Thanks to everyone who participated in our thread, as well as to Tom and Georganna for sharing their experience. If you missed the chat, feel free to just read the thread below. And here’s the original article we wrote abot Tom and Georganna’s experience.
Jul 5, 2022Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen
Thank you so much to all four of your for being here and answering these questions. I've got a lot to think about....as we head out tomorrow to do the Irish Camino....on a bottle of pain killers and a taped knee. Thank heavens it's flat with only a few stairs.
I am not certain. I will go back when I reach Medicare age and select plans and doctors, but knowing what I know now, I think anything not catastrophic I would seek care outside the US.
Antecdotally, we have heard of other nomads who were given a breast cancer diagnosis outside the US, got treated right away and are very happy they did it all outside the US. And we know of men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer in January and didn't get surgery til May. That is criminal and in the insurance company's fault.
No limitations that I know of. I probably still won't be able to play the piano, but I can't now anyways. Yes, I can go skiing, mountain climbing. cycling, you name it.
49 days. We got here a few days prior to the surgery for tests at the hospital and to get the apartment stocked with food, etc. I had to figure out how to get to the store and pharmacy etc. And how to use the transportation system
I'm curious about your accommodations in Turkey, which you say cost $3000 a month. This seems fairly expensive for Turkey, but I know you wanted a comfortable place for the recovery. Do you think you could have found a decent place for less? Are you happy with what you got for $3000?
Yes, we could have found something cheaper. This place has a swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room AND a Hamam, plus a fitness center; all things I planned to use in my rehab. Then my doctors said NO swimming pool. No Sauna. No Steam Room, No Hamam, all due to possible infections. So we paid for all those things without enjoying the benefits. And the cost was $,3000 for 49 days, not 30.
(Just for readers' comparison purposes, Michael and rented a fairly nice apartment on Istaclal Street (in Beyaglu, a great neighborhood) for $650 a month, but this was through a local broker, not Airbnb (fairly risky, frankly) and I don't think it would be big or comfortable enough for a long-term recovery. Plus, it was on the fifth floor with no elevator!)
Yep, we had to have an elevator. And I wanted the neighborhood to have nice wide sidewalks, and no cars parked on the sidewalks (That's a thing here), so Tom could relearn to walk safely. We are quite a ways from the old, interesting part of Istanbul, but we can get there by metro or tram when he can be in crowded places with confidence.
Someone else wanted to know what you would do if you developed any issues with the new knees. Would you go all the back to Istanbul for treatment? Would that be covered by the surgeons?
We are nomads, remember. We can go where and when we want, so it is not a problem. And when we need to be out of Europe after our 90 day limit, Türkiye is on the top of our list of where to go anyhow.
Someone also asked about why I decided to go to Turkey rather than wait for Medicare. Here is my ratioanle for that:
Medicare is an 80/20 plan and consists of 3 sections. A and B and D.
A is for hospitalization. Everything in the hospital is covered if you are admitted to the hospital. There is no premium but there is a small deductible.
B covers all out-patient care. Doctor visits, tests, equipment, etc. The premium starts at $170/month and can be adjusted upward if your combined household income exceeds $180,000 per year. The deductible is $341 per year.
The maximum Medicare will pay is 80% of your total medical costs minus deductible, premium and copays.
Part D is the prescription drug plan. There are several to choose from depending upon premium, copays, deductible and what medications are covered. You must coordinate your surgery with the covered prescription or you may be paying for prescribed medications out of pocket.
If you want to have the other 20% paid, you must purchase an independent Medicare supplement plan. There are many types of plans from least premium to the most comprehensive plan for a higher premium.
Plan G is the most comprehensive plan available currently. It pays everything Medicare does not pay, except the Medicare premiums and the Plan G premium. There may be copays as well that are not paid.
The alternative is to choose a Medicare Advantage plan, Part C. This is all the various plans (A, B, D and Supplemental plan) all rolled up into one HMO. But then you are held hostage by the healthcare care provider to approve and pay for the procedure.
