The First Book about the Unsung
Heroes of the Operating Room
Ron Whitchurch has the
observation, wit and insight of a modern day Mark Twain and the eyebrows and
mustache to match."
— Koco Eaton, MD, ABOS, Team
Physician, Tampa Bay Rays
“An extraordinary book which
brilliantly and compellingly conveys the day-to-day workings of the operating
room.”
— Kevin M. Sweeney, MD,
board-certified neurosurgeon, former chief of Neurosurgery of Mease hospitals
in Dunedin and Clearwater, Florida
It’s a busy time for the
anesthetist during surgery. Keeping a watchful eye on the patient’s vital signs
and being prepared for any possibilities that might develop are an
anesthetist’s prime focus. Each case is unique, whether it’s a scheduled
surgery on a healthy patient, an emergency or a critical illness. They all
require analytical judgments along with many skills to manage them.
Ron Whitchurch wrote this wildly
entertaining book to offer a firsthand look at what happens after patients are
anesthetized and what challenges the staff face in keeping them healthy and
safe.
50 Years in the OR gives
readers an intimate sense of what it’s like to be the only person in the OR who
knows the heartbeat-to-heartbeat status of a surgical patient at any given
moment.
The Back Booth
On a cold, snowy evening in
January, as we were doing a late case, a call came into the operating room from
the owner of a beer tavern downtown. He wondered if our surgeon could come by
the bar when he was done working and check out a patron he was worried about.
The surgeon said he’d be glad to as soon as he finished the case. I told him he
wasn’t going to check somebody in a bar at this time of night without me, so
after the case off we went. The tavern was in the middle of downtown Bemidji,
and because of the weather and the hour, nobody was out on the streets. We
walked into the place and were greeted by the owner from behind the bar. He
gestured toward the back, where a row of booths stood, telling us that the
fellow was in the last booth on the right. When we got there, we found a thin,
older man sitting upright and leaning against the back of the booth and the
wall. His arms were on the table, his eyes closed, his head was cocked over to the
left and a half-full glass of beer sat in front of him. He was not breathing,
his face was a deep grayish-purple and he was quite obviously dead. The doctor
and I both felt for a carotid or radial pulse and, of course, there was none.
When we returned to the owner and announced our findings, he slapped his hand
on the bar and announced loudly, “I thought so. He hasn’t ordered a beer in
over an hour.” I couldn’t stand it and burst out laughing.
Unusual Delivery
One bitter-cold winter Wednesday
morning, a call came into the OR that a car had just arrived in the ER with a
woman in the back seat who was about to have a baby. I was working with our new
lady gynecologist that day and, fortunately, we were between cases so she and I
quickly rushed downstairs to the ER receiving entrance. There in the driveway
was a dirty, beat-up, old four-door sedan that looked like it had been driven
to the hospital through a hayfield. The driver, an unkempt young man, jumped
out yelling, “Hurry, my wife’s having a baby!” We opened the back car door to
the sound of a muffled groan, followed by the cry of a newborn. The doctor
climbed into the car, exclaiming, “Oh, look at this beautiful little baby! What
a good job you did, Mom!” The lady had pushed her baby out onto the filthy car
seat which had pieces of straw lying here and there. I was with the ER nurse
standing right by the open door and we noticed a hint of a barn odor coming out
of the car. The doctor quickly clamped and cut the umbilical cord, then handed
the baby boy out to the nurse who wrapped him in a couple of blankets and
rushed him inside. With the help of two orderlies, we got Mom onto an ER cart
and took her inside too. The baby went upstairs to be cleaned up in a special section
of the nursery, called the “suspect nursery,” dedicated to babies born outside
the hospital. Mom stayed in the ER until our doctor got the placenta delivered,
then she went upstairs to be cleaned up too, since her appearance rivaled that
of her husband’s. There are a lot of small rural towns in the large area
surrounding Bemidji, some with a population only in the double digits. These
folks had come from one of them and were part of a commune living out in the
country. Mother and baby did fine and were discharged after a few days. They
had one unusual request, though: They wanted to take the baby’s placenta home
with them and eat it. According to what they told the nurses, it’s a very
healthy way to bond with your newborn. There are even cookbooks for placentas.
