Woman in need of non-urgent procedure celebrates end to ban

With Gov.

Kate Brown announcing non-urgent medical procedures can resume, some who have been living with pain say it's about time.

People are very thankful elective procedures are back on the calendar... as of friday in oregon... saying the change couldn't come soon enough.

As kezi 9 news reporter emma jerome shows us... doctors are saying it's the right time to begin these operations again "i did call in last week trying to get in quicker because it's so bad i can't handle it" tasha askegreen began searching for relief from excrutiating knee pain three years ago, but after being told nothing could be done by surgeons in florence and at slocum - a local surgeon finally agreed to replace her knee.

But then she hit another hitch: the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to all "non urgent surgeries" in the state of oregon.

Emma jerome: " tasha said she feels like she's at the mercy of anyone who will take her in right now.

And she said she prays it's soon because no one should have to live like this" "i just turned 49 and my husband is my in home care giver - i mean its kind of humiliating."

Tasha has a degenerative bone disease which requires a full knee replacement.

And even though its considered non urgent... the pain is upfront and center.

"i shouldn't have to live like this" dr andrea halliday, chief medical officer for peacehealth oregon says she agrees with the timing, but that it needs to be made in stride phoner no lower: " the reason for that is just like governor brown said - we have to test the ice" she says a non urgent procedure is "an operation that can wait 90 days without causing harm to someone's physical or mental state" things in this category are knee replacements like the one tasha says she needs "i'm excited that we're finally moving forward it makes it feel like there's some hope, but on the other hand i'm at their mercy where do i fit in their line up because i'm sure there's hundreds of people waiting like i am" halliday said they are making changes at peacehealth like testing any patient admitted at their hospitals for coronavirus whether they are showing symptoms or not -- reporting in eugene emma jerome kezi 9