Tip: Elective surgery is better than emergency surgery!
Health insurance is a wonderful benefit for working in a business or for a company. Each year we go through the renewal process for our company. We meet with our representative to discuss our current package and other options. It is a lengthy process but a necessary one. My personal desire is to provide each person with whom I work the best insurance possible.
As we were going through the process, I learned something I did not know. We were talking about the difference between “elective surgery” and “emergency surgery.” It was explained to me that elective surgery is a procedure that you may choose to have but might not be absolutely necessary. Perhaps the need for surgery could be diminished with other methodologies, such as diet and exercise. It is usually a surgery that can be scheduled when a person is in optimal health. Often, elective surgery can be done as an outpatient procedure. At any rate, all of that creates a certain category of insurance service.
On the other hand, there is emergency surgery. That happens in a crisis situation when there is no choice and your options are limited. In many cases, it is a “do-or-die situation.” And, of course, the cost can become exorbitant with an in-patient hospital stay very quickly.
As I thought about the two aspects of surgery, I realized that those two scenarios can also be true in our daily lives. We may elect to work on certain circumstances, situations, and habits. We can “face the music” in advance and realize that some things must change to improve our lives. Some of our old, bad habits need to be broken, and new, better habits need to be established. There comes a time when a person should get “sick and tired of being sick and tired” and make necessary changes in his or her personal life. This could be in the area of physical health, financial well-being, spiritual life, or family relationships. I have found that most things do not change very easily. Change requires focus and self-discipline if we truly want to learn, grow and do better in life. In a word, real effective change is hard work and a slow process!
But, then, there are also emergency situations. These are the ones that come up and catch us off guard. Have you ever been fired from a job? Have you ever gone through a broken relationship with a spouse or a child? Have you experienced bankruptcy? Have you had your car stolen or lost everything you own in a fire? I know people who have faced all those situations. Perhaps you do, as well. An emergency situation really gets our attention in a hurry. It is much more difficult to deal with because the situation involves so much emotional trauma and stress.
I believe all of us should have some elective surgery from time to time. I am not talking about physical surgery that needs to be done by a physician with a scalpel. I am talking about personal surgery that we elect to do on ourselves by making some hard choices. I know that every difficult change that has come in my life, which has helped me become a better person, has come at a great price. However, it has all been worth it. Some of it came because I chose to make the changes, and yes, some came in the form of emergency surgery that was pushed upon me. I hope and pray that I do not have a lot of that remaining in front of me. I would rather see change happen because I seek to make changes rather than wake up one morning and have to face some crisis!
What surgery needs to be performed in your own personal life? Why not go ahead and deal with whatever issues are “nagging” at you while you are in good health and have a good frame of mind? It may be painful, but in the long run, you will be glad you did not wait until it became an emergency situation and you were forced to deal with it in a weakened condition or a poor frame of mind.
Let’s all be as healthy as possible: physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, and emotionally. It is absolutely the best way to go through life! I guarantee it!
Tip: Elective surgery is better than emergency surgery!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Dr. Robert A. Rohm