If you are of Medicare age, you could have bi-lateral knee replacement surgery and end up paying substantially less than we did. As soon as Medicare approves the procedure for you.
I didn’t want to wait. And I don’t need to deal with all the moving parts of Medicare.
Reading this gives me a headache. Good lord, the US deserves better. I can see why you'd make the decision you've made. I'm only 55, so waiting until I age into Medicare isn't an option, so I haven't really investigated it like you have. It's almost worth spending the money to not have to figure that ^^^ out.
If it gets so bad it influences your day to day life, please seriously look into it. It because so bad we searched for elevators (in Europe that is a challenge), so he didn't have to go down a short flight of stairs. He missed a lot because of what he could not do the last 10 moths. He almost fell getting out of the water on the beach because his knees just would not hold him. Not a way to live life.
Tom and Georganna and I discussed in the interview the importance of having a medical advocate to help negotiate many of the appointments and so forth. There are different services out there that provide this but Tom had the good fortune to meet someone willing to help them as a friend. They estimate the cost if they had to pay that would've been about $1000.
Yes. the package was also detailed in the interview. They actually visited us twice. The second time they brought a gift: a box of Turksih Delight eclairs.
Having had bilateral knee replacements 6 months ago in the USA, I am amazed at how quickly Tom has progressed! He's the Bilateral Knee Replacement Poster Child!!! While I feel my surgeon was skilled and did a great job...I think my follow up PT was lacking, compared to Tom's.
June has been his cheerleader all along. She sent him pre-surgery exercises to do and has been with us all the way. I cannot stress enough how much that has helped him. "If a tiny little thing like June can do this, so can he!" was in the back of his mind all the time.
Since it was winter here and difficult to get out, I was allowed home healthcare PT. They didn't start immediately. After 3 PT visits in 2.5 weeks, I had an appointment with my surgeon. He was quite upset that I didn't have more flexibility yet. I then stated going to PT at a clinic and progressed faster...but lost several weeks of prime time to do PT. While in the hospital...the PT was minimal. I also asked for the auto knee flex machine that Tom used, but was told they didn't use them any more. I think that probably helped Tom a lot.
Wow, that sounds terrible. Tom's experience was exactly the opposite. When things were lacking, the staff reacted almost immediately to get him what he needed.
The way he groaned when he was on the Flex-o-matic machine, I think it helped. It is passive exercise, and we of course are doing exercised where he has to work hard. He still groans.
PT hurt like hell! I did more than groan! Another friend from here had one knee done at a time. The first one he didn't have the Flex-o-matic...the 2nd one he did. He said it made a big difference in getting his flexibility back better and quicker...which is why I requested it.
I am extremely glad I did both knees at once and recommend everyone do it that needs both knees replaced.
What type of painkillers do they prescribe, and are you still taking them? How much time has passed since you stopped taking them, if you have in fact, stopped?
In the hospital he got intravenious self- directed pump narcotics the first couple of days. Now he takes Dolphin two times a day if he needs them, most days only one.There are 9 left, and I think he will not use them all. They gave is a stronger painkiller called Contramal, but he has not taken any of those. Before surgery he took 6-800 mg of Ibuprofin.
I know Tom said they gave him a drip in the hospital that I think he used for four days a fair bit. And then some very strong painkillers that he used for a while but now he's mostly off them, right Tom?
The level of comfort was something you just have a gut feeling for. I have never been in such a clam doctor's office. They take their time with you and you sit and chat., not in the exam room, but in their office. They sit together behind a big desk. No white coats, very relaxed.
Is Yasmine hire-able? Does she work for a medical advocacy company? Or can you recommend a Yasmine equivalent (feel free to include this with the other info I asked for.) And thank you very much. I've read the article, so this extra info is super helpful.
