Trust the one that does you right

This is a story about loyalty and trust. 

Several years ago, I was in the unpleasant position of having to find an oncologist.  It wasn't a spot I wanted to be in and I had no idea how to choose the right one.   The surgeon that operated on me recommended a guy but I didn't have any idea whether he was a good choice or not.  Was he a quack?  Did he spend more time on the golf course than the office?  These were pretty important questions to me.  Then I found the answer…

A few weeks after my main surgery, I had a smaller follow-up surgery.   This was an out-patient procedure so I was back home that night.  The next day, I woke up with the mother of all stiff necks!  I thought I had just slept on it wrong and it would work itself out so I went on with my round of medical appointments for the day.  I had to see a couple of other doctors in the morning and then I had my first meeting with the oncologist in the afternoon. 

When Dr. Murphy walked in, I stood up to shake hands and he took one look at me and said "You aren't moving too well".  I told him about the stiff neck, not thinking much about it.  Fortunately, he did.  He sent me for an ultrasound and it turned out that I had blood clots in my arm, neck and lungs.  There's a lot of danger with clots like that but they started me on blood thinners that day and everything worked out okay.

But here's the thing that stuck in my mind - Between the various nurses and doctors, he was at least the fifth medical professional to deal with me that day.  The others didn't notice anything amiss but with just one look, he knew I had a problem that needed treatment.  Had those clots gone untreated another day, things could have taken a real turn for the worse.

After that, I never questioned whether he was the right guy to treat me.  When someone does right by you, that's the person you stick with.  

Look at the people in your life.  Who was there when you really needed help?  Who hit one out of the park for you?  Keep those people close and overlook any small things they do that bother you.  Everybody has their quirks but not everybody has your back.