What's in your RIGHT HAND today?

Today my RIGHT HAND is holding a deep gratitude for my health insurance. Romantic huh?

Seriously, I just had a visit with one of my orthopaedic surgeons. Dr. S was my first one and unlike the most recent Doc, he really cares about me. We've been through a lot together, since I was 21 actually. He performed 3 surgeries on me including my total hip replacement at 23 and I will always have a deep gratitude and love for him because he protected and cared for me at a very very scary and painful time in my life. Then, when I was ready to do it, he gave me a titanium hip and took my pain away. I felt like he saved my life, or at least gave it back to me.

I had a great visit with him today and as I was driving away I thought about how you have to place so much trust in each other's hands as patient and surgeon. Yes, the doctor has to trust you too I think. There is this delicate and unspoken agreement between us that he will do his best to care for me and I will remember that he's human.

I hated him the first time I met him,. He marched into the exam room and declared I needed to be cut up and I was horrified and sobbing. But, eventually I got over that. And, in retrospect I realized that it must have been almost scary to have to go in and tell a 22 year old girl that she needed a new hip. He's only human after all.

So I am grateful for an incredible insurance plan that lets me go see the now-fired Doc, the new surgeon in Boston (who was terrific and will be doing my 2nd revision this summer) and my doctor, Dr. S. I could go see a bunch more if I wanted. I could make a hobby of it, if only my hip would stop squeaking and shuddering and making it so hard to get around.

Anyway, I realize that there are so many people who would be looking at financial ruin if this happened to them. Not me, I'll pay a couple of $15 co-pays and get a new hip. I am blessed.