We can certainly give you Yasmin's contact offline. She is in the process of setting up her own advocacy service from her home in Fethiye. There are many medical advocacy services in Istanbul. But, I would always go with a friend's recommendation for at least the first consulatation.
Yasmine was amazing. She reached out to her network and found these two brothers who work as a team. They way they run their office makes the whole operation pretty slick.
Tom, could you talk a bit more about the health insurance company refusing to authorise the surgery. Could you have fought them more on that? How could they just say no?
I talked about this in the interview. My healthcare provider kept telling me my knees were not bad enough to warrant replacement. On my last appointment with them in 2021, one PT guy said that they would probably not authorize it for another couple years.
conincidenatlly, that is how long until I reach Medicare age.
I think I read somewhere (maybe here???) that your insurance is with IMG Global. Ours is as well. Will you submit, or do you already know they won't cover? (pre-existing, I assume)
Tom following up on the doing two knees at once, did you have any concerns about that since it wasn't normally done in the US? I confess that would give me pause
Georganna, Steve (my husband) wants to understand your caretaking roles a bit more. He'll be taking care of me when I get my one knee done, and he wants to understand how it will impact him.
When I first met with the doctors in February, they told me if I lost 20kg I would feel better and rehab would be easier.
So I cut back on carbs, drank more water and walked all over Europe and we changed our lifestyle to eat only one meal per day. With the exception of a glass of milk and a banana for breakfast, we would only eat once per day, around 3PM.
When, I was at the doctors office the day before surgery, my weight was 22kg less than February.
The 5 total days I was in the hospital, I had no appetite. Hospital food. And two sets of exercises per day.
Then, going forward I really cut back even more on the quantity of food. The one meal in the afternoon was smaller that it has been in the past.
Now, I do 1-2 sets of exercises, a long walk of about 7,000 steps in early afternoon. We have our one meal, then I go for another walk with 5kg of ankle weights. This walk is about 2,000 steps. I bring a single crutch with me for these walks to help me navigate rough terrain or broken sidewalks and then occasional curb I have to climb. Otherwise I am walking independently.
Georganna, Steve (my husband) wants to understand your caretaking roles a bit more. He'll be taking care of me when I get my one knee done, and he wants to understand how it will impact him.
He will need to learn the PT and be ready to encourage you to do it even when you don't want to. He may have to help you get up off the couch or bed for a couple of weeks. He will have to help you shower. And keep track of your drugs. He will get to do all the housework for a few weeks. It may not be so much with just one knee, but he will need to be there with you every day.
The shower has been a challenge. Thre is a single step up into the shower pan. At first, I stood outside the shower and hosed off. Turned the entire bathroom into a shower room.
Thanks for doing this. Our conx is slow on the beach so we’ll (Cindy and I) catch up later. Is the names of the surgeons in the article? We have a friend that may be interested
I was very nervous before we moved to Türkiye (where we lived for three months last year), and it is not the first place I would go if I hadn't traveled before. But it was not as intimidating as I thought it would be, as Georganna says.
Tom's answer to the first question about why the doctor's didn't do the bilateral surgery is
I don't know specifically, but I imagine it is riskier for one surgeon and I doubt the insurance comnpanies would pay for two surgeons. My skepticism of the US healthcare system leads me to believe that only one knee is approved because it is cheaper than two. The longer the insurance company can delay the expense, the more profit they make. And it worked in my case. They delayed long enough that I went abroad to have the procedure and the insurance company spent zero money on me.
One of Georganna's friends said a doctor told her he was not "fast enough" to do both at the same time. These two surgeons working together finished in about 3 hours.
Well, shoot, I was hoping we'd all be face to face so we could see each other and chat! I'd love to see your happy faces...but I do have a question for Tom. How long do you think it will be before you're hiking and doing lots of stairsteps?
I have already mastered the stpes. I climb about a flight of stairs everey day. WE live in a 18 story apartemtn building. i am hoping to be able to climb all of them within a couple weeks.
