Man Bites Dog

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently had a heart procedure performed.  As my doctor was going over the procedure he was about to perform, I mentioned that I heard he was going to have knee replacement surgery.  So, then the man bit the dog.  As the “Professional Patient,” I gave the doctor some of the advice I wrote in my upcoming book, Patient Confidential, Tips and Advice To Keep You Safe As You Navigate the Healthcare System, which is practical advice given from the patient’s perspective.  Of course, there is too much in the book for me to cover in a conversation and, as a physician, my doc would have more knowledge than the average patient.  I concentrated on getting home from the hospital, which I discuss in the section entitled “Going Home From the Hospital” in Patient Confidential.  For example, I told him to prepare for coming home before he goes to the hospital, not when he gets home.  I told him to remove any throw rugs he could slip or trip on, and to get his favorite chair exactly where he will want it when he gets home.  To my delight, when he saw me in the hospital the next day, he said, “I followed your advice.  I went home last night and took care of rugs and chairs.”  I was pleased that I had helped.