I talked with an old friend on Sunday, that triggered me writing this post. I had another post written and ready to go, you will see it sooner or later.
My old friend, who is about 3 years younger than I am, had hip replacement surgery in August. Hip replacement is brutal surgery, involving cutting off the head of the thigh bone and replacing it. She had a wait for the surgery (it was not in the United States and there was a wait for what was considered non-emergency care.) The last few months she was using a walker (walking frame) to steady herself as she moved about. Needless to say, that limited her mobility, and weakened her. Her recovery has been lengthy, and is ongoing. She talked about it, and I reassured her that recovery takes a long time. That improvement will continue to happen over a long time. It became clear to me that her medical care was excellent, her rehab treatment ongoing, but what was missing was counseling - mental health care.
I understand, I have been there. Back in 2015, I was diagnosed with a tumor in my spine. It was compressing my spinal cord, that explained why I had difficulty walking, and had several times fallen and couldn't get up. I was weak by the time of diagnosis, and even weaker by the time I was back on my feet a week after 12 plus hours of surgery. I am held upright by 6 titanium plates and 12 screws. About ten days after surgery I was transferred to an inpatient physical rehab hospital, one of the best in the world for neurological rehab, that just happens to be about 5 miles from where I live. The first day in therapy it was all I could to walk 15 feet from one chair to another.
In the room I was in, there was a large white board with the names and schedules of the doctors, physical and occupational therapists. There was a line for psychotherapist, and it was blank. I asked, and the answer was "we expect you to make a reasonably complete recovery, so that won't be necessary." I was shocked and disappointed. I still am. I had been diagnosed by a life changing - potentially life ending illness, I had been through a brutal surgery, and because I was expected to walk again, sometime, my mental health was not a consideration.
I connected with a couple of friends. I received some friendly advice, but neither were in a position to offer real counseling. I did some reading, I did lots and lots of thinking. I am still not sure that I have fully worked through the issues. My friend is trying to work through the issues of a debilitating illness, a brutal surgery, and a long and difficult recovery. The health care system seems to operate based on the assumption that if the body is healing the patient is healing.
The health care system is failing if it does not treat the minds that go along with the bodies.
Well that is a different post.