That's remarkable. I've been watching Snow's journey (of Curt and Snow Vanlife) and she seems to be recovering much more slowly with her one knee. No judgment here!!!! I'm in the same boat and shopping my knee replacement.
Yes, please. Turkey seems to be priced higher than Colombia, but we are here in the EU and wouldn't have to trek to Colombia. I'd love any info, including your PT, your Airbnb, your driver, your translater, etc.
While we give folks a minute or two to get here, feel free to let us know where you're at today. Brent and I are currently in Sarajevo where the heat wave finally broke. YAY!
Thanks to Brent and Michael for setting this up.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us directly or through our Two Travelers Facebook Group.
Thanks, all! And GET WELL SOON, Tom!
Thanks for coming everyone! And thanks Tom and Georganna for taking the time to share your story with us!
Stay safe everyone!
Thank you so much to all four of your for being here and answering these questions. I've got a lot to think about....as we head out tomorrow to do the Irish Camino....on a bottle of pain killers and a taped knee. Thank heavens it's flat with only a few stairs.
Be safe. And please contact us if we can give you any info or advice.
haha sounds lovely though.
What would do for other health issues? If -- god forbid -- diagnosed with cancer, would you go back to the U.S.
I ask because this is DEFINITELY something I think about.
I am not certain. I will go back when I reach Medicare age and select plans and doctors, but knowing what I know now, I think anything not catastrophic I would seek care outside the US.
Antecdotally, we have heard of other nomads who were given a breast cancer diagnosis outside the US, got treated right away and are very happy they did it all outside the US. And we know of men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer in January and didn't get surgery til May. That is criminal and in the insurance company's fault.
Insane...
Are there ANY limitations on what you can do once you're fully healed? I know this surgery is incredibly successful but could you ski if you wanted?
No limitations that I know of. I probably still won't be able to play the piano, but I can't now anyways. Yes, I can go skiing, mountain climbing. cycling, you name it.
He is NOT and never has been a mountain climber!
That is just mindblowing! Honestly, I don't ski anymore for fear of what it would do to my knees. Maybe I should get the sugery now! (Kidding!)
We know a couple of good doctors....
LOL
They bring treats.....
How long is your total stay in Turkiye?
49 days. We got here a few days prior to the surgery for tests at the hospital and to get the apartment stocked with food, etc. I had to figure out how to get to the store and pharmacy etc. And how to use the transportation system
We fly to Edinburgh on August 1.
Here is the contact information for my surgrons;
Drs. Serhat Mutlu and Herun Mutly
Gülce Apt, Zuhuratbaba Mh
Inciril Cd Haksever Sk 8-8
34147 Bakirköy/Istanbul
www.kireclenme.com.tr
+90 5442302010
I'm curious about your accommodations in Turkey, which you say cost $3000 a month. This seems fairly expensive for Turkey, but I know you wanted a comfortable place for the recovery. Do you think you could have found a decent place for less? Are you happy with what you got for $3000?
Yes, we could have found something cheaper. This place has a swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room AND a Hamam, plus a fitness center; all things I planned to use in my rehab. Then my doctors said NO swimming pool. No Sauna. No Steam Room, No Hamam, all due to possible infections. So we paid for all those things without enjoying the benefits. And the cost was $,3000 for 49 days, not 30.
Oh! I'm so sorry.
(Just for readers' comparison purposes, Michael and rented a fairly nice apartment on Istaclal Street (in Beyaglu, a great neighborhood) for $650 a month, but this was through a local broker, not Airbnb (fairly risky, frankly) and I don't think it would be big or comfortable enough for a long-term recovery. Plus, it was on the fifth floor with no elevator!)
Yep, we had to have an elevator. And I wanted the neighborhood to have nice wide sidewalks, and no cars parked on the sidewalks (That's a thing here), so Tom could relearn to walk safely. We are quite a ways from the old, interesting part of Istanbul, but we can get there by metro or tram when he can be in crowded places with confidence.
