Two Weeks in Hospital 2025
I know that all that really needs to be said regarding feedback that’s helpful in regards to building a better humanity and a better health system (environment) that supports humanity there is a lot of big picture things that need to be addressed as well as any details I can give regarding my experience. Here I can’t cover them all as that would take a book.
Many people in the past have addressed such things like Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, on a psychological and spiritual side. David Suzuki who spoke about how, the way we see anything will determine the way we treat it; and that if we see everything as sacred we will treat it that way. Both David Suzuki and David Attenborough who both are to some degree a voice for nature on a more physical side. Then there are many traditional native people on a more holistic side, like Black Elk, Fools Crow and even more contemporary ones like Russell Means, John Trudell and currently in the ‘Navajo Traditional Teachings’ videos by Shane and Wally Brown. Not to mention the Hopi who’s advice for better living is:
1. Live simply.
2. Know your relationships.
3 Know your land.
4. Know your water.
5. Walk humbly & in harmony with all creation.
Some quotes can help to explain:
“Not nature, but the “genius of mankind”, has knotted the hangman’s noose with which it can execute itself at any moment.”
~Carl Jung 1952
“Man should not be in the service of society [or any tool or technology]; society should be in the service of man. When man is in the service of society, you have a monster state, and that's what is threatening the world at this minute… Certainly, Star Wars has a valid mythological perspective. It shows the state as a machine and asks, "Is the machine going to crush humanity or serve humanity?" Humanity comes not from the machine but from the heart.”
~Joseph Campbell
“When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”
~ Alexander Den Heijer
"I'm just a human being trying to make it in a world that is rapidly losing its understanding of being human."
~ John Trudell
“When mores (the essential or characteristic customs, morals and conventions of a society or community) are sufficient, laws are unnecessary. When mores are insufficient, laws are unenforceable.”
~ Emile Durkheim
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
~ Socrates
“Healing is purely spiritual and has to do with helping a person to be right with Wakan-Tanka [Great Spirit, God etc.]… He learns through the healing rituals to think in terms of the quality of life… Healing is a priceless gift that can be given to anyone who is willing to accept it.”
~ Frank Fools Crow
Some things that need to be considered on all levels are:
1. Life is not about business, work, religion, money, law, politics, or technology, it's about nature and relationships, including our relationship with Mother Earth. Good relationships rely on good, clear and honest communication; true compassion and deep love, caring and respect!
2. As immorality and immaturity increases so too does slavery and stupidity. It's the collective aggregate of human consciousness that governs our level of freedom or slavery. Morality has a lot to do with relationships, connection, deep caring, and clear and honest communication. Maturity is about being responsible and (like nature) being interdependent, not dependent or independent.
3. As the Rat Park Experiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park ) and the ‘7 Up’ series showed how it is the social environment that determines most of the behaviour, thinking and addictions of humanity. The social environment conditions and programs our personal unconscious, or what I call our cellular memory, which includes our habits, beliefs, emotions, language, accents, traumas etc..
4. As Max Gerson in the 1940’s found with his Gerson Therapy of a healthy organic and predominately vegetarian diet can cure many diseases as it cured 100% of his cancer patients, shows that a natural diet is not only curative, but also a good preventative. “Let food be your medicine and your medicine be food!”
My dietitian friend says that a vegetarian diet is possible, "but it's such a complex science that it's easier to include a little meat in our diet." That's a little meat, not what most people think. They also said that "a vegan diet will always miss out on one of the vitamins we need."
MY TWO WEEKS IN HOSPITAL
7th Aug 2025, I was admitted to hospital Emergency for shortness of breath that made any sleep impossible. I gave a full detailed history, including about the onion allergy, how it progressed since 1990, and how hunger also effects the pain; and that the Barrett's oesophagus was a misdiagnosis in 2012.
I even explained that in 2000 I got a feeling of a heavy chest that at first just felt like my smoker’s lungs were struggling with the supersize while chamoising my car on cold mornings. It quickly escalated into a feeling of a heart attack and difficulty in breathing. After the 3rd occurrence I decided I had better see my holistic GP Jim Rose. At first he thought it might be Angina, but after a blood test and Jim asking me a few questions to narrow the causes down, it turned out to be a Vitamin B deficiency that was permanently fixed with a Vitamin B supplement. I’m not sure why the hospital never gave them to me while I was there. Later a few other facts made it obvious that the hospital staff didn’t believe me as I was given a supply of Nitro-glycerine, a treatment for Angina on my discharge.
