So this past week I had my IVC filter removed… you may remember a post (Animate Object) from a while back where I talked about the switch the medical team made from personal connections to a surgical clean crispness of their approach to me.

I fully expected the same this time, and my world was rocked!  As the sheet goes over me I expect this sharp tone change, and instead get asked if I have any kids?  We talk about my cat, my spouse, and what they’re going to do.  Even as they start working their conversation with me and each other stays loose, relaxing, humanizing.

There were multiple complications, and I wasn’t conscious for the whole procedure, but I was awake most of the time.  I legitimately got to hear a doctor say “Shit, almost had it!” as they try to get the filter, and I don’t think I could have been happier!  I mean, not about the complications, of course – but about the depth of personality they continued to show, they didn’t put on a metaphorical mask when they put on the literal ones.

Strangely it made the difficult parts of the procedure easier to endure, these were humans doing their limited best to make me better.  I’m honestly a little weepy about how hard they worked… the procedure should have been a little over an hour and instead took three.  I’m sure they weren’t happy about it, but in the end they were successful, and I really felt like it was a victory.

I still don’t begrudge the first team, they did what they had to do to be successful, and I appreciate that.  But Dr. Ho’s team was downright awesome in my book.