Good Doctors vs. Compassionate Doctors

Well, back on Tuesday, we were at the ER, as any of you who read this will already know. The next day, we were worried about Frank's meds but the man who picked up a small order for my plastic canvas satin ribbon crosses came through. It did worry us, though, that Frank was without antibiotics for over 24 hours until we had the funds to get them.

On Tuesday, they had made 8 incisions and packed 3. We had to go today to get the packing removed. We went to the county urgent care, thinking we would immediately begin getting on their records, for the future. However, we obviously misunderstood how it works. At first, they wanted $140. My social security doesn't come in until the 12th. When we mentioned that, they said they'd take $70. We didn't have that, either. They left it up to the doctor on call at that moment. That doctor, however, when he saw the incisions, said he would not touch them and to go back to the ER where it was done.

Now, our problem was that we were running the car on fumes. We knew we had enough, probably, to get the next 5 miles to the ER, but we weren't sure about getting home. Also, our on-the-road cell phone ran out of funds last night and was out of service.

The Lord always looks out for us. We made it down there, got taken care of after a few hours (this is Saturday and ERs are always busy on weekends), and found $3 in my purse and another dollar in the beverage cup holder in the car. The $4 got us home and we still have 1/8 a tank. For this, we are very grateful.

Now, about the doctors. Almost all facilities have reasonably good doctors.
What we were worried about was our chance of finding a compassionate one. If you have ever had packing removed, or stitches removed, you know the value of a compassionate doctor. Even stitches that look ready to literally fall out can hurt terribly when removed by someone who does not feel the patient's pain.

We were getting antsy after having been, first, to urgent care without results, and now here. We waited almost 3 hours before we were called in. We were blessed with a truly caring man. He talked Frank out of a local because he said that in this case, to go deep enough to really dull the pain, it would hurt more than the procedure. He promised that he would be quick and as gentle as possible. He kept his word. He talked to my nephew the whole time. I was outside the curtain but could hear them. My nephew teased that he might accidentally call the doctor a few names if it hurt too badly and the doctor laughed that he'd probably been called those names already in his career.

It didn't even take five minutes and I didn't hear one swear word or one loud groan or moan.

Bottom line, my nephew just finished his shower and said he feels less pain that he has felt in months. His condition is chronic and he will never be pain free. He will have flare-ups constantly. But for him, to be at a level 3 pain instead of a 7 or 8, well, that is great.

Sweet Jesus, thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank you for the patience we needed to deal with both facilities today. Thank you, especially, for the compassion and skills of this doctor you sent to us, and bless him abundantly.