A different blog than I started early this morning

I had started writing about our wonderful trip to Eilat (Red Sea), and the Dead Sea, I will be able to complete that blog tomorrow as I will have plenty of time on my hands (and on my back). When Paul and Noa awoke, we finalized our plans to get to the bus stop and go to Tel Aviv to see those few remaining museums and neighborhoods we wanted to see before we come home in 13 days. I saw the # 18 bus coming and shouted "Run", three steps later I had what appears to be a lateral tear of my left meniscus. After playing Peter Cotton Tail hopping back home, I spent a few hours online researching orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine docs and the like. I emailed every friend I made in Jerusalem and all responded within minutes, each with several doctors to contact. Paul and Noa took great great care of me... Nice people:-)

I saw the top sports medicine physiotherapist today @ 3pm I had also an appointment with the head of Hadassah Hospitals department of Orthopedic Surgery for tomorrow afternoon. The physiotherapist thinks I have a tear in the meniscus and can deal with it when we return to Portland, he advised me not to see the surgeon tomorrow as he would want to operate. I will get to work out at a fabulous facility for rehab and and got a gool new knee brace. Paul, Noa and the doctor were cracking jokes, so all had a good time. We finally got to see Mount Scopus in a taxi (not a total loss).

Next we were off to Yad Sarah to pick up my free crutches. This is an amazing organization Yad Sarah, is the largest voluntary organization in Israel, provides a spectrum of free or nominal cost services designed to make life easier for sick, disabled and elderly people and their families. My doctor sent us here with a prescription for the crutches, in less than 5 minutes I had crutches and all is took was a 60ILS or about $16 in a deposit to be refunded when I return them. Can you imagine having this service in the US?


Well, the bad news is if I needed surgery in Israel Noa would kill me as we would be late coming home, the good news is I can survive with crutches for the next few weeks and experience physical therapy in Israel:-) Hopefully this will simmer down and I can be walking again soon.