i try to avoid writing any personal stories. my goal is not to produce a product about me. the goal is to wish to share information that can help individuals improve their lives and the lives of others. this is the story of being the needed voice.
my best friend succumbed to cancer. i dropped everything from my schedule to make time to be present with him and his wife during the specialist consultations. my background consists of significant interaction with the medical field as well as assisting those with medical problems.
these consultations provided an understanding of the problem. there was internal bleeding for which there was no clear understanding. as a result, he had some many blood transfusions that we joked that he was becoming a vampire. there was a continuous drain and it was seriously impacting his health to the point of hospitalization.
he eventually was hospitalized at a outlying facility which was not the best that could be offered. he raised hell on earth and called any and every person who could assist him. he was well connected. i could imagine the governor’s office was contacted as well as perhaps us senators. he was able to get himself ambulanced to the main facility and their intensive care unit.
it was december, next week was christmas. when i heard the news, i rushed over to assist. he told me the story he was holding his cell phone and swinging it around like a swashbuckler with a sword. his cell phone was his power and weapon. he connected with some many powerful people as well as people in need. he was the go to person for those in need. he would help them out. he was a giver.
when the attending physician and his residents came in the room, his attitude changed. these people were unknown to him. he refused to show his anger and upset over the mishandling of his condition. a resident asked him a question. it was the basics. back to square one. at that point, i knew i had to take over and do what he wanted to do. i proceeded to give the attending physician and all his residents a lesson on how to treat a patient. i explained how their institution let him down. i explained to them that they needed to get updated on his medical history and the problem and they needed to address the specific issued. i expressed the concern that his condition was not one in which doctors could briefly look at the chart and wing it. this was a life and death situation. i expressed to them the fear as to who was going to be working on christmas week through the new years. i expressed fear that if there would be a new set of doctors with the same attitudes that i was afraid that he would not make it to christmas. at that point, i asked them “who was going to be there next week?” they all raised their hands that they were. perhaps, they were disappointed because they had to work the holidays. i, however, was happy. they appeared to be good doctors and i trusted that they understood what needed to be done.
in the end, he made it through the icu, spent quality holiday time with his family, and made it through the new year.
our bond was so strong that there was no hesitation.
i was his voice.
lesson to be learned. sometimes, we need to be the voice of others. this, however, needs to be done in a careful manner. it can be a tightrope act.
in this situation, i had the trust of my friend, i had the knowledge of the situation., i had the skill set to address the situation, and i had understood the objective or goal. thus, the voice was powerful and effective. remember: trust, knowledge, skills, and goal achievement are keys to making this happen.
happy holidays!
be well!
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