I got a good laugh the other day at work.  Before going for surgery, the patients where I work get some lovely sleepy medicine in their I.V.’s.  Most patients are snoring away as we wheel them into surgery.  It is a short acting medication and they wake up quickly when their procedure is over.  Any anxiety, fears, or bodily pains the patient may have had are erased and gone!  You may know the feeling.  As I went into the operating room to bring a patient to recovery, the patient had already woken up and was talking to everyone.  “Wow, that was good stuff,” the patient said, referring to the I.V. medication she had gotten.  As she pointed to the I.V. in her hand she added, “Can I have some more?”  I just giggled and had visions of the scene from Oliver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZrgxHvNNUc

We had to tell the patient “No,” that she could not have any more because her procedure was over.  The patient was very disappointed.

You’ve heard the saying, “To much of a good thing?”  It’s sort of what happens when something pleasant becomes unpleasant because you have too much of it.  Too much food makes you fat.  Too much alcohol makes you drunk.  Too much sun makes you sunburned.  Too much anesthesia – makes you loopy like my Pop was today!  If this is your first time reading my blog, quick update is that my dad had heart surgery this past Monday.  He is recovering well physically, but has been disoriented from all the anesthesia.  He was restless and anxious today as he tried so hard to find sleep.  Anesthesia is good stuff – but too much of it is not a good thing.  Oh I don’t think he was given too much – but he was given more than my dad could tolerate.  He finally recognized me and called me by name after we got him to concentrate and take a good look.  And then flowers were delivered that were sent from his niece, Patrice, who lives in Massachusetts.  “Look at the flowers that Patrice sent, Pop,” my mom and I said to him.  “Do you know who Patrice is?” we asked him.  After a moment’s thought, he replied, “Patrice is my nephew.”  You were close, Pop.  Niece … nephew … he had the right idea.

If we would all simply be wise enough to seek direction from the great book, we would find that moderation is key.  Proverbs 25:16 states:  If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, or else, having too much, you will vomit it.  Yuck.  Honey is nice and sweet but I’m sure you would get sick eating too much of it.  Proverbs goes on to tell us in verse 17:  Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, otherwise the neighbor will become weary of you and hate you.  LOL  Yeah – I don’t want to be a pest to my neighbor!

The lesson here is:  moderation.  I seem to remember through the years hearing my mother say that moderation is the key to life.  Don’t overdo it.  But make sure you have just enough.  Wise words.

Here’s hoping you find moderation in all areas of your life.  Too much of anything is simply not a good thing.  Especially anesthesia.  And honey.

I don’t think ice cream counts.

just Laurel