I'm Back

In August, I broke my hip—an injury I recommend that you all avoid, if possible. While the forced inactivity of recuperating from a broken hip might seem like an ideal time to blog, the injury had an unfortunate effect on my morale.

The experience hasn't been a total loss. I learned how unpleasant it is to be partially helpless. Being an invalid is at least a part-time job. My physical therapy routine takes a couple of hours each day, and routine tasks like showering and dressing were originally a chore. Most importantly, you need a lot of help and support. Thank you, Tina.

I also learned a few things about our health care system. I'm finding out how much everything costs. (Fortunately, it will almost all be covered.) I received a fair amount of overtreatment. Some of it can be attributed to an excess of caution, i.e., my hip was X-rayed far too many times. Other charges are simply bill-padding, i.e., the general practitioner who sticks his head in your hospital room for 15 seconds each morning to ask how you're feeling. Cost: $115 per day, $68.39 of which was actually paid ($54.71 by Medicare and $13.68 by me).

Finally, this was my first sustained experience with opiates and their side effects. While it's unrealistic to think I could have gotten through this injury without painkillers, at some point you have to stop taking the medication. I finally broke the habit due to a misunderstanding with my doctor. He implied that after I stopped taking the pills, he would allow me to drive. He didn't, but being able to feel my pain—and when it was going away—was a good thing at the time.

I've been driving for quite a while now, and I'm getting around pretty well with the aid of a cane, but when I go without it, I still walk with a limp. Full recovery is supposed to take 6 to 8 months, so I'll be seeing some of you in the Spring.

In addition to resuming Thinking Slowly, I'm also hoping to realize my intention of starting a blog about jazz and blues music. I call it Blues and the Abstract Truth, and  here's where you can find it. My posts may be intermittent for a while, but I hope to eventually get both blogs up to speed. Please bear with me.