MDVIP Physican Saves the Day

One night several month ago I was undergoing acute distress and pains in my abdomen. I suspected that it could be a bowel obstruction so I did everything but stand on my head in an effort to shake it loose but to no avail. Finally in the middle of the night I called Allen J. Hamaker, M.D., my MDVIP physician. I described my symptoms and told him I think I needed to go to the hospital. He knew that I was not a sissy and that I probably did indeed need to go to the hospital. He told me where to go and said that he would coordinate my visit. When I arrived they knew who I was and rushed me into an examination room where I was met by Dr. Hamaker. The ER physician confirmed that I has an obstructed bowel and said that I could have immediate surgery or that I could wait for it to clear on its own accord. Confronted with that dilemma, I turned to Dr. Hamaker to get his advice. He said that he recommended the surgery and told me why. Knowing that he is not easily stampeded and that he usually opts for the most conservative choice I made up my mind to go ahead. All went well and my bowel was patched up in short order with a minimally invasive procedure. I did have an obstruction that was on the way to becoming necrotic and had I delayed the operation it could have been much more serious. Dr Hamaker helped me make the right decision and eased my mind. He took care of me from the first phone call until my discharge two days later. The fact that Dr. Hamaker knew me and I trusted him made the whole event minimally traumatic. He was our hero that day.