It turns out that the problem was not my lungs as I had thought, but heart failure and lung infection. To add to that on my 1st night in Emergency I had inadvertently eaten a meal that had onions, exacerbating my painful situation.
Once fluids and swelling came down with Diuretics in the first days in Emergency it was much easier to breathe but the noise and constant beeping of technology kept me awake. At that stage I hadn’t slept for three days.
Once I was ready to be moved to a ward with a telemetry monitor they were concerned that with my heart rate so high the warning messages might be too much and so they considered sending me to the Intensive Care Unit, but sent me to a ward where noise was not so bad. I then started making comprehensive notes so that I can give detailed feedback as I was sure that no one was listening to me or correctly noting my concerns, details, and history. The first nurse I saw in ward 4 north asked me what I prefer to be called so as to fill in the white board on the wall opposite my bed, so she respectfully wrote “Sitting Owl” as outside the legal system all my friends and some family call me that.
The only nurse that I clashed with was Caroline, and as time progressed I found that quite a few other nurses had clashes and complaints with her too, mostly because of her arrogant and bossy nature, thinking she’s better than anyone else. One student nurse following her around quietly agreed with me. Much later she understood me a bit better and explained (or justified) the clash. She might be right as we are both very strong willed, but at the first encounter she argued the Barrett’s oesophagus thing, adamant that I should be taking Nexium. My second encounter was that she would wipe out the “Sitting Owl” and put “David”. Then she insinuated that I might have a mental illness. In a funny and roundabout way knowing about the nature of mental illness, spiritual emergence, and the traditional understanding of shamans, that’s not far from the truth. For as Joseph Campbell said:
“The schizophrenic is drowning in the same waters in which the mystic swims with delight. Edgar Cayce made the same observation in his readings”.
In another encounter trying to be funny, jovial or imitating the “Patch Adams” idea she even tickled my feet making a remark I can’t remember, but was passive aggressive. When Rodney came in (see later point) she made a comment that he was as cantankerous as me. Later, either she realised I had my eye on her, noticed me making notes, or genuinely warmed up to me as she did admit that our first encounter was a clash of two strong willed and dedicated human beings (my words).
All other nurses were exceptional, especially how much pressure they are under with a complex, confusing and under financed system; trying to be politically correct, and having to learn how to operate all this new and fancy technology. On very few occasions did I see an ECG test go right the first time, as often the air purifier and other electrical appliances plugged into the wall, including my phone charger interfered with the readings. Also my hairy and oily chest made the sticky contacts loose contact. Of special praise I mention Jake, Beth, Jed, Christine, Angel, Georgia, Dikta and Bruna.
Doctors who deserve credit are: a female Indian cardiologist who came one night in her own time to check on me; Dr Nadeesh, who also came back in his own time once; John, a cardiologist, but was not treating me, he’s the one who I spoke to about the errors in my history and notes; and the two student doctors who came to do a 1.5 hour interview and examination, Talal Warir & Nick Barrett. These two were with the group of 8-10 that came with a teaching doctor who discussed the form and technique of the two students that interviewed and examined me. He had previously warned me asking me to keep my answers as brief as possible; he knew about my long detailed way I answer. These two are very dedicated to learn and be good doctors, I only hope that the business and politics of the system doesn’t dampen that dedication.
On one occasion Dr Anmol was a bit more informative than most and had a much more pleasant nature than the specialist who kept informing me that “this is serious” and loved making the hand gesture of a weak, barely beating heart. He was the one who performed the Angiogram, but didn’t even talk to me then, it was only his accent that I knew it was him.
Then there’s the story of Rodney, a 90 odd year old patient who came in opposite me one night after falling into his fire hurting his fingers and slightly burning his lip. In the morning when he awoke and nurses were trying to communicate with him he got extremely agitated and threatened to walk out in his pyjamas. As it happened, he was deaf as a post and all the shouting and frustration only got him more confused, again the problem of taking an elderly person with a deep cellular memory of his surroundings at home into a new environment. It turned out that one hearing aid had dead batteries and the other one was turned off. I tell you the scene I saw when his daughter finally brought some new batteries in (she had to visit numerous shops to find the right ones, I think I saw quite a handful of them) and when the confusion was realised and the bond between them was expressed it brought tears to my eyes, and still does when I read it.
