Happy New Year From the Hospital

How did you welcome the New Year?  What would you think about spending it in the hospital?  That's where we were when 2013 arrived earlier this week. 

My wife, Joyce, had a knee replacement on New Year's Eve at Wake Forest Baptist--Lexington Medical Center.  Having surgery on a holiday week didn't sound very appealing at first, but the more we thought about it we decided that is was a great time to have surgery.  There were fewer patients in the unit and the care we received was extraordinary. 

As a minister, I visit the hospital frequently and experience healthcare from the pastoral perspective.  For the past six years I have been privileged to serve on the Lexington Hospital Board and have experienced healthcare from the administrative perspective.  But this was different.  My wife was the patient.  This time I was on the other side. 

The quality of Joyce's medical care was excellent.  Dr. Gordon Kammire, one of the best orthopedic surgeons anywhere, performed the surgery.  His warm, personable and engaging manner was refreshing and reassuring.  The Lexington Orthopedic Group is one of the finest in the state.  There is a dedicated wing of the hospital affectionately called "Joint Camp," reserved for their patients.  The first thing they tell you is:  "You are not here because you are sick.  You're just having some body repair."

Patients have their first session at Joint Camp a week before their surgery.  They are told exactly what to expect, what is expected from them, and every question is answered.  C. J. Miller is the head nurse and with her optimism, enthusiasm, and great sense of humor, patients can't help but excel.  All of the nurses, Christine, Janie, Melissa, and Annie, were kind, personable, skilled, and caring.

The morning after surgery Monette Frye, the director of a truly remarkable Physical Therapy department, helped Joyce stand and take her first steps with her new knee.  Her nurturing spirit and heartfelt encouragement were contagious.  We are very blessed to have such competent and compassionate healthcare professionals in our community.

We know that we received the best possible medical treatment, but we received something more--genuine care, sincere kindness, and authentic compassion.  Everyone, from the hospital administration, the doctors, the nurses, the technicians, the therapists, the cafeteria workers and the custodians were friendly, helpful, and concerned about our well being.  Our church family and friends in the community prayed for healing and expressed their concern.  Friends and family expressed their prayerful support on Facebook. Everywhere I went people asked about Joyce. Healing is so much more than a hospital, healing is found in a community.  When a community displays compassion and concern and works to provide optimal medical treatment for all of its citizens, the entire community becomes whole.

We ate black-eyed peas and collard greens in the hospital on New Year's Day, but not because we needed good luck—true healing transcends luck.  We realized that it wasn't that we were in the hospital on January 1 that mattered, but as the New Year dawned we were being healed.  New beginnings start with healing, not just in body, but in spirit, in our families and community. 

Happy New Year everyone!  My prayer is that 2013 will be a time of good health, happiness, and healing—for all of us and for our community. 

                                                      

AN AMAZING WEEK

  It has been an amazing week.  The week started with Joyce having knee replacement surgery early Monday morning at Lexington Medical Center.  The surgery was very successful and despite the usual predictable pain and challenges following such a surgery, things have gone very well.  We had such a positive experience at the hospital that I devoted my religion article to the experience.  I will post the article on this blog.

   I received a call Monday from the Everhart family informing me that Hazel Everhart died that morning.  I had conducted her husband's funeral (Sam) the day before Thanksgiving.  Now, less than six weeks later, Hazel died.  I talked to the family on New Year's Day and we had Hazel's funeral on Wednesday afternoon.

  Wednesday morning I attended the funeral of our good friend and former next-door neighbor, Evelyn Oates.  Bob and Evelyn are choice people.  We have traveled together, they were faithful to the Bible Studies, they have made a remarkable difference in this community.  The Presbyterian Church was not surprisingly packed to the brim.

  Even though Evelyn was suffering from many different health issues, she refused to give in.  I don't think Evelyn and Bob had missed a single Bible Study Field Trip.  The last time I saw Evelyn she wanted to make sure their names were on the list for this year's trip to Richmond.  I told Evelyn they were always number one on the list.  Evelyn was number one in many different categories.

  Early in the week we learned that George Wynn was having major surgery on Friday.  George and Jeri Wynn have become very special friends.  They traveled to the British Isles with us this past summer.  We noted on the trip that George was having difficulty walking.  He started seeing specialists after our return and learned in October that he had a tumor in his aorta.  The doctors felt that this contributed to numerous health problems that George was experiencing.  The tumor had to come out.   It would be major surgery and very risky.  There would be a chance George would not survive the surgery itself.  There was a chance he would be paralyzed.  They scheduled the surgery for the Monday after Thanksgiving.

  The night before Thanksgiving George started to experience serious problems.  He was rushed to Baptist Hospital on Thanksgiving morning and it was discovered that he had a blood clot in his spine.  Neurosurgeons started operating late afternoon and finished around 8:00 pm.  The first few days after surgery were very difficult.  George did not have the use of his legs.  Those were dark days.

  Slowly George started to recover but he still did not have the use of his legs.  He was moved to the Sticht Rehabilitation Center where he worked diligently with great determination to regain the use of his legs.  George was making great progress.  He was showing tremendous improvement in his leg functions.  But there was one dark shadow that would not go away.  He still needed the surgery to remove the tumor from his aorta.  The doctors told him he could not live without it.

  The big question was when.  Does he continue rehab in hopes that a stronger body gives him a better chance?  Or does waiting allow the tumor to grow and do more damage.  All of this was weighed with the understanding that the emergency Thanksgiving surgery was making the tumor removal even more risky.  George decided he didn't need to wait any longer.  It was time for the big surgery.  It would be on Friday, January 4.

   George and Jeri started making plans.  They redid their will.  George was having heart to heart talks with friends and family.  He planned his funeral.  The doctors were also getting ready.  They ordered a CT scan to determine if the tumor had grown.  All was ready for the major surgery to begin.

  Joyce was discharged from the hospital Thursday around noon.  We drove to Abbott's Creek Rehabilitation Center and admitted Joyce for her therapy.   It took most of the afternoon.  When she was finally settled she said, "I want you to go to Winston to check on George."

  George was alone in his room.  We had a good visit.  George told me that he had a sense of peace about the surgery.  Jeri came in and we talked more about the plans for Friday.  George told me some of the plans for his funeral even though I insisted that I had reached my quota and a funeral was not an option.  Then we prayed.  I prayed that God would bring George through the surgery, that he would experience healing, and that God would grant his surgeon wisdom.  I had barely concluded the prayer when the surgeon walked in the room and said, "We have a change of plans."

  The surgeon explained that while he was evaluating the CT scan in preparation for the surgery, he was shocked to see that it had decreased in size "significantly."  This tells us two things he said:  1) the tumor, if it is a tumor, is benign.  And 2) it may not even be a tumor; it might be a blood clot.

  We were all stunned by the news.  The surgeon said he wanted George to have another scan in two months and see what has happened.  There is a good possibility that George may never have to have this surgery.

  All Jeri could say was, "Wow!". When the surgeon left she looked at me and said, "I think we just witnessed a miracle."

  George said, "I think we should pray again" and we did--a prayer of thanksgiving.

  What an amazing week!