How My Doctor Saved My Life

My doctor is Shannon Ray Schrader. What makes him “super“ to me? A great many things: he’s highly skilled, he’s caring, he’s attentive, he listens and he does a great deal more. But if I were to choose a single episode in our association that makes him super in my eyes, it would have to be the time he saved my life. It happened about a dozen years ago. For several weeks I had been disturbed by a number of vague symptoms – sudden weakness in the legs, fatigue, loss of appetite, inertia and general moodiness. None of them were particularly alarming in themselves, and they were all seemingly unrelated. Being stubborn, I refused to give in to a little discomfort. I told myself that these symptoms were nothing serious – just another swing in my blood pressure, another spell of the blues or maybe I was just getting old. The trouble was that my energy was draining away so gradually and imperceptibly that I didn’t notice the change. And there lay the danger. Ultimately, I couldn’t disregard the symptoms any longer. I made an appointment with Dr. Schrader. He reviewed my symptoms, drew some blood and sent me home to await the test results. The next morning he called me: “We’ve got to get you to the emergency room immediately!” he exclaimed. “Your kidneys are shutting down. I’m sending one of my nurses to drive you to the hospital right now.” I was rushed to intensive care, where a team of doctors managed to flush my system and “jump-start” my kidneys. Once my kidneys had resumed their normal function, I rebounded rapidly. After just a couple of days I was discharged. Dr. Schrader told me later that when he saw the results of my blood tests he knew that there wasn’t a moment to lose. The last patient he had whose potassium levels registered as high as mine had died before his very eyes. Undoubtedly, his quick action had saved my life. Thanks, Doc—you’re super.