At 6:15 AM this Tuesday past, I stood anxiously waiting in a long line of 'same-day' surgery candidates in the DMH out-patients' registration line. Noting the early morning line was fifteen people deep and at my noon discharge hour that line was twenty-one folks long, I am thinking health care and mass production are strange bedfellows.
Once processed, I stood butt-exposed in my little curtain-cubicle waiting to be 'hooked' to machines and tubes. Registered nurse, Amanda was skillfully doing her needle things as my wife stood nearby in loving support. Suddenly, a rather small-framed Asian gentleman carrying an over-the-shoulder leather bag, sporting a white coat with his 'Physician' lapel tag walked into the small space. This was NOT my surgeon. I had met my surgeon earlier in the month as I quizzed him about the gall bladder and my candidacy to dispatch. This Korean Doctor approaching my bedside in pre-op was unknown to me, nurse Amanda and my wife. Without any introduction the chap spoke, "Which side do you have your pain, the right or left.?" Immediately, I'm thinking, holy cow this is a joke...that John Quinones TV guy on 'What Would You Do' and his cameraman is going to pull back those curtains and ask me if I would stop a total stranger from performing surgery on me? I began laughing and suddenly the good doctor said, " Oh, wrong patient " as he turned to leave.
Soon my surgeon showed his face and we were off to the colder room. Before they wheeled me from my wife's side, she leaned near me and said a beautiful prayer. I'll never forget her last words..."And Dear Lord bless the hands of whomever shows up to performs Mel's surgery."
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