A couple people have asked so I am giving you an update on the big ass half of golf ball size bump I have on the back of my right heel. So here it is.
I am at the point where I really need to get something done with my heel. I walk like I am 90 years old and not 60. Walking is becoming an effort and I have a noticeable limp to which makes it a little less painful to walk. We are staying on our Aetna insurance plan for part of 2014 even though our rates went up and our Obamacare application finally got approved. We are approved to purchase plans on the network but don't qualify for any subsidies ( we actually didn't ask for any subsidies). I have reviewed the plans available to us and have found several plans comparable to or better than what we currently have that will save us hundreds of dollars per month. We will sign up for one of these plans after my heel surgery is behind us. I don't feel right signing up for a new plan starting January 1st and then having surgery even though we could do that. I think we have been paying premiums to Aetna for three years without them paying for much of anything so it's only fitting we stay for another six months. On Obamacare we are leaning toward getting catastrophic insurance with low premiums but high deductibles and high maximum out of pocket amounts. These plans costs about one half of what we currently pay per month today. I wish Obama would get involved with homeowners insurance since ours has gone up over 40% over the last two years. Our agent is now out shopping other companies after we ask her wtf was going on. No claims and the premiums just keep going up and up. Oh well there goes more of the boys inheritance. I am actually thinking of self insuring on the house except for liability.
I did some research of orthopaedic surgeons in the Fort Myers area and decided to make an appointment with an Orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in foot surgery and sports medicine. His name is Jeremy Swartz and he is approved by the Aetna network. He practices out of Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers which is also an approved Aetna facility. I have been debating on whether or not to have my initial consultation visit in December or wait until 2014. I need to have the surgery asap so I can rehab enough to drive the motorhome back home the end of March or at the latest the end of April. Waiting until January to have my initial consultation moves all of the expenses into 2014 and one calendar year. That is what I decided to do since I have always been a fast healer. I once had veins removed from my entire left leg and was sanding and painting my gas grill later that afternoon with an air cast on. As I have always admitted to my mind works like a calculator. Janet looks at a bouquet of roses and says "how pretty" while at the same time I am calculating how much it cost to grow, fertilize, cut, and ship the roses and how much profit is left when they sell for $15 per dozen. The best financial decision is to push everything into 2014. The doctor is on vacation until January 6th and I have my initial appointment scheduled for January 6th. I would be willing to have the surgery on January 7th but I know that won't happen. So I will let you know when I find out. I hope he doesn't want to try and rehab without surgery because if he does I will be looking for another surgeon. At this point I want a permanent solution with the expectation of being pain free and not having to buy size 14 shoes when I wear 12's. The rehab for this procedure is months and not days or weeks but I am hopeful I can drive the motorhome back to Indiana at the end of March. I think it will depend a lot on the resection or not of my Achilles tendon.
Our neighbors to one side live in upper Georgia and last night we were over talking with them and the neighbors from across the street who live in southern Ohio. They are our kind of neighbors since they were drinking so much wine they forgot to fix dinner. After hearing about us getting hit going around Atlanta they both agreed you only go through Atlanta with the motorhome pulling the car on Sunday. Our neighbor Jim said he tells his wife Pat to get a book and go back in the back of the motorhome and wait until they come out the other side of the city before she comes out. These are great people for us to be around. At 75 years old they are buying new motorhomes and are debating whether they should spend one half million dollars or a quarter million dollars. They decided since they may only be driving it for ten more years they only wanted to spend a quarter of a million dollars. Some times we feel we are old at 60. Being around these people really re energizes us and gives us a whole new perspective on life. We have been blessed to be around many people much older than us in chronological terms that seem younger than we do at heart. We need to have more of this style of living rub off on us.
A journal written about life, retirement and our journey throughout the United States in a 5th wheel, along with our two Shih Tzus, Tanner and Syndey. Written not for notoriety but for our sons, family and friends, so they know where we are at any given time. And particularly for ourselves. Finally, we get to slow down and smell the roses and we don't want to forget any of it. You are welcome to join us as we go 'Down the Road a Piece'.
