SHARE, OR SHUT UP?
I haven't experienced too much severe illness in my lifetime, for which I am duly grateful, but I have seen it often as it has afflicted other people about me.
There is a time in some stage of the natural course of such when the individual concerned take a stand. One type will feel perfectly at ease in talking to other people about their disease, malfunction or sudden change in physical condition but others will refuse to even mention the subject as if such a thing stood as a mark of personal failure which is best forgotten. Either they will talk about their illness with others or they will refuse to do so, or work around the the subject only in general terms. I have found there is a middle ground, but it is a rather thinly populated area.
There are extremes on both sides. Each can prove to be obnoxious in his or her own insistent way, and the purpose of pointing all of this up is that we would be wise to make an study of our own thinking about what we should about either sharing our bad-times or keeping it to ourselves. I personally, find it easy to come down on the side f sharing. But, that, for me, is limited is well and seldom, if ever, allows for a full recital with all the trimming and embellishments.
I have had three phases of illness in my eighty-eight years. I had an appendectomy in 1936 which, at that time in medical knowledge, special are and a great deal of time. Just three years ago, in 2001, I underwent anuryism of the abdominal aorta – and re-construction thereof . That was a fabulous piece of surgery and the doctors who did it at the University of Virginia Hospital are ever to be lauded in my mind for the miracles they worked that day. Then, just this past week in July of 2004 surgeons at Rockingham Memorial Hospital found I had a malfunctioning Gall Bladder which was extracted forthwith..
That's all. Not a great deal to talk about and yet when people ask I will gladly respond dwelling longest on those points they seem to feel most demanding. The aorta operation was, I understand, a most unusual one. It has been said to have been rather unique one dealing with a distended aorta which far surpassed those usually treated successfully. In truth, I feel I am lucky to be here at all, and that I, in turn, owe it to those men and women who made up the Team and pooled their knowledge to my benefit made it all possible to let me know an can and well do in the future for others. I'm am ready willing to talk about “my operation” would be to deny the significant achievements of genius exemplified by Dr. Nancy T. Harthun and her associates at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, Va She and her team brought to one place at the precise time we all needed, the exact scientific knowledge and natural common sense which made it possible for me to be sitting here years later trying to express how best to expressed gratitude and thanksgiving for all that these people have done me and for others..
That event, naturally, can be seen as a sort of bridge over some very troubled waters in my life and it is, I feel only natural that I talk about it when asked to do so. I seldom do, as I am at this moment, more or less on my own, and I firmly believe I have been fortunate. If some sort of classification could be set up, I would be seated in the back rows. I feel I have survived thus far because of the many people before me. I speak for them as well as for myself.
I am saying ”Thank you”, in a way, to all those who prepared the way for my moments of passage.
A.L.M. August 5, 2004 [c678wds]
