Disaster Drill

There I was in the operating room.  There patient was ready to go, spinal anesthesia and drowsy.  As we continuesd to get ready, my partner got impatient, grabbed a knife and made a long incision...on the wrong leg!  He was beside himself and tried to arouse her. In a panic he tried to let her know of his error and that he would sew up the wound and make it right.  I tried to convince him to let her be, we would talk with her after the case when she was awake and alert.  I felt absolutely sick.  And then I woke up.

I have never had a wrong site surgery, as they're called. I've had only one close call and that was 20 years ago. As odd as it may seem, as impossible as it may seem, they do happen.  In our practice we have been requiring the patient to mark their surgical site for almost twenty years, long before it became standard protocol throughout the industry.

But that's not the point. What's amazing in all this is the effect of a bad dream.  When I dream about medical misadventures, ex-wives, harm coming to my child or myself, an argument with my wife, any number of really rotten events, I wake up in a miserable state of mind.  It's awful. And it can be a long time resolving.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this.  I'm sure most everyone suffers the same effects of these negative dreams.  It leaves me to think about the power of negative energy.  I know positive thinking is valuable.  And I know laughter is good medicine. But, holy cats, the impact of these virtual bad experiences is amazingly powerful. I expect such negative experiences and their negative energy have every bit as much influence and effect when they occur in real life, even if one is alert and better equipped to deflect the immediate consequences.

For me this all serves as a reminder: Always use caution, care,  and patience when caring for patients or dealing with others. And, perhaps every bit as important as that, recognize the power of the negative, of fear, of recklessness and be vigilant to avoid those encounters.  The powerful effect of negative experience has ancient biological value in that the things that can get you are more important to recognize than the things that can't. In that light, use them for the lessons they can impart.

While I can't always make sense of my dreams, I tend to think of nightmares as disaster drills. As much as these events get in my head and sometimes don't want to let go, I try to step out and see what lesson was being offered. Although not always as obvious as my recent experience, there usually seems to be an insight to be gained-- if only you can get past that creepy miserable sick feeling!