@colleenyoung Thanks, colleen. I did and I guess I got distracted then not realizing I hadn't replied. I appreciate both of you sharing your story and admire your spirit. This kind of information is really helpful to me, though I haven't figured out what I'm going to do.

I'm on Medicare. I suppose under certain circumstances they would pay for a skilled nursing facility. But I've heard that would be unusual with this kind of surgery. It would be immensely helpful to have that buffer. I don't think I'll know if that is possible until surgery time, which, at this time, is Sept. 30. I need to have a clearance before then, which I hope can go smoothly for a timely and uncomplicated surgery. Thanks again!