Kenny Lien for going the extra mile for your patients. Boo to insurance companies that feel the power to overrule specialists in the field.
The humorous anecdote: When I got into the OR, Dr. Lien explained what he was going to do. I would get a strong local anesthetic in my lower back. Then he told me that he would use a tiny hammer (which he showed me) to make a small hole in my back so he could insert the cement. I don’t know why, but I thought that was pretty funny.
Once my back was numb, I heard a light tapping sound. I didn’t feel anything. But I started laughing. Why? I was listening to a hammer banging in MY back. Dr. Lien then stated that because the compression in my back was a lot, he would have to use his little hammer to create a second hole. Ten minutes later I was in recovery. And soon after, I returned home – rather pain free.
Here’s the motivation aspect related to my back problem. Because I had to miss virtually the full spring 2015 semester, I was HIGHLY motivated to not miss any further classes relating to health-related issues. So, the back procedure was on Tuesday September 22, 2015, and I taught my class on Wednesday September 23, 2015. I was sore and had to sit throughout the class. But I got another big psychological boost by teaching. Despite some discomfort, I never did miss a class that semester. Again, being upbeat is a choice and a blessing.
Having the procedure on September 22, 2015 gave me one month to build myself up for the October 24, 2015 wedding. This was one more motivator.