I Am Deeply Grateful

Published in Bergens Tidene on 31. May 2021

This article is a tribute to Bergen’s healthcare workers to whom I owe my life. Here I will tell my story. Yet I do not want these words to be mainly about me. The intention of this article is to highlight the first-rate services offered every single day by our tireless healthcare workers whom we should be extremely proud of but sometimes take for granted.

On May 6 th , I was at my home in Nesttun preparing for a call when I noticed an increasingly intense pain in my chest and arms. My father and grandfather both suffered from heart disease. So, after five minutes of pacing back and forth in my kitchen and realizing that the discomfort wasn’t going away, I decided to call a taxi and get myself to Legevakten. This initial call unraveled a series of events that have left me in awe and with eternal appreciation for the dozens of healthcare workers—nurses, doctors, office personnel, medical students, janitors (and that brave taxi driver) — who played a role in saving my life.

In my profession, I help students and managers create innovative services that address important human needs. We use the power of empathy to discover these needs and then address them by designing creative solutions. Healthcare is one of the primary sectors that we study. It is quite ironic and, in a strange way, fascinating that I recently found myself as the main «persona» or recipient of the very services that my students aim to improve.

Now back to Legevakten. Upon arrival I was asked a couple of quick Covid-related questions and was swiftly taken in for further evaluation. It was five minutes after meeting the doctor that my heart stopped due to the myocardial infarction and arrythmia I was suffering. I was successfully resuscitated and rolled into an ambulance where a couple of young men explained to me what was going on. I could see the stress in their eyes, but their level of acute concentration and crystal-clear communication was incredibly reassuring.

We drove for what seemed like only a minute and arrived at Haukeland where the world-class heart surgeon, Anja Øksnes, and her team of around 10 doctors and nurses were diligently waiting. They had already been briefed on my situation and were on their toes ready to go like special-forces soldiers prepared for battle.

And battle they did. During the surgery to unblock my left ventricular artery, my heart stopped another three times. I was completely awake and lucid for most of the operation, which enabled me to get a sense of the inspiring collaboration and teamwork at play in that operating room. I’ve researched high-performing teams for almost twenty years (at Stanford University, Silicon Valley startups, and multinational corporations), and I can say with conviction that the cohesion, trust, and decisiveness of Anja and her team were flawless.

Once stable, I was taken to the ICU where my recovery began. Here I was attended to by some of the most caring, compassionate, and dedicated human beings I’ve had the privilege to meet. The team of nurses there, and at the Heart Ward where I was eventually transferred, took care of my every need—24/7—including helping me breathe, eat, drink, wash, urinate, sit, and eventually walk, all while retaining a refreshing sense of humor and lightheartedness. The best way I can describe how they made me feel was as if I were catered to by some of my closest family members. In a very bizarre way, my week-long stay at Haukeland turned out to be one of the most lovely and unforgettable experiences of my life, despite the obvious pain and fear involved with such an event.

A week after my heart attack, on International Nurses Day, I walked out of the hospital. I felt strangely invigorated and taken over by a profound sense of appreciation for the deep human interdependence we are all a part of, and especially for my adopted country, Norway. I also thought about what this situation would have represented financially if I were still living in the U.S. where, according to a recent study, 45 percent of cardiovascular-disease patients under 65 years old experience financial hardships from medical-care expenses, and one in five can’t afford to pay their leve at all.

I’m now back home with my wife and four-year-old daughter feeling truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to live again. It is impossible to put into words how grateful I am to every single healthcare worker who took part in my treatment. It is my sincere hope that this short article helps to highlight the truly inspiring and invaluable work they do for our community.