Awakening Exhibit at Honolulu Museum of Art

I had not yet been to HoMA and there was a new installation of flower art that recently opened, so when a KOSC event was organized I decided to join! Awakening is a long tunnel of hanging flower (and microplastic) art. We weren’t allowed to take pictures until the end, which I think is a good thing, so this is the end and one short portion of it.

You can view a video of her creative process here. I’m pretty confident all the flowers came from Oahu, but I’m not 100% sure. I couldn’t take pics of the part with microplastics, but you get the point. The color gradients were so beautiful.

And now you’re asking what’s up with your foot? I’ve had pain in my foot for greater than a year. The strangeness of this pain is I’ve been able to stretch it away, meaning if I put the ball of my foot on a stair and stretch my calf, I could walk fine, and it would only hurt after I was stationary for a long time (think in the morning, and after a long car ride). Movement actually helped the pain and since, well, I move a lot, it wasn’t a biggie. However, it started getting more painful and lingering around for a while.

This is a long story…just preparing you. Skip to start here if you don’t care for details.

So I went to the orthopedist. And that’s when a whole slew of medical care issues started. She told me that the insurance would likely not reimburse an MRI without PT first. She said I wouldn’t hear from the imaging place unless it was approved, and she told me not to schedule a follow-up appointment until after I knew the course of action. After walking out of the appointment without scheduling a follow-up, I got an email that a follow-up was scheduled (weird). She also put in a refferal for PT.

The imaging place called nearly two days later, and I asked whether it was approved and would be reimbursed. She said she didn’t know, she was merely the appointment scheduler, but likely yes because that’s how she got the info. She told me to call the approval department. I called the approval department three times over three days, and it went straight to voicemail. Finally I figured out that it was a non functional extension, so I dialed straight to the receptionist. She told me that it was approved by tricare, but that’s not a guarantee it’d be reimbursed. And I said ok… well who can guarantee that? She told me to try Tricare (my insurance company). I called tricare, and she told me she can’t guarantee it’ll be reimbursed.

What kind of absolute CHAOS is our medical care system. How the heck am I supposed to not know how much a service will cost me before going to it? In what world does that make sense?? Yet here we are paying off student loans instead of medical debt.

Exasperated, I called the imaging place back asking worst case what it would cost, and she told me she couldn’t tell me. (This, I’ve later found out, is now illegal).

I talked to Brian and we both decided it was worth plowing ahead. Thankfully we’re in a position to handle this type of expense, but golly. What if we weren’t?

I also posted to a submarine spouse facebook group I’m in, and it turns out there are people fighting to get reimbursed for an MRI they did before going to PT. I haven’t seen a bill yet, but interestingly enough Tricare sent me a check for money, and I have no idea why.

In the meantime, I called my ortho asking why I had an appointment if I didn’t schedule it, and the receptionist said you must have scheduled it. Fine, I did, whatever, but should I keep it on the calendar? “I don’t know, do you want to?” Me: FORGET IT. Leave it on until I get MRI sorted out.

I went and got the MRI.

I show up to the appointment I did/n’t schedule and lo and behold someone else shows up for the exact same appointment time. She’s not on the calendar…The ortho is running TWO hours late. They give me the offer to reschedule, which I do. At which point I pointed out that there was a lady there not on the calendar and that it must’ve been what got confused and how I had an appointment I didn’t schedule (They used my info instead of hers). The receptionist says, no way, never could’ve happened. Me, ok, sure. I walk away thinking I’m just trying to make you aware that this could be an error, it’s truly not an ego thing.

An hour later I get a call from the receptionist: I wanted to call and apologize and tell you you were right, I scheduled her appointment under your name. Me: Wow, I am really impressed you’d call to admit that.

Start here again if you want the results.

I’ve went for an MRI and finally show up for my followup ortho appointment that I scheduled. She confirms there is a tear in my foot, plantar plate partial tear in the second metatarsal. She is optimistic I don’t need surgery. The prescription is two full weeks in the boot, the third week boot just at home, fourth wean off depending on pain. PT starts after two weeks.

As of this writing I am into week 2. I’m hopeful this resolves completely, and am generally very happy that it was diagnosed. I can still lift and stationary bike is encouraged. I can move, just more slowly, and stairs are a pain.

It’s slightly annoying but it was a long time coming. I honestly thought I might go and they say they don’t see anything wrong, or it was a stress fracture.

I am confident it’s an overuse injury that’s been festering for a long time. I am so happy I’m on a path to resolve it.

Last thing about the museum- we tried to eat at the cafe that had approximately 10 empty tables but were turned away because they’d been spoken for via reservation… my friend who asked was speechless. It’s supposedly a really great cafe but we were turned off by their inhospitality. So instead we went to the Food Company and ate traditional Hawaiian food.