I took a deep breath as I answered the phone, not sure of the reason for the call, but pretty sure that any call from a doctor on a Sunday afternoon was not good news, I am not quite sure I ever had a call from a doctor on a Sunday afternoon, so to be honest, I have no idea why I have such a thought about such a phone call. I was pretty sure he was going to cancel my surgery or tell me some horrible news about my recent scans. The best case scenario, in moments of my mind flying out of control with anticipation before answering the phone call was that my surgeon was going to cancel tomorrow's procedure.
"Hello?" I asked slowly, because I really had no reason not to answer.
"Hi," he answered quickly as if he was expecting me to be awaiting his call. "I hope you are having a good weekend. I just wanted to check on how you were doing and how you are seeing before tomorrow's appointment."
I took a deep breath as I tried to construct a verbal response while wondering why an esteemed eye surgeon was even thinking about my eye surgery the next day? But, somehow I managed a response and engaged in a sincere discussion about what I was able to see and what difficulties I still had. After a few minutes, he thanked me for my time and I thanked him for his time. "I just want to make sure of the best outcomes," he responded. " See you in the morning!"
I thought about the conversation with the doctor who just wanted to make sure we were on the same page as I got ready for bed and several times in the days ahead. It's crazy that any call from a doctor we expect to be bad news! It's also crazy that any call parents get from teachers is usually bad news. We really should be working together to do the best we can to make sure of the best outcomes!
6 comments:
Oh wow! I've never heard of a surgeon reaching out prior to a surgery. You've found a gem! Hoping all goes/went well with your surgery.
Here's to more positive encounters with doctors and teachers.
Wow! I was bracing for bad news. That's often what unexpected calls are. I'm going to keep track of the next few on purpose to see if they are good news, bad news, or somewhere in between.
Thanks for sharing the good news and the fact that surgeons are humans, too.
You have a very unusual doctor! Also, very thoughtful. I have never heard of a doctor making this kind of call. Best wishes for your surgery.
That is a very rare call, I think. I'd say you are in great hands. Doctors call far less frequently than teachers! Best wishes for your surgery.
Anita, yes, that was a surprise call. I'm so glad it wasn't an emergency or cancellation. I love the connection you make at the end of the post with thinking of teachers calling home, not often with good news or to just talk about ways to ensure the best outcome. Good thoughts to consider in your post.
Anita,
This scenario is quite the contrast to my typical experiences w/ the medical field in recent years, although I did have one doctor make a house call some years ago. I attributed that to having taught his daughter. Let’s hope whatever your doctor is doing rubs off on other doctors.
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