considered asking the doctors to set up a payment plan for you all?
thinking of you,
Christine

I'm so very sorry to hear the surgery and MRI are so expensive even with
the insurance you have.
We are sending lots and lots of healing purrs and best wishes for your
knee, Dan,
Polonca and Soncek