October 21, 2022

While Hurricane Ian was exiting Florida’s east coast, I was being admitted to Charlotte’s Atrium Hospital neurosurgery suite for a procedure on the blood vessels in the lining of my brain. The following day, what was by then Tropical Storm Ian was moving over the central Carolinas as my wife drove us home through its outer bands.

As a result, hurricanes and hospitals are now firmly linked in my memory — specifically in four distinct ways: anticipation, intensity, aftermath and recovery.

Anticipation

If you’re from my generation and you see the word ‘anticipation’, you probably start singing a Carly Simon song and dream of Heinz Ketchup slowly flowing onto a beautiful plate of fries.

However, if you’re looking at a predicted storm path from the National Hurricane Center and find yourself living in the ‘cone of uncertainty’ — or if you’re the guest of honor at a party thrown by your favorite neurologist — anticipation takes a different tone. It is a time of planning for the worst while hoping for the best.

Interesting to note those two scenarios share many of the same anticipatory questions: What preparations do I need to make now to be ready? What if something goes horribly wrong? And how will my life change?

As I was asking myself these questions in the days prior to entering the hospital, so were many people in my home-state of Florida — but in a far different context.

Intensity

Having lived my entire life in Florida and North Carolina, two of of the most ‘hurricane-prone’ states in the U.S., I know that even the best of predictions can’t fully prepare you for the intensity of a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane. And it is an intensity that is frustratingly slow as it takes hours to pass over you. It truly has to be experienced to be fully understood and appreciated.

The same is true for surgical procedures. No matter how many YouTube videos you watch, or Mayo Clinic articles you read, the intensity of the procedure is something that you have to experience to fully understand. I was grateful that while the storm was brewing outside and the medical team was buzzing around a procedure room that looked to be straight out of Star Wars, I was able to take a really great ‘nap’.

The procedure took longer than predicted and required significantly more effort from the neurosurgeon. Even with that level of intensity, the doctor made the call after 3 hours to bring the procedure to an end without a full resolution. However, as the procedure wasn’t as extensive as planned (i.e., not as much superglue was shot into my head), I did avoid a stay in ICU and was able to come home the next day.

Aftermath

Following the procedure, I was quite sore for a couple weeks. And I’ll most likely need to have a follow-up procedure of some sort. But this is where my analogy falls short. I feel it would be wrong to make any comparison of the aftermath of my procedure to the tragedy so many people experienced in losing their homes and loved ones as a result of the storm.

Suffice it to say that immediately following both hurricanes and hospitals there is a time of coming to grips with what’s happened while assessing what’s been lost and what remains. In both situations there is a longing for return to normalcy… “I just want to be normal again!” And it does eventually arrive — albeit many times it is a ‘new normal’.

Recovery

Recovery can be hard work — tedious and gritty. But when it is partnered with resiliency, recovery becomes reality.

This is often captured in quotes from survivors of any type of disaster — hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake or fire. A resident of Ft. Myers was recently quoted:

“We are back, and we are here. We are not going anywhere…We will rebuild here.”

While some people may think it a bit foolish to rebuild in the same area — I’m inspired by the drive and courage to build a new life straight out of the rubble. It’s not just rebuilding homes and infrastructure — it is also rebuilding livelihoods, communities and futures — the new normal. Stronger and more ready to withstand the next challenge.

It is equally inspiring to hear stories of physical recovery following a hospital stay. And I need look no further than my own children for that inspiration. Three of my children have had major surgeries leaving them facing long recoveries and a new normal. In each case, their strength, resiliency, courage and determination left me utterly speechless and in awe.

In comparison, my recovery from this procedure has been quick and easy. This is the 3rd week post-surgery and I’m already back to hiking 4 miles a day at a local nature preserve. I’m so thankful for the Great Physician’s healing and care — for making me stronger and more ready to withstand the next challenge.

Anticipation. Intensity. Aftermath. Recovery.

The common thread through them all is hope. And true hope is more than a mere wish for good things to come your way — it is a confidence in the future because of whom you trust with your future.

If you’re ever interested in knowing the hope that is within me, just ask.

And as always, God knows. Trust.