Talk with hospital staff before you go in; take the time to find answers to any questions or concerns you have.

When you feel you're in the right hands, your hospital stay is much less frightening.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Two weeks ago, my wife and I took our son, Gabriel, to New Milford Hospital in Connecticut for reconstructive surgery on his right ankle. During the 90-minute drive from our home, he shared his fears with us. He feared the pain of the needle that would deliver anesthetic. And he was afraid he would wake up during the surgery. Eleven years ago, when he was 7, Gabriel had regained consciousness momentarily during a procedure to set his broken left arm. And all these years later, as we sat in the hospital room prior to the surgery, Gabriel continued to feel anxious about the administration of the anesthesia.

A parade of medical personnel came in to speak with him for routine preoperative procedures. The preop nurse, a kind, competent woman, explained how she would insert the needle that would deliver a solution of glucose and water. The surgeon came in for about three minutes, explained the surgery, and in a reassuring act of medical authority, drew an “X” with a felt-tip pen on Gabriel’s right ankle. As least we could rest assured they would be doing the surgery on the correct leg.

But Gabriel was still apprehensive when the anesthesiologist entered the room. This fast-talking physician peppered him with questions, and launched into a hilarious bit of stand-up comedy drawing parallels between the feelings Gabriel would have under anesthesia and those he might have after a few beers—which of course Gabriel had never had because he was only 18. Before long, Gabriel was convulsed in laughter.

Those minutes with the anesthesiologist and the others on the surgical team were a significant part of prepping my son for the upcoming procedure. By the time he walked down the hall in his hospital johnny on the way to the O.R., Gabriel was feeling relaxed and at ease. He felt welcomed, informed, and cared for, and had gotten to know the people he was entrusting to put him to sleep and repair his body. Like scrubbing up and cleaning the surgical instruments, communicating with the patient is a must for ensuring as successful an outcome as possible.