Wednesday, November 28, 2012

"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." ~Erma Bombeck

The very first human hands to touch my children belong to Dr. Weinstein.  He was my ob/gyn, and saw me through a lot!  I first went to Dr. Weinstein shortly after I got married, and he performed some minor surgery to correct some problems I was having.  I found him to be warm, thoughtful, caring, and extremely competent at his job.  He was an older man, with years of experience, and I found that to be comforting.

A few years later when Jeff and I decided it was a good time to begin our family, things didn't go quite as smoothly as we had hoped.  Dr. Weinstein was there, and ready to help.  He did the very best for me that medical science could do, and I was excited when I got pregnant.  However, several weeks into the pregnancy I suffered a miscarriage.  Jeff and I were both devastated, and Dr. Weinstein was very compassionate as he dealt with us through that loss.  When the time was right, Dr. Weinstein once again pulled all of the medical strings he could, and I conceived again - this time it was twins!  I had the pregnancy confirmed in his office one day while Jeff was at work.  Dr. Weinstein was so excited - he even insisted I call Jeff right then from his office phone.  (That was in the days before cell phones for you youngsters reading this.)  I was impressed that this man who had probably confirmed thousands of pregnancies could be so excited about one more!

Dr. Weinstein provided the best care he could for me throughout my pregnancy, and at 29 weeks, I began to experience pre-term labor.  Dr. Weinstein hospitalized me and was able to get it stopped,  He tried letting me go home, but two days later I had to go back to the hospital, and he told me that I would be staying for the duration of the pregnancy.  He and the other doctors in his practice would rotate making hospital rounds each morning, and it was always my favorite day when it was Dr. Weinstein's turn.  He never seemed to be in a hurry, and he would often pick up my newspaper, sit down in my room, and visit while he perused the Sports section.

After six LONG weeks in the hospital, my babies had grown enough to let me continue my labor.  Late into the night of September 20, 1990, the nurse came into my room, flicked on the light, and stood there with a wheelchair.  She told me that Dr. Weinstein was downstairs, and he wanted her to bring me down.  When I arrived in Labor & Delivery, he said, "Let's have some babies!"  Dr. Weinstein performed a c-section, and at 2:58 a.m. and again at 3:00 a.m. on September 21, he delivered our very healthy girls with skill and precision.  Two years later, he did the same when he delivered Caleb.

From talking to other women, I think most of us feel a special bond with the doctor who delivered our children.  For me, it seemed even more special, considering the help he gave us in the problems we had conceiving, his compassionate care through a difficult loss, and his wisdom in treating me in such a way as to give our girls the best chance possible at a healthy start.  I know it was his job, but he did it with great care.  Dr. Weinstein helped me to learn PATIENCE, which was required as I awaited the arrival of our girls during those long six weeks of hospitalization.  He would often tell me to trust him - the wait would be worth it!  And he was right.  I'm thankful for Dr. Weinstein, and for the knowledge and skill God blessed him with that not only helped us have the family we longed for, but made sure that me and our children were healthy in the process.

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