When Life Comes Crashing to a Halt

Life can come crashing to a halt for any number of reasons, including (but certainly not limited to) illnesses, accidents, deaths, or any unplanned event or occurance. For me, this happened yesterday.

I was scheduled for a biopsy at 10 am but they requested that I arrive by 9. After completing all of the paperwork and changing they put me in a room to wait. The room had a small TV but nothing else. I didn't bring anything else with me and my purse which contained my personal belongings (including my cell phone, my checkbook that needed reconcilliation, and a new tool I'm working on for my coaching clients) were locked up in another area.

I was finally brought down to the prep area some time after noon. During my over 3 hour wait, I was requested to lay in bed and relax. Initially, this was easy because I seldom watch TV and rarely, if ever, lay around doing nothing in the middle of the day. However, as time passed and the President of the US came on TV to deliver a message, it became increasingly difficult to just stay there doing nothing. I thought about work I could be doing, calls I needed to make, speaking events I needed to confirm, housework I needed to do, and the stuff in my pocketbook that was away in a locker, and so forth. I grew more restless, agitated and impatient as time went on. I began asking the nurses when I'd be going downstairs for my procedure.

Although my SuperBusy life came crashing to a halt, I was where I needed to be, proactively addressing a medical issue. I wasn't enjoying my time there, though. I could feel myself growing more angry and wanting to yell at the nurses I saw standing around in another area of the unit conducting a meeting. Initially, I thought they forgot about me and this fed my frustration leading to more intense feelings of anger.

Once I decided to find ways to shift my perspective, the anger dissipitated and I communicated in a more friendly way. I chose to be in the present and to stop letting my mind wander off into all of the possible scenarios of what might happen and why I was feeling disrespected. As my thoughts and actions changed, so did the response I received from the nurses. They explained the reason for the delay and looked for ways to make me more comfortable.

I learned to relax, to slow down, to ask for what I needed in a friendly way, and to stay positive. I feel fortunate that during the rest of the day, things definitely changed for the better. The assistant who wheeled me downstairs chatted with me about his career and his passions, the assistant in the radiology area spoke to me about what to expect, and the doctor very thoroughly described the procedure, my options, the pro's and con's of each, and answered all of my questions without making me feel rushed. (I suppose this level of personal care is what backed up that part of the hospital several hours.) The attention to details and to my comfort continued during and after the procedure. It really made a lot of difference as to how I felt as a patient.

When I was brought back upstairs, they provided me with a quiet private room, brought me something to eat, extra blankets and pillows. My nurse was totally responsive and I felt special. Fortunately this treatment continued up until when I left. She even went out of her way to welcome my daughter and mother-in-law when they came to pick me up.

I don't know if we really attract different treatment based on our attitude but my experience yesterday demonstrated that my positive and friendly attitude got me a different response at the hospital. It continued when we went out to eat, stopped at a store, and went back home. It's sometimes difficult to accept others to nurture me or to express my gratitude for a job well done. Well, yesterday, I did thank everyone around me and enveloped myself with the love and care I felt. It was terrific! So, even when your SuperBusy life comes crashing to a halt, you can find joy and gratitude in everything around you if you choose to!