What's the one think you're hoping to do with your new knees what you hadn't been able to do with your old ones?
Climb stairs without pain. WE expect to hike Hadrians Wall next month.
Wow, that's amazing. When did you get out of surgery?
June 16 was the day. The surgery lasted 3 hours. I was in intensive care for 1 1/2 hours for recovery before being moved to my private room.
And you had an epidural, correct? So we're you awake and/or aware then?
Hell no. I woke up when the epidural was wearing off, and I was begging for someone to kill me?
Yep, an epidural. The anesthesiologist chose for him to be out. Sometimes they do the awake but you can't remember thing. The surgery lasted 3 hours.
I would NOT want to be awake!
June 15.
Someone else wanted to know what you would do if you developed any issues with the new knees. Would you go all the back to Istanbul for treatment? Would that be covered by the surgeons?
Yes. They have suggested I com back in 6-12 months for a follow up appointment.
And if you developed complications in the mean time? Would you feel comfortable just seeking treatment locally or would you want to see those doctors?
I would call the doctors first, then try to get to Istanbul.
We are nomads, remember. We can go where and when we want, so it is not a problem. And when we need to be out of Europe after our 90 day limit, Türkiye is on the top of our list of where to go anyhow.
Someone also asked about why I decided to go to Turkey rather than wait for Medicare. Here is my ratioanle for that:
Medicare is an 80/20 plan and consists of 3 sections. A and B and D.
A is for hospitalization. Everything in the hospital is covered if you are admitted to the hospital. There is no premium but there is a small deductible.
B covers all out-patient care. Doctor visits, tests, equipment, etc. The premium starts at $170/month and can be adjusted upward if your combined household income exceeds $180,000 per year. The deductible is $341 per year.
The maximum Medicare will pay is 80% of your total medical costs minus deductible, premium and copays.
Part D is the prescription drug plan. There are several to choose from depending upon premium, copays, deductible and what medications are covered. You must coordinate your surgery with the covered prescription or you may be paying for prescribed medications out of pocket.
If you want to have the other 20% paid, you must purchase an independent Medicare supplement plan. There are many types of plans from least premium to the most comprehensive plan for a higher premium.
Plan G is the most comprehensive plan available currently. It pays everything Medicare does not pay, except the Medicare premiums and the Plan G premium. There may be copays as well that are not paid.
The alternative is to choose a Medicare Advantage plan, Part C. This is all the various plans (A, B, D and Supplemental plan) all rolled up into one HMO. But then you are held hostage by the healthcare care provider to approve and pay for the procedure.
If you are of Medicare age, you could have bi-lateral knee replacement surgery and end up paying substantially less than we did. As soon as Medicare approves the procedure for you.
I didn’t want to wait. And I don’t need to deal with all the moving parts of Medicare.
That seems insane that your Turkish doctors could X-ray your knee and see it was bone and bone and yet Kaiser could deny you treatment!
Exactly. American healthcare benefits the insurance company, not the patient.
Reading this gives me a headache. Good lord, the US deserves better. I can see why you'd make the decision you've made. I'm only 55, so waiting until I age into Medicare isn't an option, so I haven't really investigated it like you have. It's almost worth spending the money to not have to figure that ^^^ out.
I just posted the contact ijnformation for my doctors.
My left knee is starting to show signs of problems and I'm thinking the same thing. I won't be waiting either.
If it gets so bad it influences your day to day life, please seriously look into it. It because so bad we searched for elevators (in Europe that is a challenge), so he didn't have to go down a short flight of stairs. He missed a lot because of what he could not do the last 10 moths. He almost fell getting out of the water on the beach because his knees just would not hold him. Not a way to live life.
Thanks to what you guys have shared, I will. Right now it's only sporadic. But it is definitely something new I've noticed in the past twelve months.