Ronald Whitchurch. 50 Years in the OR: True Stories of Life, Loss, and Laughter While Giving Anesthesia
This book is an account of over
thirty years in the medical field. Some stories so unbelievable that you can
only think it must be true. It ranges from comical too scary to life changing
moments throughout the author’s career.
With the stories you notice the
changes in the medical field, how procedures have changed and become
modernized. No doubt the author led an interesting life.
I found it refreshing and
insightful. It gives you glimpse in this field you only see or read from a
doctor’s perspective. This field though gives you new light on how far the
medical profession has come and how people perceive it.
It is written with clear
knowledge and understanding while the author’s writing is truthful and witty at
the same time. Sharing firsthand experiences after his diagnose of multiple
myeloma was truly touching. It invokes so much empathy within. God always knows
what we need and when. This can be seen till the end.
I want to congratulate the author
with the writing of this book. This is truly a wonderful milestone he can be
proud off. May you experience continuous health in your golden years. You are
blessed and highly favoured.
Editorial Review
Review From the OnlineBookClub.org
How would it feel to be a passive
observer in the operating room? What if the observation lasted fifty years and
involved much more than just the surgical procedures and anesthesia? 50
Years in the OR: True Stories of Life, Loss, and Laughter While Giving
Anesthesia was authored by Ron Whitchurch. It is 332 pages long and was
published by Loon Lake Press in 2020. The book is composed of 112 stories on
different procedures and their outcomes and others outside the operating room.
The author's work and extensive experience in anesthesia spanning over fifty
years are evident in the book. His storytelling prowess is topnotch as well,
and in this way, all readers will enjoy poring over the stories.
The introduction contained many impressive praises for the book, and my
expectations were raised to a new high. I was not quite sure whether they would
be met upon reading it, though. I am delighted to record that every expectation
was surpassed. The author used funny titles and included humorous conversations
without reducing the gravity of medical procedures. The stories reveal both
pleasant and ugly experiences during Ron's practice. They describe both moments
of elation following successful operations and full recoveries and the
harrowing ones after the loss of a patient.
I had an opportunity to read firsthand information about the common and the
strange both inside and outside the operating rooms. I enjoyed devouring the
book for many reasons. The stories were organized in a way that I did not get
bored following them. An impenetrable cloud of gloom would be hanging over the
operating room at one time, and, before long, I would be smiling. Further, a
heavy dose of humor in some stories left me chuckling. True to the
commendations, the book was captivating and informative.
Why should you consider reading this book? All nurse anesthetists and those
interested in the field will benefit immensely from the experience of the
author. They will be introduced to many inevitable circumstances and appreciate
how creativity could be applied. Ron's treatment of every patient as a distinct
individual with genuine compassion will undoubtedly inspire many. For readers
not in the medical field, this book will cause you to appreciate the roles the
medical personnel play. There are valuable lessons on workplace injuries,
alcoholism, and hygiene as well.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. The language utilized was
straightforward, and complex terms and procedures were described in simple
words to aid comprehensibility. Editing was also professionally done. The most
unforgettable incident was where the team recognized what the problem was and
knew how to treat it but were prevented from doing so. The feeling of
powerlessness was almost tangible, and I could not stop wondering how the
doctors and nurses were feeling.
I heartily rate the book four out of four stars. I recommend it to all
health workers, especially nurses, and readers interested in operating room
stories. It is unsuitable for young readers and anyone averse to gory scenes.
The book also contains a few expletives.
Ron is the author of the new wildly entertaining book, 50 Years in the OR: True Stories of Life, Loss, and laughter while giving anesthesia.
Learn more about Ron, this book and some of the amazing people he’s worked with
that have endorsed it at www.50yearsintheor.com.
Ron Whitchurch earned his R.N. from Abbott Hospital. He graduated from the
Minneapolis School of Anesthesia and began working as a Certified Registered
Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in 1971. He enjoyed a long, eventful career in the OR
before he retired in 2018 at age 76. Ron and his wife, Lonni, live in Florida.
