Heros

I have not written about my dear friend's cancer to honor his privacy, and the reality is that most of you who actually check in know him. That said, he is recovering from surgery this week and the current signs are hopeful. But his is not a post about him.

When we have dealings with surgeons, we always tend to hold them in reverence, as they clearly do something that we can't and not only that, they are literally saving peoples' lives, which adds to the aura. It's a wonder more of them aren't raging egomaniacs.

My friend's surgeon seems to be a rare bird: delicate hands along with a gentle, yet playful bedside manner. I did a bit of research on him before the surgery and was extremely impressed. Today by chance I got to meet him and it was not what he said to my friend the patient that impressed me, but what he said to my other friend, his wife. He made a casual joke about her not crying today and to my ears it landed in exactly the right way. It showed me that he was taking in everything: not only his patient, but also his patient's loved ones and their tender emotions, which are a crucial part of recovery. That sort of stuff is not taught in medical school.

It was truly wonderful to see my friend, his wife & his parents in good spirits today. That is due in no small part to the surgeon who gave us the opportunity to hope for a better future with his hands and his heart.