A woman friend of mine just had an experience that echoes what you said. She went into the emergency room with severe abdominal pain and was given three days of enemas. Finally, she called a surgeon from her hospital bed and demanded that he open her up. They found a twisted bowel and adhesions. The enemas only made it worse.

It’s important to have an advocate when you’re in the hospital. In my case, I had my wife and her clipboard. No one got to me without giving their name and what they were administering to me. She even got them to bring in a longer than normal bed because I’m a tall guy. The number in the story of 136 people who cared for me actually came from her clipboard.