Observations©

Donald S. Conkey

Date:  September 20, 2007 # 938a – Being Grateful for the Medical Community (811)

Do serious accidents, especially serious home accidents, change lives and lifestyles?

Of course it depends on the seriousness of the accident, but yes, accidents can and often do change the life of not only the accident victim but they often change the life of the care-giver in cases were care-givers are needed for recovery – usually a family member.

And in many cases these changes are dramatic, as they were with me following my accident nine months ago. Sometimes, as with me, one finds they are forced to dramatically alter their lifestyles, priorities and goals. And quite often these accidents will bring the accident victim, and care-giver, into contact with people they would not have met except for the accident.

My accident brought us, me and my wife, into contact with many new people, people who have made major positive changes in our lives. These new people, all kind and gentle, were the EMC and emergency room personnel, the nurses, surgeons, therapists, both inpatient and outpatient, and the after hospital doctors and physician assistants who were the ones who nursed me back on my feet.

These are those people who make up our local medical community, those individuals who have devoted their lives to healing the sick and maimed and make America’s medical care system the best in the world. And we can’t forget their support staffs, those who make it possible for the medical personnel to practice their professional talents with facilities to ‘practice’ in. These are the people who bring healing to the sick and hope to the hopeless.

Until mid September, when I completed cardiac therapy, I had been under the watchful eyes of these special people. I was, still am, and will always be grateful they were there when I needed them.

And needed them I did. For over 30 years I have been plagued with serious health issues, mainly heart related, issues that caused several heart attacks, two open-heart surgeries, eight by-passes, and a medical retirement, issues that often led doctors to assume any new medical issues would be heart related. So when I fell and shattered my hip and shoulder the surgeons counseled before operating, concerned my heart would not survive the needed surgery.

During my 27 days in the hospital I began to wonder if I was jinxed. It is easy to feel self-pity but as my treatment progressed I could see that most of the other patient’s issues were more serious than mine. I became more grateful for my own problems; at least I knew what they were and how to live with them.

And these ‘new people’ in my life were determined, very determined I would walk again. And they were right; I will walk again, with their continued help.

Sometimes accidents bring about unforeseen blessings, as strange as that may seem, and my accident did indeed bring me unforeseen blessings. The first one came from my cardiac doctor. He provided me renewed hope by telling me that the new medicines, superior to those of just a few years ago, could improve my heart problems – and so far they, the medicines, are working. Several years ago, under different conditions, I was told my mortal days were very limited.

The second blessing came when I accidentally learned I had asthma, a condition found by my cardiac therapist during an early session. She found my oxygen level was usually low. Subsequent medical tests confirmed this and prescribed medication that has made my breathing much easier. While still limited, due mainly to a limited blood supply to the heart, it’s amazing what unrestricted breathing does for one’s lifestyle. This was an important discovery and for me a miracle.

But perhaps the greatest blessing this accident brought to our family was how it helped knit our family together, including our extended families. This blessing was emphatically brought home during our extended church family’s recently held semi-annual conference.

Its theme, ‘Bringing Balance into Our Lives,’ referenced Job 31:6 and Ecclesiastics 3:1-5, placing emphasis on “There is a time and season for all things.” This theme reminded me that senior citizens have their own ‘season,’ a season not for sissies. But it’s a season when most seniors, including me, need to re-prioritize their goals in life and place more emphasize on those projects having the greatest worth in their lives, projects that will help them prepare for the next season of their eternal life – that upcoming meeting with their Savior. 

As difficult as the past eight months have been, especially for my wife Joan, I am truly grateful for those ‘new people’ in my life, those special people who have given me new hope, and yes, even extended life, and for the time to rearrange my priorities and goals and prepare for my next ‘season,’ that day when I walk across that one-way bridge – alone – to meet my Savior.