The Next Day
I once worked for a man who espoused the concept of what he called the bigger brain. He felt a team of people working together could solve any problem. Yesterday, after my blog, my bigger brain got to work. I got a call from a friend whose son underwent aortic surgery a while back, and he gave me the name of the doctor in Houston who did it. I’m calling this morning. My oldest son is going to chat with his doctor today because that doctor maintains a list of recommended doctors in every specialty. My cousin’s husband, an anesthesiologist, called with the name of surgeon in San Antonio he recommended. I have an appointment today.
The cousin’s husband, who has sat in countless operating theaters watching procedures, also counseled that the endoscopic procedure I thought might be too complicated, was actually the way of the world these days, and that hardly anyone opened up a patient to do aorta repair if they could help it. My comfort level rose. And confidence is key when you’re going under the knife. You want to be able to visualize a good outcome and you want to think about how it will feel when you wake up and the doctor says, you did great.
On a side note, I had an appointment with a gastroenterologist yesterday because the aorta CT scan showed something funny with my stomach. Turns out its nothing, so that was good. One less worry. Today I’m on the phone to Houston to see if I can get a consult, then it’s a drive down 281 to the doctor. It feels as though things are moving along in good order, and meanwhile, I’m cataloging all the offers of help and prayers, because help and prayers will be the glue that holds all of this together. It’s a good feeling to know that from Houston to San Antonio to the Hill Country I have friends and family ready and willing to help, asking only, what do you need?
John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver's Tale