Please note: I mean my comments at the end about this hospital to be encouraging to the staff. But make no mistake, everything I said is exactly truthful and based on my for decades of experience both in and leading high performance organizations. this is not confidential and please share it widely. If there is any other way I can help please let me know.
One of the surgeons came in to speak with me this morning.
They will be releasing me sometime this after noon.
Yesterday morning it occurred to me that two elements that I considered important about my situation I had never heard said back to me in dialogue with these wonderful surgeons. So I respectfully and politely took a moment to try and be sure that they were clearly registered in the minds of these brilliantly capable folks. And that's pretty much how I introduced the two points. 1. That the first incident of bowel obstruction occurred about 3 months ago. 2. That two weeks ago yesterday I completed a 52 day hunger strike where I took only about 100 calories per day and broth and/or tiny cubes of sugar so that I could complete the 20 to 40 block walks necessary for my unpaid lobbying work.
Based on my conversation this morning, clarifying these points, was time well spent.
By the way, aside from some symptomatic fullness that I experienced yesterday evening, my abdomen felt pretty normal during the course of consuming solid foods yesterday and through the night including through this very moment.
To summarize the key points from the doctor this morning: A. they have no doubt and we mutually agree that I have had a whole series of between mild and complete intestinal blockages, doubtless due to the inevitable scarring from the surgeries that so far have saved my life, B. The 52 day hunger strike is likely a major factor in the distress I've had of the last two weeks. Their strong recommendation this morning, the first time I have received anything like this recommendation in all my doctor encounters the last two weeks, their strong recommendation is that I go extremely extremely extremely extremely lightly and carefully on food for the next two to four weeks. This wonderful doctor said, don't go have a hamburger today, don't have one for several weeks. Take it very very very very slow. As you have been, eat your meals very very very very slowly, don't have anything heavy, stop when you begin feeling the least bit full, don't hesitate to skip a meal or two, lots of broth, mashed potatoes....
In response to my question about under what conditions should I contact the team or return to the hospital: any prolonged severe pain of 1 or 2 hours or more, come to the hospital. Any symptoms that are less severe but suggest that the pattern of obstructions is continuing, call the surgical team and schedule an appointment to come in for a consultation.
.............
I went down to the hospital management offices yesterday and asked to speak to someone about a customer satisfaction issue. Quickly they made a representative available to me and we went into a private office. I spent the next 10 or 15 minutes documenting in every way I could why I perceived that this hospital is easily one of the best in the world, from the folks that cheerfully , promptly, professionally drive one in a wheelchair down to x-ray, the housekeeping staff, the nurses, the surgeons ( the Fishbein the Banovac team the Carol team... ), the Doc He cancer team that is the reason I am still alive, the kitchen,, radiology, the tech team, the emergency room team 2 Bless, 4 Main ( where I recovered from the liver section ) .... It is a breathtakingly wonderful collection of individuals and competence and kindness. The recruiting must be brilliant, and the management must be sufficiently good that it is not extinguishing the excellence of these recruits.
And the inclusiveness, breathtaking. Black, white, brown, yellow, Catholic, Christian, Muslim, female, male....
Universally respectful, professional, kind, courteous, competent....
Excellent communication. Excellent listening....
Accommodating, efficient....
This hospital is a testament to how things should be.
And all of this delivered to a homeless bum (as was Jesus before us) with tattoos on his face.
" as you do unto the least of these my family, you do unto me."
" they will know you by how you love."
" do unto others all that you would have them do unto you."
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