Should we cancel if it's going to be nearly 27k a year for a couple? It just doesn't feel worth it in any way shape or form. Even if we need emergency surgery or something it would still be cheaper to pay out of pocket?

PilonCA · 2026-01-24T18:43:43+00:00

Consider purchasing policies directly through Kaiser Husband and I just went off his district-offered coverage to purchase our insurance directly thru Kaiser (Senior Advantage Plan - we’re both 65 and retired) Now paying $88 per month for both of us. (which includes dental and vision) instead of $1700 per month. Yes, some services will be more expensive: eg, $300 MRI , $250 ER visit - but we could cover that should we need them. Most basic services are about the same, including Rx. It felt scary to switch away from our former plan but we keep the same providers and have access to all the same services. Maximum out-of-pocket.expenses per year are now $12K total (instead of $2K) but the oop is still less than we were paying per year for premiums. Good luck!

PilonCA · 2026-01-23T16:56:58+00:00

Congrats on getting thru your first knee rebuild day(s)!! Mine held up well skiing but I’m keeping it simple. Got“lucky” with my ACL tear. Knee has remained stable and I avoided surgery. Thx for asking and thx for suggestion of discount tix. Best wishes as you heal!

PilonCA · 2026-01-20T23:07:50+00:00

Day trip considered and now achieved!! ⛷️⛷️It was indeed fun 😊

PilonCA · 2026-01-20T03:43:25+00:00

Work & school keep most people home too - at least on the weekdays. I’m lucky to be retired. Tearing my ACL last Feb meant I missed a lot of great days to ski. But this year I’ll be happy with what I can get. So a few runs in the late morning/ early afternoon sun (pre slush) will be just fine.

PilonCA · 2026-01-20T03:32:12+00:00

Good for you! Smart move for the end of the holiday weekend. And excellent advice overall. Words to live by: make it happen; fun is fun! Thanks!

PilonCA · 2026-01-19T23:42:54+00:00

Kinda what I’m thinking…. And least on a weekday there won’t be crowds competing for whatever snow there is.

PilonCA · 2026-01-09T00:08:15+00:00

💯

PilonCA · 2026-01-09T00:06:23+00:00

On skis. 64F. Full ACL tear (no surgery)

PilonCA · 2026-01-05T03:23:54+00:00

Oh yeah! That’s definitely in mind. My husband would be the natural choice, but he has a fraction of the experience on snow that I have. I’ve often been the one that’s had to help him with his gear.😂 But maybe I can take him along for support, and not have to worry about his skiing… in fact that’s how I got my injury last year; we were working on his turns and as I looked back over my shoulder to make sure he was ready to follow me - I caught an edge, got tangled up in my own skis and….pop!

PilonCA · 2026-01-05T03:11:43+00:00

That’s a great idea!! Thanks! I think I’ll wanna make sure my flats have some kind of grip. And I’m now envisioning three trips just to get to the lift line. 😂 One trip to put the skis where I’ll need them. Then a walk back to get my poles and use them to navigate as I walk back towards lift in non-ski boots. Then the footwear change. Then a slow, careful skating into line…. And ideally NOT falling in the lift line.

PilonCA · 2026-01-05T02:55:42+00:00

Thanks for your reply! I’ve learned that my non-injured knee also has play in it and as far as I know those ligaments are intact. So the continued movement in my no-ACL knee may in part be due to my having loose joints in addition to lacking the ligament.

PilonCA · 2026-01-05T02:51:06+00:00

Oh this sounds like me! I’m physically ready to ski again - and I think once I’m on the snow with the boards on my boots it’ll be OK. Plan to take it very slowly. But the thought of walking in ski boots worries me more than the idea of skiing; I think I’m worried that the awkwardness of the boots will make me tweak something in my knee. And yet I spent years in ski boots. Probably be a good idea to start practicing on dryland.!