Let's have a GWL meetup in Turkiye for knee surgery!
LOL LOL LOL LOL
Tom and Georganna and I discussed in the interview the importance of having a medical advocate to help negotiate many of the appointments and so forth. There are different services out there that provide this but Tom had the good fortune to meet someone willing to help them as a friend. They estimate the cost if they had to pay that would've been about $1000.
Tom, I was amazed your surgeons made a house call. Was that part of the package?
Yes. the package was also detailed in the interview. They actually visited us twice. The second time they brought a gift: a box of Turksih Delight eclairs.
Lucky you!
For those who may be just joining us, here is the original interview.
https://brentandmichaelaregoingplaces.substack.com/p/how-one-couple-saved-over-34000-with
Having had bilateral knee replacements 6 months ago in the USA, I am amazed at how quickly Tom has progressed! He's the Bilateral Knee Replacement Poster Child!!! While I feel my surgeon was skilled and did a great job...I think my follow up PT was lacking, compared to Tom's.
I can send my slave driver to you. She will motivate you.
Hi June, in what way were they lacking compared to what Tom has received?
June has been his cheerleader all along. She sent him pre-surgery exercises to do and has been with us all the way. I cannot stress enough how much that has helped him. "If a tiny little thing like June can do this, so can he!" was in the back of his mind all the time.
Glad I could be of some help. Nothing like having and older, smaller, female egging you on!
Ah, this is that June! Nice to meet you June!
Hi Michael! Thoroughly enjoyed the interview. It'll be very helpful to others considering a "Medi-Cation".
Since it was winter here and difficult to get out, I was allowed home healthcare PT. They didn't start immediately. After 3 PT visits in 2.5 weeks, I had an appointment with my surgeon. He was quite upset that I didn't have more flexibility yet. I then stated going to PT at a clinic and progressed faster...but lost several weeks of prime time to do PT. While in the hospital...the PT was minimal. I also asked for the auto knee flex machine that Tom used, but was told they didn't use them any more. I think that probably helped Tom a lot.
Wow, that sounds terrible. Tom's experience was exactly the opposite. When things were lacking, the staff reacted almost immediately to get him what he needed.
The way he groaned when he was on the Flex-o-matic machine, I think it helped. It is passive exercise, and we of course are doing exercised where he has to work hard. He still groans.
PT hurt like hell! I did more than groan! Another friend from here had one knee done at a time. The first one he didn't have the Flex-o-matic...the 2nd one he did. He said it made a big difference in getting his flexibility back better and quicker...which is why I requested it.
I am extremely glad I did both knees at once and recommend everyone do it that needs both knees replaced.
What type of painkillers do they prescribe, and are you still taking them? How much time has passed since you stopped taking them, if you have in fact, stopped?
In the hospital he got intravenious self- directed pump narcotics the first couple of days. Now he takes Dolphin two times a day if he needs them, most days only one.There are 9 left, and I think he will not use them all. They gave is a stronger painkiller called Contramal, but he has not taken any of those. Before surgery he took 6-800 mg of Ibuprofin.
I know Tom said they gave him a drip in the hospital that I think he used for four days a fair bit. And then some very strong painkillers that he used for a while but now he's mostly off them, right Tom?
Yes, I am currently taking one pill a day. It is bout 500 mg of Diflunisal.
Nice to see they moved you off opiods and narcs quickly.
That was a very real concern for me. I voiced that concern with the doctors pre-op.
Was there an option to do no opiods and no narcs?
Of course. I voiced my concerns with the doctors, then followed their judgement.
Keep in mind, that your caretaker should be in charge of your meds. Just to be safe.
How did you find the surgeons and feel comfortable with their care before going under the knife?
The level of comfort was something you just have a gut feeling for. I have never been in such a clam doctor's office. They take their time with you and you sit and chat., not in the exam room, but in their office. They sit together behind a big desk. No white coats, very relaxed.
She basically became their medical advocate.
