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To the Editor,
Okay. This is not a novel, or a detective mystery. It's about me. And it all started last October 23. I was having problems going to the bathroom. I told my wife that I was passing blood. This was a serious situation. We both agreed to have this taken care of.
We went to Steubenville to see an oncology specialist. We met Dr. Jahdi, and set up my colonoscopy procedure.
I was put asleep as Dr. Jahdi did his tests to see what my problem was.Sure enough, there was a white cyst attached to my colon.
When seeing that this foreign matter was inside of me, I wasn't alarmed. But I had to take drastic measures to resolve this situation.
Dr. Jahdi asked me where I wanted to have my procedure done. The North Hills of Pittsburgh was both of our choices. As Dr. Jahdi made the call to UPMC Passivant, where a Dr. Medich was notified.
I heard the name Dr. Medich. I got a bit excited when the name "Doc Medich" was mentioned. Nuts, I thought the former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher was going to work on me. Needless to say, this doctor was a foot doctor...and was retired. Oh, so much for the heel end of this story.
So as we got to meet the other Dr. Medich,about a week later in Pine Township, he drew a diagram on plastic board. The procedure would take three hours. Five incisions would be made below my chest. Four points around my stomach. The fifth incision would be around my stomach.
December 28 was my surgery. As my surgery was to begin, I asked Dr. Medich to do me a favor. Make sure you get the gerbil out of me.
He asked me what I said. And I replied to have that gerbil removed. That's when I was given some drugs to make me unconscious.
As I went into recovery after three hours of surgery, my wife came to my side. She told me that Dr. Medich was all good, and that I should heal within a few weeks.
The healing was going to be a long process. The next day, Dr. Medich came into my room with a few of his interns. I asked him if the gerbil was out. And he said: "A gerbil?" And I said: "Yes, a gerbil."
He and his staff got a chuckle out of that. So when I told my wife of this situation, we decided to get a stuffed hamster for a late Christmas gift for my Doctor. Amazon didn't have any gerbils for sale.
Amazon delivered a hamster instead. And my wife wrapped it up in a little Christmas bag, with decorative paper. My doctors assistant took it to his office. The next day, Dr. Medich visited me. He told me he got the hamster, and keeps it on his desk. The doctor said that every time he looks at the little stuffed animal, he thinks of me.
But... I didn't tell him. I named him Herman. At least I didn't name him: Pop Goes The Weasel.
Ya... they all lived happily ever after. Even the gerbil.
Kevin Neverly
Weirton