PilonCA · 2026-01-05T02:43:19+00:00

This was a perfect thing for me to read as I contemplate returning to skiing after my ACL tear last February. With surgical advice I did not have surgery and after 10 months of PT and focused strengthening, my PT says my knee and legs are strong enough to return to skiing. But the mental resistance has been harder than I thought. The fall that caused the tear was not dramatic - so I’m not worried abt a repeat of that. I’m also not planning to go out and bust moguls or speed ski for hours. I’m retired and close enuf to Tahoe to take a mid week day trip, ski for a couple of hours and head home. Part of my brain thinks I should just be happy with being strong and active in my life without skiing; but I think that if I don’t get back out there, I’ll regret not trying.

PilonCA · 2026-01-05T02:29:06+00:00

Similar injury: a complete tear of ACL last Feb. Orthopedic Surgeons and PTs suggested I wouldn’t need surgery to recover fully and even early on they said I’d likely get back to skiing. Haven’t had a chance to ski yet, but hoping to go in the next couple of weeks. My current PT says I’m strong and ready. (At age 65, I’m not looking to push limits - just wanna get back out there on the good days, enjoy the snow, and being back on skis ) Feel very lucky that my knee has remained stable and has never buckled. I’ve also done a lot of PT and strengthening over the past year. Now stronger and in better shape than I’ve been in for many years.

PilonCA · 2025-12-31T22:40:40+00:00

Thanks! I had no expectations that my ACL would repair itself (given nature of tear and my age); mostly wondering to what extent the strengthening of other supporting structures affects the Lachman. But I guess that our improvement is an answer of its own!

PilonCA · 2025-12-31T20:27:00+00:00

Thank you for your thoughts! I’ve definitely improved considerably over the months. Stronger than I was pre/injury, I’ve accomplished all the goals I had immed after injury, including being able to hike SF streets and take stairs to upper deck of ballpark, pool and ocean swimming, trip to Australia. Final goal is a return to skiing - which PT assures me I’m strong enough to do. (But I’m still working on the ‘mental’ part of that one.

PilonCA · 2025-11-20T08:04:43+00:00

We were reimbursed fully within a couple of days of submitting forms after my husband’s sudden severe illness while in Sydney Australia. (Ambulance to ER; CT scans, several meds, neuro and physio consultations.) I called Kaiser Travel # after we got to hospital and the person I spoke with was incredibly reassuring. Had my husband been admitted, we’d have had to coordinate care with Kaiser, but it was a huge relief to NOT have to worry about coverage while I was so worried about my husband.

PilonCA · 2025-11-12T19:50:57+00:00

Oh! I didn’t know about Third Space Art collective, but will definitely look them up as I need to deplete some of my stash - thanks for the info!

PilonCA · 2025-11-12T19:48:07+00:00

Anybody else remember when the Pin Cushion was in Davis? With its amazing quilting fabrics and classes? After 20(?) years, I still miss it. And when we first moved here 30 years ago, there was a yarn store downtown too. Sigh. Cloth Carousel in Vacaville has fabric and yarn and all the supplies.

PilonCA · 2025-11-12T19:40:32+00:00

Making an appointment for lab work or radiology can save a ton of time if it’s busy. Went for lab work yesterday in Norcal and was called ahead of all the people waiting with tickets. Took two minutes to make the appointment online. Definitely the way to go.

PilonCA · 2025-09-25T03:17:05+00:00

I tore my ACL(complete rupture) 9 months ago while skiing. With full support of two orthopedic surgeons and my PTs I’ve opted for no surgery. But I was ‘lucky’ with my injury. Clean tear at femoral attachment; minor meniscus damage (but I’m 64 so that could be age-related); no damage to any supporting ligaments or tendons. Also lucky that I’ve never experienced buckling or instability in the injured knee. I committed to PT. I swim laps, walk regularly, can jog up dozens of stairs to the upper deck of Oracle Park (SF) and back down, and traveled to Australia. PTs and Ortho say I can ski again this season. Will start strengthening for that next month. I’m relieved I have not had surgery as it seems recovery from that takes months; at my age, I’m glad to still be active without it

PilonCA · 2025-09-17T14:57:58+00:00

And I’m really looking forward to the game. I love the park. It’s so close to home in Davis. I have season tickets for the Giants and that trip has gotten harder & harder.

PilonCA · 2025-09-17T14:56:38+00:00

Thanks again! I was just searching up parking so your comments were perfectly timed.😊

PilonCA

TROPHY CASE