I Should Pay Closer Attention

BTW: Another title for this post I was toying with was "Careful. I WILL Cut You."

For a while now, Jeremy has been working with a hospital that shan't be named for privacy reasons, plus he really needs to keep his job. Anyway, as of late, he's been having user group meetings with the staff on a fairly regular basis.

This weekend, we were on an urban hike and Jeremy's hospital came up in conversation. He mentioned that one of the docs on his project is hounding him again to make sure he designs a rest room adjacent to the OR. I guess in the set up this particular hospital has now, this doc has to leave the OR, pass through the waiting area where families and others can see him to use the facilities. It's not the best situation, nor is it too sterile.


I had never heard this story. I told Jeremy this. He stopped right in the middle of our urban hike, turned to me and grabbed me by both shoulders (honest, he did) and said, "I can't believe I've never told you this before!"

Judging from his excitement, I thought I must be in for a great story. And let me just tell you, I was.

This doc, was actually an anatheseologist and he is loaded. (He's IS a doctor, but after hearing this story, I'm not so sure that's why he's rich) Years ago, this anastheseologist was in a surgery and got into a little disagreement with the surgeon. As it was told to Jeremy, he began questioning some of the surgeon's methods. Apparently the surgeon didn't like to be questioned, so after a few words tossed back and forth he took a scalpel and stabbed the anastheseologist in the lower back. The anastheseologist lost a kidney and as a result now must take frequent rest room breaks. I'm pretty sure this conflict is part of the reason this guy is loaded. Good for him.

Now, as Jeremy's telling me this story, of course my eyes are like saucers and my jaw is down to the pavement. Jeremy is just looking at me and knodding and saying, "I know. I know. Can you believe it?"

The cynical side of me skipped right over all the pain and incovinience that this doc has certainly suffered over the years and landed right to the point in time when the family of the loved one that was being operated on by the surgeon was sitting in the waiting room.

Can you imagine after waiting for hours for the attending physician to walk down the hall to tell you that your loved one had a smooth surgery and is now recovering nicely, you hear these words, "Well, first, let me tell you that while the surgery DID take a little longer than expected, everything is fine. Oh, by the way, sometime during the first part of the procedure your surgeon stabbed the anesthesologist and now HE's in surgery."