Ostomy Memories of Job Titles

THE LAST TIME THAT I NEEDED SURGERY, in 2011, the surgeon was in my hospital room the evening before the surgery and decided, for whatever reason, that he needed to tell me about what a big deal surgeons were in the medical world.  All doctors would like to be surgeons, he boasted, standing at the foot of my bed.  It occurred to me that one might describe a similar phenomenon in the legal world:  all lawyers would like to be trial attorneys.  Perhaps one might imagine too that all contractors would like to be architects; all nurses would like to be doctors; all cowboys would like to be trail bosses; and all princes would like to be kings.  Yet, if all the mechanics of the world became engineers, who would fix the dysfunctional mechanical devices?  “Another flaw in the human character,” wrote Kurt Vonnegut in ‘Hocus Pocus,’ “is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.”  We see this play out following some ostomy surgeries, when the patient has a practical question about caring for the ostomy.  The surgeon has no clue; that is beyond his high-blown job description.  You have to ask an ostomy nurse, or perhaps someone else with an ostomy.  Over the years, I have grown decidedly dubious about professionals who feel the need to paper their walls with certificates, diplomas, accolades, and awards.  The more they feel the need to display, the more I’m likely to doubt their proficiency.  The braggart brags because he’s unsure of himself.  I almost laughed in a dentist’s face one day when I noticed his MENSA certificate displayed in his reception room.  It reminds me of something Margaret Thatcher once said: “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.”

I am not just checking the “Like - thumbs up” here because I actually LOVE what you have written about today, Henry.

I felt like maybe you were referencing or may have met a couple of my doctors!!! The doctor who did my initial emergency surgery, an ileostomy, was in Wausau, Wisconsin (while we were there for the summer). To me, he was “a special breed”. Returning home to Florida, I have yet to find any physician of his caliber. Returning to Wisconsin is not in the cards for many reasons. Therefore, my reversal is currently in “limbo land” as I age in place waiting for the next health surprise. This site and posts by fellow Ostomates are both helpful and encouraging.

Thanks to all!!! Just breathe.

Hi Henry, I kind of agree to a point about surgeons. The last surgery I had, the guy bragged about how neat my scar was and not all lumpy like the last surgeon left it. But on the other hand, he did the changing of the wafer and pouch and not the nurse while I wasn't able to do it. I think the nurse was glad she didn't have to mess with it but stood by and handed him the gauze patches for cleanup.

That's interesting that your surgeon would do it himself at that point.  Good for him.

Love her or hate her, there is no denying Maggie was one smart woman!  

Avoiding Ostomy Bag Leaking | Managing Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden