Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Tales of two nights before hip surgery

Hans Duvefelt, MD
Physician
October 23, 2013
453 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

On a hot afternoon in July Harold “Junior” Bray walked around his small farmhouse one last time before it was time to leave for the hospital. Everything was in order — the coffee maker was unplugged, the windows secure and the message on his brand new answering machine informed callers that he would return their call as soon as his health permitted.

Every step was deliberate, slow and painful. Whenever he could, he leaned on something close by to redistribute his weight away from his arthritic left hip.

Harold Bray Jr.’s place was neat as a pin. Widowed for fifteen years, he ran his one-person household just the way he had run his little store. Everything was always well organized, clean and fresh. Even now, he rotated the dry goods in the kitchen cupboards, so that nothing ever went out of date.

At precisely one fifteen he locked his front door and hobbled across the gravel front yard to the car. As he turned the ignition, the gas gauge rose to FULL and the small motor started obediently. He drove exactly the speed limit all the way to Cityside Hospital and arrived promptly at three o’clock.

The woman at central registration had his paperwork, a plastic card with his personalized information embossed and a bracelet with his name, birthdate and his orthopedic surgeon’s name.

Up on the orthopedic floor, a nurse and a young doctor, an intern, assigned to Dr. Oberlin’s service, greeted him. He answered questions, signed some papers and underwent a detailed and lengthy physical exam by the young doctor, who was obviously very nervous, but Harold could tell how sincere and enthusiastic he was about being an intern.

After dinner, which was actually better than he had expected after hearing his neighbors’ and friends’ accounts of their hospital stays, Dr. Oberlin stopped by. He wore a wrinkled summer blazer and a white button-down shirt with a loud, wide paisley tie. He spoke confidently about how routine this operation would be and wished Harold a good night.

“See you in pre-op at seven tomorrow,” he waved on his way out of Harold’s room.

Harold watched some TV until a night nurse came in and announced it was time to start preparing him for tomorrow’s surgery. A nurse’s aide arrived and he was ID-checked and sent to the bathroom with special soap to shower. After he had dried off, the nurse came in with a sleeping pill. He wasn’t sure he needed one, but accepted it to be sure he had a good night’s sleep. By nine o’clock he was sleeping peacefully and when an orderly rolled his gurney into pre-op at six forty-five, he really didn’t feel nervous. He figured he was ready, and he had waited long enough for his new hip.

***

On a hot afternoon in July, Harry Bray paced the floors of his run-down little farmhouse. Opening cupboards, closets, desk and kitchen drawers, he searched for the letter with pre-op instructions Dr. Gleeson’s office had sent him. What time was he supposed to stop eating? When was it he was supposed to shower with that special soap? When did he need to be at Cityside to check in in the morning? Was it really five-thirty?

He finally found the instructions and threw himself, as much as his a sixty-eight year old arthritis-ridden body allowed any sudden movements, down in his blue velour recliner. He had managed to swing by the refrigerator and now he popped open a cold beer — after all, the sun was over the yardarm, and he definitely needed something to steady his nerves.

Harold Bray, III’s house was the same one his father had spent most of his life in, the one he had died in at the ripe old age of 88. Harry inherited it, just like he inherited his father’s crippling arthritis. He looked around from where he sat — the place was a mess, even he admitted it: Overfilled ashtrays everywhere, piles of magazines, clothing strewn about, and now drawers left open from his panic-stricken search a few minutes ago.

He lived alone, always had, and he seldom left the house. He was nervous about driving through the woods to town all by himself at four in the morning, the worst time for wildlife.

The afternoon passed slowly. He had a couple more beers, tried to watch TV, tried to get his cousin Ned on the phone and actually managed to take a short nap after his three o’clock pain pills kicked in. At five thirty he opened a can of beef stew and ate it cold — it was too hot to bother warming it up.

After he ate, he watched some TV, ate a bag of chips and finished off the beer in the refrigerator.

All night he tossed and turned, catching fifteen minutes of fretful sleep here and there. He dreamt about hospitals, about something going wrong with the anesthesia or surgery, about hitting a moose driving through the woods at four in the morning.