On a medical stance I must say that in my opinion all specialist doctors are arrogant, controlling, ignorant, in that they don’t listen, and don’t know as much as they think they do; and that includes my own sister and two out of three Gastroenterologist.
To satisfy a 4 hour fast prior to a test procedure (a 2nd CT scan), I was made to fast 15 hours, another 7 hours, after which had caused agonising constipation, and then another 10 hour fast, all that amounted to nothing as the CT scan never went ahead because even with a maximum dose of two different medications to lower the heart rate, it had failed to lower it to the needed or required level of 60. The lowest I ever saw it on my monitor was in the mid-70s. Eventually a 2nd Ultrasound indicated that the medication regimen and the fluid stabilisation had had some beneficial effect in repairing my heart. Although I was told early on that my heart was only functioning at 15% and the specialist liked to keep emphasising that my situation is “serious”, I was never told what it was in the end.
When I was supposed to be getting the CT scan done in the morning, but in the afternoon when I had fasted since midnight, and the Bed driver man came to take me, I suggested that he’d better check with doctors as my heart rate was still too high for it. He left the note book on my bed stand, so I sneaked a peak at my notes. In it I only got to see about 10% of it max, but of that 10% about 40% of it was totally incorrect; insulting and making me look like a difficult patient, or at least insinuating some mental illness; and personal perception of information they knew nothing about, mainly because when I gave it I told them that to understand it they need to read some of my articles on my website, particularly about shamanism, as most New Age stuff about shamans misunderstand the true nature of the art. They didn’t and so assumed all sorts incorrect stuff. I was giving the information as in friendly conversation (so that they might understand me better) and treat me holistically. They made notes as if it was evidence against me in a court of law. I guess I should have guessed that a corrupt system based on business and law rather than nature, interdependence and relationships, within a corrupt system will also be corrupt.
Eventually Angel came for something and caught me and stopped me from looking further. Some of the notes that I managed to make my own notes about were:
1. I have no heating in my bus. I don’t know how they got that idea as I have a diesel heater, but I might have spoken in conversation about how I lived from 1997 for a number of years in bush (forest for non Aussies) and how the years I spent without any electrical anything, just spending most of my time sitting at a little fire, were the best years of my life.
2. I planned to go back home and establish a community self-sufficient from the system. Well, yes, but if I mentioned any such thing I would have also made it clear that 10 years ago I had let go of that ever happening and that that letting go was a part of my broken heart.
3. One note said that I will resist any official help from formal services. What absolute rubbish. I never would have said that as I will always take whatever help I can get. You only have to ask Tony how much help I accept from him. I might resist help that is harmful or more trouble than it’s worth, but helping each other is what living interdependently is all about and I know that all of nature lives that way and our human troubles come from living either dependently or independently. Living a moral and mature life is about being dependable and being willing to depend on other for things we can’t or struggle to do ourselves.
4. I searched for quite a bit, flipping over pages scanning for some note about the 15 hour fast that many people had agreed was unacceptable. I couldn’t find any, but I didn’t get a chance to look at all the notes and as one doctor explained (I think it was John) when I put the record straight on these items said that there are other places where some of the records and notes are kept, and I guess if that note was something that needed administration’s attention it might be held elsewhere for that purpose, but who knows, that might be a cover up too. As a decent human being and not one to jump to conclusions I can let that one slide and except that as a legitimate reason.
5. The information and Tony’s surname was wrong, but I guess that if they had asked me how to spell his name that would have been a giveaway that they were making notes about everything I was saying; even the ones they made their own assumptions and perceptions about.
6. I saw numerous notes talking about how I’m adamant that I be known as Sitting Owl, even though very few (other than my real friends and two staff exceptions) used that name. One of the very dedicated and enthusiastic student doctors, I think Nick Barrett, remembered and called me by that name when he came to do another thorough interview with Rodney.
