Part 6: What did I learn? What did I observe?
Over a week ago, I sent out a post updating everybody about what it was like to undergo this incredible medical transplant procedure. I endeavored to share what I experienced before, during, and after the surgery. This 6th post attempts to answer the 3rd of 7 questions that make up the story. I am going to attempt to describe what I learned and observed. This whole experience gave me a unique perspective on life. I had plenty of time to be mindful and do some serious reflection.
3. What did I learn? What did I observe?
When I left Virginia to drive up to UPenn on July 13th, 2019 … I was in pretty bad shape. I could barely stand, walk, talk, dress myself or tie my shoes. I had great difficulty preparing my meals, much less eating without help. My cognition and ability to think was pretty much shot. I had great difficulty typing on the keyboard or holding my cell phone without shaking. Thank the Lord for voice activation and transcription on my iPhone.
I had bright colored signs on my door in hospital and around my wrist that said I was a “Fall Risk.” “Keep an eye on this guy. Don’t let him out of your sight.” When I was able to get out of bed for the first time and take my first step toward a new life, it was just like a baby learning to crawl before learning to walk.
When one finds himself in this kind of predicament, one becomes is very teachable to say the least. So, what did I learn and observe? Here are some takeaways:
- The “good” people on earth far outnumber the so-called “bad” people one occasionally experiences in life or sees on TV or in the movies. The vast majority of us are good, loving, decent, caring, kind, and generous. It is in difficult times that we see this truth in action.
- People who give to others as a regular part of their life are very kind and loving. Every single person that I encountered on this journey, from the intake person, to the doctors, nurses, attendants, all the way down to the person who cleaned my room had a positive, upbeat attitude that enjoyed people. I saw firsthand that hope is contagious. Love is contagious. Inspiration is contagious.
- We are blessed with an incredible, awesome medical system that accomplishes the seemingly impossible each and every day. I was blown away when I got to see this from the inside. You can read about it and see pictures, or watch it on TV, but it’s not the same thing as being there in person.
- We are part of a bigger universe, something larger than ourselves, that understands more than we do, and whose power and wisdom are unlimited with boundless creativity. And we can place our trust in this higher power, this God, and this force that is always with us and loves us. I love “Star Wars” the movie where the major theme is “May the Force be with You.” I am a little cog in a very big machine called the universe … called life.
- This experience of overwhelming love came to me through countless visits, cards, prayers, emails, phone calls, and text messages. Many of these came from people whom I have never met in person. My sister and I posted many of these on the wall. The nursing staff and doctors loved coming to my room to ponder the artwork. Somehow, they got the alert and responded.
- Things do not always turn out the way we want at particular point in time, but in the end, they tend to turn out the way it was designed to occur. In life we must learn to hit the pause button … to be patient, be still and be quiet … and then wait. Then we will see, and then we will know. Life loves to surprise us. I observed that what we are seeking, is actually seeking us.
- We are not designed to be self-sufficient, to live by ourselves, to be obsessed with ourselves, doing our own thing, or to be independent from one another. As human beings, we are part of the human race. We are a community, a family. We need each other. We belong to each other.
- We are designed to connect with one other and be in relationship. To live in community. None of us can make it without the other. We are responsible for our neighbor. When you get to see a hospital as sophisticated as UPenn operate in real time, you quickly realize this calls for teamwork. Life is not about “I.” It’s about “us.” About “we, not me.” We are a community, a family. We belong to each other and we take care of each other.
I think we all agree that that is what we are witnessing with the current COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent "Black Lives Matter " protests all over the country. When we embrace our common humanity, we as human beings always rise to the occasion.
My next post #7 will attempt to answer question Number 4 – “How has this experienced changed me? Am a different person? If so, in what way?” I've done a lot of thinking in the past months.