Satisfaction Survey

On the morning before I got my discharge orders from my doctor, a sharp looking, pleasant woman knocked on my door to ask me if I had any comments or complaints about my hospital stay.  She encouraged me to speak freely.  I told her that I was impressed.  As a practicing dentist in Carroll County, I had heard conflicting reports over  the years, about the quality of care at Carroll Hospital.  I told her the nurses were great, and the physicians seemed to pull together to  provide a successful treatment. 

She then broadened the conversation by sharing her fear of root canals, and her need for nitrous oxide to cope with the anxiety.  I related to her fear, with this being my first hospital stay in 63 years.  It started in excruciating pain, involved surgery, scans, and a few complications, which resulted in prognosis of uncertainty into the future.  I quickly showed her my cell phone photo taken yesterday, of seven Dominican sisters around my bedside.  “Here is my nitrous oxide.”, I exclaimed.  I told her that this was a group of over three hundred sisters, who had included me on their prayer list.  I told her that the sisters, several churches, my family, and several extended families had been covering my back with prayer. 

She tried to get back to her survey, so I tried to expand on the difficulties in getting three or four doctors to agree on treatment.  Before I could phrase my comment, I told her that our eldest daughter was one of the Dominican sisters, and that she caught a flight from Minnesota, when she heard of my hospitalization.  She sensed my appreciation as I attempted to articulate how our grown children reacted to this crisis.  “Our eldest son lives  in  Chicago.  He dropped everything, canceled work, put his pregnant wife and three active boys on hold, and booked a flight.”  At this point I could feel my voice cracking as my eyes began to tear. 

I continued, “Our youngest daughter, who just started a new job, left her husband and two adorable kids in Dayton, as she also got the first possible flight”  Now, I became incoherent as the tears took over.  I concluded with our youngest son, Spencer, his wife Bess, and their six month baby, who drove all night from Dayton, Ohio.  They came for me.  They came for my wife, Jane.  I completely broke down.

She maintained her distance as she observed, “You are loved.” 

I nodded, and mumbled, “No complaints.’”

Faith Moves Mountains and Bowels

Day six of my recent, and only, hospital stay, had reached an impasse.  To remove the NG (naso-gastric) tube, running down my left nostril to my stomach, my bowels had to move.  An x-ray, taken the night before, clearly showed stool, stacked and packed, on my right side in the ascending intestine.  I had a frozen bowel.

Two mild enemas administered the night before were not productive, so I was scheduled for a surgical enema. 

As I awaited this stronger concoction, the Eucharistic Minister stopped to say some prayers.  Earlier ministers had prayed with me, but did not offer the Eucharist, due to the  sign at my door, “Nothing by mouth”.  Realizing that Christ’s full presence: “body, blood, soul, and divinity”, was fully present in the smallest particle, I requested to receive.  My spiritual messenger looked doubtful, but agreed to ask the nurse.

She returned with an “ok”, so she knelt next to my bed, said a prayer, and placed Christ on my tongue.  A profound peace came over me, as the minister quietly exited, giving all credit to Christ. 

Within thirty minutes, my bowels moved.  I had to share my achievement with a nurse, but my surgeon unexpectedly had just stopped-in to examine me.  I asked him to come into the bathroom to confirm my results.  He announced, “It’s a boy!”  Then he sat me on the bed, and pulled my stomach tube out of my nose. 

What a relief!  What a blessing!

“He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matt 17:20 NIV