• Holding Hearts

    Anesthesiologists settle and sedate. The sternum is sawed through. All kinds of intricate procedures are done for bypass. Many of the tools and sutures are tiny. From time to time when not passing instruments, sponges, or sutures, I was asked to “hold the heart.” When I mention this, people picture someone standing there with two hands and holding a human heart. But to actually hold the heart, I had to be able to squeeze between doctors and other assistants and put my left hand exactly where they needed it for the success of the surgery to continue. This is often for a crucial portion of time in the middle of…

  • The Cardio Room

    The Cardio O.R. was quiet and a bit more serious than some of the other Operating rooms I had worked in. It had a hush to it. There seemed to be added risk with it. Beyond the swinging door were mayo trays, blue sheets, and instruments ready and waiting when the nurse brought the patient in. We stood gowned, gloved, and masked. The heart is an intense organ to get to! Modern techniques are ever evolving but layers of the body are opened up and retractors help hold the widest possible view of a human chest cavity so that an invasive operation can begin, that will hopefully extend a life.…

  • Heart Teams

    It often takes a team of people to get one person back on their feet. Years ago before answering the call to ministry, I was a surgical tech on one of the first heart teams at SpringHill Hospital. All into the world of surgery, I would study and research everything before a case. Working my way through ENT, GYN, GEN, ORTHO, NEURO, UROLOGY, etc. brought me into one of the most interesting atmospheres that is strongly coming to my mind right now as I write about the subject of aching hearts! The atmosphere of pain is often silent after the gasps, cries, shrieks of shock, and agony of surprise or…

  • Achy Breaky Hearts

    Surface scrapes and cuts heal up easy. Heartaches are much harder to get to. Here lately, my heart hurts. Emotionally. For several relational reasons. Oh and you too? I sense I’m definitely not the only one experiencing an array of heart hurts. People are walking around everywhere with no “skin signs” of aching hearts. The stuff that’s down deep doesn’t always show up to others. -I’m choosing an attempt to write it out and I hope you can relate. The subject deserves some attention! You can tell anybody anything “But don’t tell my heart, my achy breaky heart. I just don’t think he’d understand.” Achy Breaky Heart was written by…