A Second Opinion

Greetings Happy People,

I write to you as one very happy man tonight. If you were one of my Facebook friends, then you would know that the ol' man is recovering very well after a successful operation. This is very good news compared to what happened two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago, the ol' man went to the hospital that was a part of the "Valley." The reason why he went to this hospital is because of his foot. It was discolored and simply not looking right at all. This was diabetic-related. The doctors looked at the foot and wanted to take him to another hospital located at the center of the "Valley." They thought that the circulation was so bad that they had to amputate it.

WHAT?!!

This brought back memories of my grandmother (the ol' man's mother). Twelve years ago this month, she suffered diabetic complication so badly that she had to be driven 90 miles to a hospital in Little Rock. When she got there, the doctors looked at her foot and decided to amputate it. Once they amputated it, her condition got worse. Her circulation was out of sort, she had a massive heart attack, and passed away on St. Patrick's Day.

Now let's fast forward to this story. When the doctors wanted to amputate the old man's foot, my family, the family podiatrist, and I were against it. Instead of listening to our words, the doctors transferred him to the hospital that was at the center of the "Valley."

When I got to that hospital that Friday, doctors were talking about amputation. I told them that we never wanted it and asked if there was a second option. They said no. I stayed at that hospital for 17 straight hours until the rest of my family arrived. After dealing with some bad service, rude nurses, an ambitious doctor, and showing our Power of Attorney paperwork, we finally moved him to a hospital that gave us a chance for a "Sunrise."

We took him to that hospital near US-95. When he got there, he was feeling a lot better. The doctors over there recommended the surgery he went through. No amputation was required. As they were treating him, they recieved an artery from the East coast. They did the surgery on him and his circulation improved!! Talk about a "Sunrise" option that turned out sunny!! He felt so high that he could see things from a mountain view.

It was at that point where I realized a few things:

1. Despite the purpose of these places, all hospitals are not created equal. Which is a damn shame.

2. March is not one of my favorite months of the year (via these two stories and other family bad luck that I will mention sometime down the road).

3. It does not hurt to have a second opinion on things.

If one is not sure of things in life, a second opinion can make things clearer. It can either cement one's decision or allow for other options. If we did not ask for that second opinion, then history would have repeated itself. It can make a difference between life and death.

Second opinions count!! If it can work for the ol' man, it can work for you too!!

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I