On the day of my procedure, I entered the pre-surgery outpatient area filled with fear and anxiety. I do not handle medical situations well and have a deep fear of being poked and prodded. Brian Halpern swooped in, instantly aware of my anxieties and keen to make me feel as comfortable as possible. He told me that it was okay to cry and helped rationalize through my fears. He found ways to make me laugh, which I did not feel was possible at the time.
And above all else, when I started to feel the discomfort of the IV, he asked me to talk about a beautiful place I'd been to.
I entered surgery at Brian's recommendation with this beautiful place in mind and woke up peacefully. I was so grateful that we passed by Brian on our way out of post-surgery because I was able to tell him that I did okay and to thank him for his help!
If I had been able to stand up and give him a hug, I would have. Maybe someday I'll have the chance to see Brian on the street and thank him for his tender care. Brian demonstrated so much compassion for all his patients and made a difficult day a bit easier. I'm so grateful he was by my side pre-surgery!