Hi Amy, I think Georganna is still offline. I know they found their surgeon through a Turkish friend they made named Yasmin.
Our friend Yasmine set it all up. this is in the newsletter interview.
Is Yasmine hire-able? Does she work for a medical advocacy company? Or can you recommend a Yasmine equivalent (feel free to include this with the other info I asked for.) And thank you very much. I've read the article, so this extra info is super helpful.
We can certainly give you Yasmin's contact offline. She is in the process of setting up her own advocacy service from her home in Fethiye. There are many medical advocacy services in Istanbul. But, I would always go with a friend's recommendation for at least the first consulatation.
Yasmin is looking to eventually establish her own practice, but my understanding is that she hasn't yet started that process. But clearly she should!
Yasmine was amazing. She reached out to her network and found these two brothers who work as a team. They way they run their office makes the whole operation pretty slick.
Tom, could you talk a bit more about the health insurance company refusing to authorise the surgery. Could you have fought them more on that? How could they just say no?
I talked about this in the interview. My healthcare provider kept telling me my knees were not bad enough to warrant replacement. On my last appointment with them in 2021, one PT guy said that they would probably not authorize it for another couple years.
conincidenatlly, that is how long until I reach Medicare age.
Georganna is offline. Her computer froze.
Georganna's screen just froze and she's rebooting. The interent in Istanbul can be a little wonky sometimes!
I think I read somewhere (maybe here???) that your insurance is with IMG Global. Ours is as well. Will you submit, or do you already know they won't cover? (pre-existing, I assume)
They said they would not cover knee surgery during the application process. So I knew I would either pay out of pocket or wait 2-3 years for Medicare.
Did you look into travel insurance that could've covered this?
It is a pre-existing condition. The only country that would cover it is the US. Back to the 30% out of pocket in the US.
What would either of you do differently if you were to do it all over again?
Not do 40 years worth of home repairs.
Great question!
Tom following up on the doing two knees at once, did you have any concerns about that since it wasn't normally done in the US? I confess that would give me pause
Besides, if I only did one at a time the recovery period would be doubled. This way it is one and done.
I did not. They explained the rationale, and the cost was cheaper than two separately.
Reading with interest and envy of all the places everyone is at :)
Hi Linda! You will be out here with us soon, I hope.
Working on it :)
Georganna, Steve (my husband) wants to understand your caretaking roles a bit more. He'll be taking care of me when I get my one knee done, and he wants to understand how it will impact him.
I think my answer is down below.
Tom, another subscriber is asking about your weight loss. Was that planned or is that just a by product of the surgery?
When I first met with the doctors in February, they told me if I lost 20kg I would feel better and rehab would be easier.
So I cut back on carbs, drank more water and walked all over Europe and we changed our lifestyle to eat only one meal per day. With the exception of a glass of milk and a banana for breakfast, we would only eat once per day, around 3PM.
When, I was at the doctors office the day before surgery, my weight was 22kg less than February.
The 5 total days I was in the hospital, I had no appetite. Hospital food. And two sets of exercises per day.
Then, going forward I really cut back even more on the quantity of food. The one meal in the afternoon was smaller that it has been in the past.
Now, I do 1-2 sets of exercises, a long walk of about 7,000 steps in early afternoon. We have our one meal, then I go for another walk with 5kg of ankle weights. This walk is about 2,000 steps. I bring a single crutch with me for these walks to help me navigate rough terrain or broken sidewalks and then occasional curb I have to climb. Otherwise I am walking independently.
France will be a problem with their fantastic desserts.
That's absolutely amazing. So you're thinking these changes will stick?
They'd better!
LOL! Is that threat?
Georganna, Steve (my husband) wants to understand your caretaking roles a bit more. He'll be taking care of me when I get my one knee done, and he wants to understand how it will impact him.
