It’s not every day that you receive a letter from the North Pole! SGMC recently treated a very special patient. The extraordinary care provided by our physicians and staff gave them a permanent spot on the Nice List! Enjoy the letter from Santa below.
Dear South Georgia Medical Center,
In the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” the Wizard mentions people that do good deeds as “Good Deed Doers.” And there’s no doubt that SGMC is overflowing with “Good Deed Doers” but they are even so very much more than that to us, as they are special Family.
We have been blessed and fortunate, for the most part, with good health but there have been a few times when we were in serious need of medical help.
One of those times is shared below.
From the very beginning in “Admission” where I was warmly greeted with hopes of positive results, my recent journey was wonderful. As I traveled the path of a surgery patient I was always treated with the utmost respect and with a friendly, caring understanding. It wasn’t just a business-as-usual type conversation, with pre-rehearsed messages but a genuine, heartfelt dialogue that allowed us to be ourselves and really connect with the physicians, nurses, technicians, and staff on a personal level.
In the days before surgery during a pre-surgery appointment, I was warmly greeted and asked numerous questions about my health and health history. I was glad that my wife attended with me as she knows the better of some of these. The nurse and I had a kidney stone history in common and we discussed the many excruciating pains of them. An anesthesiologist then asked me a few questions and gave me a chance to ask him a haunting question that had plagued me since I first found out I needed the surgery. I told him it didn’t matter because I knew the surgery had to be performed but was there any way it might be performed without having to shave my beard.
I told him I was not a vain man, although the whiskers probably did hide some of my natural ugliness but that my beard was a very useful characteristic during the Christmas season and then showed him some Santa pictures of me. I was glad that he was impressed with the pictures and said that the beard would be no problem.
At that point, he was a newfound hero of mine. I told him I appreciated that very much and figured that he would most certainly have a very good Christmas this year. He departed and the female technician came in to take some blood. She noticed the Santa pictures and loved them as she prepared my arm. I then made a deal with her and told her if she didn’t hurt me she would forever and a day always remain on the nice list and she replied that she would certainly try not to hurt me. And she didn’t and I told her she was definitely on the nice list. I have got to get with my elves and get this recorded. The original nurse returned and she saw the pictures and we got into a discussion about her love of Christmas and how she wished to have her husband build a Santa mailbox so children could write and leave their Santa Claus wish list letters. I told her that I had every Santa Claus letter ever written to me and I would never throw any of them away because those letters contained the true precious hopes, wishes, and dreams of children. And what could ever be more precious and valuable? She promised herself she was going to get that mailbox built this year and I told her not to tarry for Christmas comes fast. I then had to sign a paper and I asked how I should sign it and she said probably your pseudonym name would be best and not to sign it as Santa Claus.
With the grand news of not having to shave my beard and having the information on what to expect and what to bring and which medicines to leave off, we returned home feeling confident.
Two days later, we returned early in the morning and my name was on the screen showing that I had a 7 am scheduled time. In the waiting area, I smiled to myself and wondered how others there would have reacted had Santa Claus been displayed on the monitor.
Shortly after we were in pre-op, where we learned of our nurse’s three bouts with COVID and how she continues to wish to be of aid to patients. Then my wife was not directed but graciously escorted to the waiting room with information on estimated times and where she could seek refreshments.
In the operating room, I was greeted with jovial comments about my height when sliding from my bed to the operating table. And then the nurses were having some difficulty in untying the knots of my hospital gown. I admitted that my wife had tied them and I was told “well that explains it because wives always tie the hospital gowns in love knots because the wives do not wish other women seeing their husbands behind.” Moments later, I was asleep and do not recall anything else. But these things are so important and give great comfort moments before anxious surgery.
Upon trying to wake up in recovery, I was truly in the hands of an angel as she encouraged me to wake up and provided me with comfort, ice chips, and loving care in the sweetest voice. There was the faintest of music being played so I asked if that was music I heard and she told me they had their own DJ there. The male nurse apparently in charge of the music overheard our conversation and said that he had a tip jar if I enjoyed and appreciated his music. Then the song Layla played and I smiled and teared up some and tried to tell them that Layla was my four-year-old granddaughter’s name, but I am not sure if I relayed that enough as I was still very groggy.
Then, I was rolled to my room in ICU by this angel. I had previously been informed that I would spend a night but was surprised that I was in ICU and started to understand that my procedure was perhaps more critical than I thought.
I was quickly attended to and connected to machines with much care and warmth. Over the next 23 hours, I was cordially engaged in much conversation about my Santa role and the experiences it had afforded me. Those conversations allowed me to share of myself in many areas of my life and in doing so, I was afforded much insight and knowledge of the attending physicians, nurses, and staff.
A physician working with Dr. Hardy came in to check on me and answered all of our questions about the surgery and the restrictions I would be on. She was so nice and actually had time to sit and talk with us about family.
Please do not let it be known as I leave this mostly up to my trusted elves, but I am terrible with names, especially adults’ names. And I regret that I cannot recall everyone’s names. But Jacob was my nurse and took such excellent care of me as we discussed so much about my life and his. Jacob was great in his care for me and regretted having to give me shots in my stomach so I tried to alleviate his concerns by saying Ho Ho Ho when he gave me these injections. The ladies attending to my meal requirements and I were soon discussing the lottery and wishing each the best of winning. And the meals were excellent and so much better than I anticipated. I really am a picky eater, but enjoyed the hospital meals. The young lady who took my temperature at night that enjoyed Clint Eastwood movies was so sweet and actually started calling me by the name my granddaughter calls me, “dude dude.”
Chad, the night shift nurse, was equally as excellent in his care and concern for me as we discussed the nature of working night shifts as we both had done. I teased Chad about his abundant head full of hair compared to my baldness and we discussed his parents and their Indian ancestry.
The next morning as I walked the halls, I was greeted with waves and “good morning Santa” to which Jacob replied, “You’re kind of famous up here.”
Dr. Hardy and two of his colleagues came in a little later in the morning to check on me and tell me how pleased they were with my surgery. They were not rushed and provided ample time for me to ask anything I wished about restrictions and follow-up. They were all very gracious and showed genuine concern and care.
As I was discharged, hand waves and departure messages were given to me and even a light, warm hug from Alayna was given to my wife/Mrs. Claus and I, with hopes and wishes for a speedy recovery.
I could have just sent a thank you card and written upon it saying that everybody was great at SGMC. And I sincerely hope I have not gotten anybody in trouble with this writing. But I wished to try and go a little farther and truly convey just a few of the many special, important moments that meant so much to me during my brief stay at SGMC. None of us like to have ills and require hospital procedures and stays, but upon having to do these things, it gives us great comfort to know that we have SGMC to lean on and provide these services in such a professional, but personal, loving manner. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s aid care and comfort and consider you all family. Very special family.
Thank you all and wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Santa Claus