A Feel So Good Moment

In three decades of advocating health care to clients, my father presented me with my most unique challenge. In his mid-80s and ravaged by Alzheimers, his severely arthritic hip jeopardized both his functionality and well-being.

His fragile mental state appeared to make a hip replacement surgery impossible. Exposure to anesthesia made the procedure too risky. We feared a further erosion of his mental faculties.

The hip condition festered. Increasingly, he would plant himself on the couch in pain. I feared that his sedentary nature would necessitate continuous attendant care. Soon, a restroom visit was to be a two person affair.

Foreseeing the problematic future, I decided to find a solution. Fortunately, my association with many orthopedic surgeons would get me the answer. At a dinner party, between courses, a brilliant surgeon laid out the solution. He explained that the operation could be done without anesthesia. A spinal tap and some light anesthesia would do the trick.

With this news, my father consulted an orthopedic surgeon who agreed to perform the procedure in that manner. After that, a family meeting took place.  Everyone agreed to participate in the post surgery recovery.

We all appreciated that our father- post-surgery – could not be left alone. He was someone who was tax the nurses. Thus, we committed to essentially an around the clock presence at the hospital and rehabilitation center.

For approximately two months, I spent half of my life sleeping on hospital and rehabilitation facility floors.  Nights with our father would be sleepless as he fretted everything in life. Like clockwork, he constantly asked what time it was. He had lost the ability to read time.  He feared that he had lost his wife and his money.  To calm his down, I gave him some dollar bills.  He hid them in his hospital bed. 

The surgical results were fantastic.  Even the doctor was impressed. My father worked hard on his therapy.  His mobility improved to the point that he went on to dance and Michael Jackson moon walk. For the rest of his life, coming and going to the bathroom was never a problem. Not only did the surgery improve the quality of his life, the operation lessened the need for costly attendant care.

With modern medicine, significant medical procedures are truly a family affair. Partnering with the Healthcare Providers is important.  Healthcare Providers cooperating with families can enhance the quality of their care. 

Medicine’s complexity extends well beyond concepts of Health Insurance or Health Care. Medicine is an art, a chess game, and involves matters far beyond operating tables and examining rooms. Family members, friends and paid health care assistants all play a necessary roles in successful recoveries.

Conclusion

Presently, quite a few individuals have taken to the belief that vigilantism can solve society’s health care problems. Healthcare solutions, contrary to that belief, involve taking positive measures to create the partnerships between providers, patients, families and caregivers. Health Care Insurance, while important, is not a guarantee of success. All participants in the system contribute to its success and affordability.

In my father’s case, it took much effort to turn his painfully arthritic hip condition into a feel so good moment.

Be well!!

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