Hearts:)

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…

I turned to face the heart monitor in amazement. I closely examined the rigid hills and slopes of the patient’s vitals; every BEEP and slope was a sign of life. The room was filled with a wide range of intelligent minds dressed from head to toe in blue scrubs: a heart surgeon, an anesthesiologist, a technician, a couple of medical students, several nurses, and there was me. I stood in the corner of the room as the constant BEEP…BEEP…BEEP played in the background, in awe of everything around me; from the cellophane floors to the bright surgical lights to the chatter of the medical students. I turned once again to witness the gifted hands of Dr. Vongtama making magic with the sharp, shiny scalpel.

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP.
Dr. Vongtama, with the utmost confidence, precisely made an incision on the epidermis of his patient’s chest. Five slow minutes later, the inside of patient’s chest was completely exposed.

My jaw dropped to the floor, I was in awe; like a little kid who just saw the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause having a tea party in his dining room.

BOOM…BOOM,BOOM…BOOM, BOOM,BOOM…

I examined the fist-sized organ that beat in irregular rhythm; this was no valentine’s day heart.

BOOM, BOOM.

Dr. Vongtama smiled at my amazement and asked, “What do you think?” As if my expression wasn’t enough, I said, “Beyond amazing, better than magic”. Dr. Vongtama motioned for me to come closer to touch the fragile, beating, organ. With the gentleness of an angel, I reached over with the latex gloves that clothed my hands, and lightly touched the heart.

BOOM, BOOM…BOOM, BOOM.
This time, the heavy beats came from my heart; I was enthralled, yet nervous.

I could tell this heart needed to be repaired back to rhythmic sync, so I stepped back and let the magician do his work.

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP..

As Dr. Vongtama worked carefully on the heart, the nurses, medical students, and even Dr. Vongtama himself held casual conversation and even made jokes; as if they were at happy hour at T.G.I Friday’s. I was shocked to witness this, because if I were in a room full of people, conducting open-heart surgery, while a patient’s life was on the line, the last thing on my mind would be jokes about a blonde in a bar. The room was no longer a scary surgical facility, it became a happy, optimistic social hour. It surprised me how Dr. Vongtama was able to carry a light and happy mood, while able to fully focus on fixing the heart. I could no longer hear the BEEP…BEEP…BEEP. The beeps were distant mouse peeps, out-sounded by the laughter and conversation that filled the room.

Once again Dr. Vongtama motioned for me to come closer. He held out this small, light rounded device called a pacemaker. This tiny device would be embedded into the patient’s heart to help regulate the heart beat by sending electrical impulses to the heart, every time the heart beat is out of rhythm. Such a simple technology, yet it extraordinarily saves lives. Dr. Vongtama carefully worked for another hour installing the pacemaker as the whole room continued to watch and socialize.

The surgery was a complete success! I thanked Dr. Vongtama for the experience with a tight hug and a smile and asked, “Doctor, what is the best piece of advice you can give me for my future endeavors?” He thought for a second and replied, “It must have surprised you that we were having fun in the surgery room huh?” I nodded, he continued, “Well, you know open-heart surgery can be nerve-racking and scary, but we made the most out of it and it ended up successful. The best advice I can give is to make the most out of every situation and don’t forget to have fun. After all, you live once and I’m sure your heart is happier and healthier when you’re enjoying, rather than stressing”. I agreed and told him, “Doctor, you really inspire me”. He smiled once again and said, “Anyone can fix hearts, aside from the studying and training, good people, the laughter and the enjoyment that comes out of it, makes it the easiest job in the world”.

I laughed, BOOM…BOOM, my heart was filled with happiness.