At three o’clock he gave up. He got dressed and almost drank a cup of coffee before catching himself — he wasn’t supposed to eat or drink anything before the surgery.

Route one was dark. One of his headlights was dimmer than the other; the plastic lens was all scratched and fogged up. His eyes kept fogging over, too as he tried to watch the edge of the woods and the yellow centerline at the same time.

Suddenly, rounding a curve, there he was — the big bull moose from his nightmare. Harry slammed the brakes and swerved to the right. The moose froze and the car slid in slow motion toward the steep ditch. Suddenly the moose turned to the left and ran. Harry turned the wheel sharply to the left. The old pickup truck groaned and bounced back in position in the road again but with an unmistakable grinding in the right front end; he was driving on the wheel rim.

At exactly five-thirty Harry hobbled through the hospital pneumatic doors, drenched in sweat, dirty to his elbows and with black rubber stains even on his forehead.

He cleared his throat as the receptionist raised her eyebrows and looked him over:

“I’m Harold Bray, III and I’m here to have my hip operated.”

“A Country Doctor” is a family physician who blogs at A Country Doctor Writes:.

Prev

The idea of RVUs disgusts me

October 23, 2013 Kevin 4
…
Next

How do hospitals feel about locum tenens?

October 23, 2013 Kevin 29
…

Tagged as: Orthopedics, Surgery

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The idea of RVUs disgusts me
Next Post >
How do hospitals feel about locum tenens?

More by Hans Duvefelt, MD

  • The art of asking where it hurts

    Hans Duvefelt, MD
  • Thinking like a plumber when adjusting medications

    Hans Duvefelt, MD
  • The American food conspiracy

    Hans Duvefelt, MD

More in Physician

  • The Iranian diaspora’s fight for liberty: Overcoming challenges in the largest women’s rights movement of our century

    Montreh Tavakkoli, MD
  • The harmful effects of shaming patients for self-education

    Maryanna Barrett, MD
  • The power of self-appreciation: Why physicians need to start acknowledging their own contributions

    Wendy Schofer, MD
  • Skydiving and surgery: How one doctor translates high-stress training to saving lives

    Alexandra Kharazi, MD
  • Don’t be caught off guard: Read your malpractice policy today

    Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Laura Fortner, MD
  • The dark side of medicine: an urgent call to action against greed

    Don Gaede, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Overcoming Parkinson’s: a journey of laughter and resilience

      Cynthia Poire Mathews, FNP | Conditions
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • Maximize sleep efficiency with stimulus control

      Pedram Navab, DO | Conditions
    • The Iranian diaspora’s fight for liberty: Overcoming challenges in the largest women’s rights movement of our century

      Montreh Tavakkoli, MD | Physician
    • Surviving clinical rounds: tips and tales from a pediatric hematologist-oncologist [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • How This Doctor Found Purpose After a Devastating Injury
  • House Lawmakers Squabble Over HHS Budget
  • Infant Formula Crisis Exposed FDA and Industry Failings, Lawmakers Say
  • Building Vaccine Trust Among the General Public
  • Is It Business as Usual for the Drug Industry?

Meeting Coverage

  • Phase III Trials 'Hit a Home Run' in Advanced Endometrial Cancer
  • Cannabis Use Common in Post-Surgery Patients on Opioid Tapering
  • Less Abuse With Extended-Release Oxycodone, Poison Center Data Suggest
  • Novel Strategies Show Winning Potential in Ovarian Cancer
  • Children Do Well With Fewer Opiates After Surgery
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Overcoming Parkinson’s: a journey of laughter and resilience

      Cynthia Poire Mathews, FNP | Conditions
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • Maximize sleep efficiency with stimulus control

      Pedram Navab, DO | Conditions
    • The Iranian diaspora’s fight for liberty: Overcoming challenges in the largest women’s rights movement of our century

      Montreh Tavakkoli, MD | Physician
    • Surviving clinical rounds: tips and tales from a pediatric hematologist-oncologist [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Tales of two nights before hip surgery
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...