7. And then there’s the note saying that I’m a shaman, but in brackets was written Alternative belief or religion or something that sounded very tongue in cheek.
Later on I think it was John a cardiologist who listened to me as I corrected the false information, he seemed to understand me, but then again I have no idea what he wrote down also.
The day I went for my 2nd Ultrasound everyone was running around like chooks with their heads cut off and my appointment was postponed a number of times. When I eventually got there the Ultrasound technician was discussing the madness with someone else and said that it was because the hospital computer had updated Windows.
Finally the Angiogram that they were frightened of doing after I was prepared ready for the surgery; the one that a few days later they had suggested that I go to Melbourne Alfred Hospital for because at least if something went wrong there they had better equipment to resuscitate me, must have apparently showed the same thing as the Ultrasound. So after it I was immediately (still in the recovery room) told I could go home today. Back in the ward nurses suggested that it might not happen until the next day since the canular (the 4th one with two unsuccessful attempts as well) was still in my arm and the splint to stop my artery from opening up and bleeding after the Angiogram should be left in for 24 hours. Another doctor, John the cardiologist came to the ward to tell me that the Angiogram showed the same result as the Ultrasound; and that although I’m being sent home they still want to do some other test (MRI I think) to see what might have caused the heart failure. I said, enough tests, I know that it was caused by a metaphysical broken heart even though I know that the medical profession doesn’t “believe” in such a thing. Although I think it was a nurse in the Angiogram surgery the first time I went in, that called it something in Japanese. So some medical people recognise it, just not formally.
Then there’s the situation with my carved stone owl around my neck that Gail, the head nurse or assisting doctor for the Angiogram wrote in her notes about how I refused to allow it be cut off, but I had explained the situation of it and that the same thing had been an issue in 2007 for the gastroscopy, but was left on. When the imaging technician came into surgery with an earlier image take on that huge screen with it around my neck showing me that it did show up with great detail. I again told him the situation of the difficulty of having to re braid a new cord to put it back on and agreeing that it can moved any way if he likes, but that if need be he can cut it off, like I had also mentioned to Gail. The stone stayed in my mouth for the duration of the procedure, presumably with no detrimental effect.
All through my time there it was obvious how much the system relies on the ever fallible technology that is getting more complex to operate; medications rather than “let food be your medicine and your medicine be food”; and using protocol and rules, assuming everyone to be the same instead of asking what the patient wants, or is comfortable with. They say that we must treat others as we wish to be treated, but in that case, you wouldn’t want to meet a masochist. The saying would be more effective if it said; “treat others as they wish to be treated.” That means we must ask how anyone wishes to be treated! Again good honest and clear communication is the key to any relationship.
When the time came to prepare me to leave I was asked “Are you comfortable (or happy) to go home”, but when I said that I was not as there was: still a cannula in my arm; a splint on my other wrist (Zai even cut my chicken schnitzel for me); someone from the feedback staff had promised me a phone call from them; and a social worker who had promised to have people discuss matters with me regarding my support at home and having no means of coming into town for at least 4 follow up appointments, etc. etc., had not happened; I was ignored, had the cannula and splint quickly removed and sent home, with the warning that if the artery started to bleed I should hold my thumb on it to try and stop it, but if it kept bleeding to call an ambulance. No wonder the ambulance service is stretched to the limit too.
21st Aug My first full day and evening at home and I’m not feeling much better than when I went in; and as some who know me, even going into town is a big deal for me; I must have been desperate to do so. This time it might be that on top of a weak heart that still needs a lot of care and healing I’m sure I also have a flu that I probably picked up from the hospital. Last time I had a flu was 2018 when two friends visited after attending Confest. As I finish here on the night of 24th I’m still short of breath (especially since I’m sitting relaxed typing) and still suffering a flu, with some pain in my right groin that might be my back out of place as it sometimes gets (long story there too); or maybe something wrong in my prostate, which occasionally plays up, but I often associate that with my bad back also; especially when I can’t do the stretches I used to do regularly. I also have a very stiff neck, but then I’ve also spent most the day at my computer. Also I’m now aware of a fairly constant pain of 1-2 out of 10 in my heart that was only occasionally felt as a 1 before, but my attention has been focused on it ever since I knew my problem was my heart and not my lungs. Hawaiian shaman principle MAKIA says: “Energy flows where attention goes.” (Focus).
