Common sense tells us that keeping in good health is the right thing to do but sometimes, you can’t control what happens. Last Friday I had knee surgery to reconstruct my ACL (due to a soccer injury) and I consider myself very lucky. Granted, going in for surgery provokes anxiety and the rehabilitation process is not going to be a cake walk but my health and mobility is extremely important to me and my lifestyle. Even though I’m on the other side of 40, I still play two sports competitively (well, as much as the Classics Division allows!), ski and enjoy a very active life. Not to mention the activities that we are involved in as a family with two young children.

These are the reasons I feel lucky:

• I got the surgery
• I live in Canada and the surgery is covered by MSP
• I work for an organization that has a good benefit plan which covers the post-surgery medication, a certain amount of physiotherapy and allows me to take sick leave for the first few days when you are to be immobile

Physio is not cheap but it is critical to rehabbing well. It is the care required so I can return to my pre-injury lifestyle and sports and if it wasn’t at least partially covered through work, I would be paying for it all myself. I’m not taking it for granted and am prepared to do the work and have the self-discipline to commit to the daily exercises. The reason I know how much work it is – is because this time, the ACL surgery is on my other knee! The other knee was reconstructed 9 years ago. 

It makes me think of the importance in having the right coverage to support you and your family during an illness or injury – at least partially. Illnesses or accidents can happen on a regular basis to any of us. We can do our part by living well through diet and exercise but the other responsibility is financial preparation. This may take the form of benefit coverage through your employer and/or privately and/or a contingency fund. The thing is, when you’re ‘off work’, there’s often less or no money coming in. How will you pay your bills?

We can calculate the cost of such an event after the fact however putting a value on your health in terms of the ability to live life the way you want is more difficult. Better to put measures in place now.