I have visited many people in the hospital, including, of course,  Nancy and our children on the maternity ward! Yet, in all these years, I have never stayed in a hospital myself. Only have had outpatient surgery a couple of times.

When I knew I would be hospitalized for a few days after my knee surgery, I thought about this. I made two decisions.

1. I would try to be the best patient they could experience.
2. I would connect with as many people as I could, and pray or ask for prayer with those who were receptive.

Interesting how many opportunities you get to do #2 if you practice #1.

Before surgery I connected with:

The admissions person who checked me in. Same guy who had previously done my pre-admissions the week before. So. we remembered each other and continued our conversation.

The nurse in "preop." From India (for some reason, meeting many people of peace from India, lately). We talked about Bollywood movies, and I was the first "native" American she had ever met since moving here in the 70's who knew about Indian film. For instance, I told her I really enjoyed the actor, John Abraham, and she said he is from her village and her parents know his parents. And they are Christian! I prayed for her, and though she wasn't used to it, she prayed aloud for me.

The nurse in surgery "bull pen." He gave me words of encouragement along with patience because his patient was a bit nervous.

The anesthesiologist who was sent by God, as he gave me the most encouraging word about how fine my surgeon was and how everything would be completely safe, all the while gently rubbing the top of my hand (it wasn't wierd, it was comforting, though I did have a glimpse of "The Mentalist" go through my head). He had a head cold and was sniffling and I kept thinking of that dude who did eye surgery on Tom Cruise in "Minority Report."

The nurses in the operating room. Just before I went under we were talking about "Sugar, Sugar," by the Archie's (junior high flashbacks) which they were playing on a boom box. If the surgery had not gone well and they lost the patient, my last words on earth would have been singing along with "Sugar, Sugar."

Who listens to the Archie's in surgery? Thought Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" might be a little more appropriate, but Oh, well…

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