Further adventures...

Jim's Musings from Paris January 2023

The Canal St. Martin. Photo by Jairo Cuesta.

The last two months or so haven’t been easy. What started as a twisted ankle burgeoned into a herniated disc, compressing the nerve between the third and fourth vertebrae and creating severe pain in my thigh, groin, and lumbar region. This condition is called crualgia—somewhat less well known than its more popular companion, sciatica. After treating the debility with physical therapy and pain medication, I tried a cortisone injection. When that gave little or no relief, I saw a spine specialist, who studied the MRI and conducted some in-office tests. He suggested that I undergo a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove the disc protrusion and liberate the nerve root. I am losing muscle and strength in my right leg as well as sensation and reflexes. The pain is manageable only with medication. I investigated the doctor, the clinic, and the procedure. I asked for advice from friends who are somatic specialists, bodyworkers. I underwent a second MRI and took Jairo with me to the surgeon’s office. Together, we decided to go ahead with the procedure. Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 10, I enter the hospital. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday and I will be back home on Thursday. Here is a video of the procedure, which I’m not sure makes me feel less anxious.

In any case, the Institut Parisien du Dos, and its associated hospital, Hôpital Privé Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, located on Paris’ Left Bank, near the Jardin des Plantes, are ranked Number One for back surgery and back care in Paris. When the neighborhood pharmacist and my podiatrist both enthusiastically express their unsolicited support for the institution and remark how they know people who have had excellent experiences there, I feel more secure. The hospital and my surgeon, Dr. Barut, both operate privately, outside the public system. Therefore, the cost is higher than what it would be at a public hospital or with a surgeon who subscribes totally to the national suggested prices. What isn’t covered by the national insurance will be paid by our supplementary insurance, with some “minimal” out of pocket costs remaining. Dr. Barut, who interned at NYU Medical Center, smilingly assured us that the cost is nothing compared to what it would be in the US. Jairo and I gulped and nodded affirmatively.

I’ve spent the last week preparing for my entry to the hospital. So many things are different here than in the USA. I will have a roommate, a double room, so the cost of hospitalization will be covered 100% by the national insurance. However, I will need to provide my own towels and toiletries, my own surgical stockings from the pharmacy, and my own already-prescribed daily medications. If I want internet service, TV, or a better menu, I have to pay extra for it. I have to provide another set of MRI images and other test results for the doctors. Last Thursday, I had a pre-admission rendez-vous with the anesthesiologist. Today I tested negative for Covid and, later, I will get a massage from my physical therapist. That’s not required. He thought it would be a good idea and I had to agree. It’s all a bit overwhelming.

In fact, the lead-up to this procedure has been so overwhelming that last week, I broke out in an ugly rash on my right shoulder and neck that was diagnosed as la zona (shingles)—even though I had received the vaccine before I left the US two years ago. We caught the virus early and it was tamed quickly with some anti-viral medication, but I guess it shows that I’m a bit stressed.

I look forward to putting all of this behind me. I hope the recovery goes smoothly. I should be able to walk immediately and get back to work within a week. There will be a three-inch scar. I can begin physical therapy in one month. Right now “getting back to work” means walking a lot, shopping, and writing. Not too demanding physically. As I reflect on the past few years, I think my body just finally said, “Enough!” The pandemic erupted, I left my job of 30+ years, stopped teaching, rehearsing, doing theatre, unloaded our house and most of our possessions, and completely upended my life by moving to a large city in a different country with a distinct culture and lifestyle. And even though things have gone very smoothly and I am very happy with the choices we have made, I think it’s all been a lot to process and that, maybe, this entire episode is just my body’s way of telling me to slow down a bit and look at the stars.

Send me some good energy everyone. I’ll keep you informed of how this adventure unfolds.

On the beach at Ocean City. Photo by Jairo Cuesta.