He will need to learn the PT and be ready to encourage you to do it even when you don't want to. He may have to help you get up off the couch or bed for a couple of weeks. He will have to help you shower. And keep track of your drugs. He will get to do all the housework for a few weeks. It may not be so much with just one knee, but he will need to be there with you every day.
How did you manage the shower or tub with Tom having both knees done? That seems like it would be very challenging?
The shower has been a challenge. Thre is a single step up into the shower pan. At first, I stood outside the shower and hosed off. Turned the entire bathroom into a shower room.
That makes sense.
If you're just joining us go ahead and post your question in the comment box!
Thanks for doing this. Our conx is slow on the beach so we’ll (Cindy and I) catch up later. Is the names of the surgeons in the article? We have a friend that may be interested
No we have their contact infmoration offline.
Yes, Harun and Serhat Mutlu.
Georganna, here's a subscriber question for you:
Georganna, would you have felt as comfortable as you seem to be in Turkey if you hadn't been nomading for ten months first?
I was very nervous before we moved to Türkiye (where we lived for three months last year), and it is not the first place I would go if I hadn't traveled before. But it was not as intimidating as I thought it would be, as Georganna says.
Probably not. It has helped that I knew how to get around here. That being said, Türkiye is an easy country to be in.
Why exactly would you say it's so easy? Is there something about being a woman? Older?
Turkey is very safe. She has no concerns about getting around at all time of day or night.
Hello...Trying to sign in...states "Technical Problems"...
Hi Love. You are here with all of us.
Tom's answer to the first question about why the doctor's didn't do the bilateral surgery is
I don't know specifically, but I imagine it is riskier for one surgeon and I doubt the insurance comnpanies would pay for two surgeons. My skepticism of the US healthcare system leads me to believe that only one knee is approved because it is cheaper than two. The longer the insurance company can delay the expense, the more profit they make. And it worked in my case. They delayed long enough that I went abroad to have the procedure and the insurance company spent zero money on me.
One of Georganna's friends said a doctor told her he was not "fast enough" to do both at the same time. These two surgeons working together finished in about 3 hours.
Well, shoot, I was hoping we'd all be face to face so we could see each other and chat! I'd love to see your happy faces...but I do have a question for Tom. How long do you think it will be before you're hiking and doing lots of stairsteps?
I have already mastered the stpes. I climb about a flight of stairs everey day. WE live in a 18 story apartemtn building. i am hoping to be able to climb all of them within a couple weeks.
That's remarkable. I've been watching Snow's journey (of Curt and Snow Vanlife) and she seems to be recovering much more slowly with her one knee. No judgment here!!!! I'm in the same boat and shopping my knee replacement.
We can send you the link to my surgeons, if you want.
Yes, please. Turkey seems to be priced higher than Colombia, but we are here in the EU and wouldn't have to trek to Colombia. I'd love any info, including your PT, your Airbnb, your driver, your translater, etc.
I thought it would be a zoom or similar too.
Hi, it's Amy and Tim in Edinburgh!
Awesome. We are going to Edinburgh in August. Please tell us all about your experiences offline.
Welcome!
HI ya'll. Is there a link to the live event? Steve and I (Chris) from EatWalkLearn are here from Dublin!
This is it! Ask your questions here!
This is it. You are in the right place.
Okay, let's get started First, we're going to begin with a question submitted ahead of time by a subscriber in Ohio, which is for Tom.
Tom, why don't US doctors want to do double bilateral surgery? Is it riskier?
Thanks for doing this, Tom! Glad you and Georgianna are here. Hope our paths cross again soon in person too. :-)
While we give folks a minute or two to get here, feel free to let us know where you're at today. Brent and I are currently in Sarajevo where the heat wave finally broke. YAY!
Tom and Georganna, what's it like in Istanbul?
Today it was 85 with a nice breeze. Very comfortable.
If it gets any chillier in Edinburgh, I'm hibernating.
I have been hauling my winter jacket with me until we finish with Scotland.
We’re at the beach in FL