The phone just rang and it was the surgeon's office.

I picked it up, figuring they were giving me a time to be at the hospital next week.

Imagine my shock and horror to hear 'I'm sorry, but we're cancelling your surgery.'

"You are what? You've got to be kidding!"

Apparently the doctor is cancelling his surgical time because of illness. I am looking at May before they can rebook.

What are my options? I have none, according to the medical assistant. Because I am already in the queue with this doctor, I cannot be easily transferred to the other one (yes, in this town of 180,000 people, we have only 2 surgeons available to us).

I told her I cannot function any longer being on crutches, and at the detriment of my job. She was unsympathetic.

After I spoke with her, I called my general practitioner's office and she will be trying to get to the bottom of the situation as well. But in all honesty, if the man's not doing surgery, there is not a lot she can do.

My only option at this point is to pay for the surgery myself. There is a private clinic, which I had been hesitant to call given that I have tried to believe in our medical system. Obviously, though, that feeling has not been warranted. I will be calling for quotes this afternoon.

Right now, though, I am barely rational and overwhelmed with the prospect of this seemingly minor procedure standing in the way of having a normal life.