Some thoughts
I was not told what each test has shown etc. Not much clear communication. It seems that the doctors just want the next test for them to “hopefully” and “maybe” (their favourite words) understand more or to justify their job.
Wherever possible the elderly should be treated in their familiar environment as there were a number of occasions of elderly people wondering around not knowing where they were, including one lady that wondered in and asked if she could hop into bed with me; I was tempted.;) And one old fellow whom on two occasions had to be escorted by guards out of the ward. I think I heard a nurse say that he was doing inappropriate things. And one lady in my room had a husband in the Stawell Hospital, but I think they were trying to get them both to Ararat so that they can be together. Separation is a big part of the big worldwide system and the slave master’s tactics of divide and conquer that leads to mind control, but it’s devastating on the spirit and consciousness of mankind.
I’m not sure why the meal times make the length between dinner and breakfast so long, but in my case I always felt that I was starving by breakfast time. Maybe instead of dinner at 5 pm 7 pm would be better; at least then it would only be 12 hour till breakfast. I guess that might be due to economics of shift changes.
The ultimate solution for myself & humanity is that we need a sense of community (more like Rat Park) and an understanding of nature, not technology. We need good relationships not business (politics, economics etc.)
“Man should not be in the service of society [or any tool or technology]; society should be in the service of man. When man is in the service of society, you have a monster state, and that's what is threatening the world at this minute… Certainly, Star Wars has a valid mythological perspective. It shows the state as a machine and asks, "Is the machine going to crush humanity or serve humanity?" Humanity comes not from the machine but from the heart.”
~Joseph Campbell
I need others to respect me and understand my potential as I’m sure that’s what broke my heart in the first place; Andrea leaving me was just the last straw. 1 or 2 people do understand 30% of my potential but most only 3% at best, but there is no one here living with me taking full advantage of what I have to offer to humanity. No one holistically. To understand more, read and ask or discuss it with me. Better still, be my apprentice shaman, if I can still teach heart and physically wise.
Post Hospital Care
The first two things that need to be said here is that like the nurses in general, the people here are very supportive, considerate and understand that what they do is very important. The really understand the meaning of communication and relationships. The second thing is that they seem to love acronyms.
The first to ring me was Narrell of PAC (Post Acute Care) who was to coordinate and instigate all other post hospital care needed. She was very thorough and left me feeling well supported. The next was Rachel from MECWA Care, which was established by the Malvern Elderly Citizens’ Welfare Committee and was an organisation that started in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern 65 years ago as help and support to older people and later as support to patients leaving hospital before they were fully recovered. A community caring for its members and probably a recognition that hospitals were discharging patients before they were fully recovered. They have since spread Victoria wide. In only one day Rachel had organised someone to come and visit to help out with any domestic help I needed and was unable to do for myself. She had organised 4 visits of one hour over the next 4 weeks, but of course the first thing was to have the person coming to find me. That’s a story in itself.
Then just the other day I was contacted by Claire of HARP (Hospital At Risk Program) and she probably has the biggest job of all. She will see that all the post hospital follow up appointments at the Cardiac clinic, Respiratory clinic and one other are coordinated to hopefully coincide on the same day so that I only have to go to town once.
Claire will also find myself another GP as the one I saw at the Eureka Medical Clinic was hopeless and never gave me a chance to discuss any of my many concerns about medications; some occasional pain in my groin; a way or machine I can get to check my own heart rate and blood pressure; or what I might consider too high or too low measurements for me and to see how I’m recovering with the medications I’m on. When I discussed the Nitro Glycerine medication, it was obvious that she was accepting the diagnosis of Angina. Claire said that they have received quit a few complaints about the Eureka Medical Clinic and that she would look into getting me another GP elsewhere.
She even said that she would begin the long process and waiting time to be assessed by the government ‘My Aged Care’ for any future and long term home care I might need. It sounded like HARP can organise other forms of help needed too, so I look forward to an interview (at my home) to assess everything that can help me. Again the first obstacle there is getting a map of my place to her as the first email didn’t get to her. She though it might be due to their firewall. And there’s that limitation and complication of technology again!
 
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