August 19, 2026
Day 20 – Bad News, Good News, Great News! – Kindness Matters. Listening Matters. Caring Matters.
Bad news, good news, great news!
Bad News: Since I got out of the ICU, I’ve been to the doctor/Urgent Care/ER six times, and it has been a bit discouraging. My body had an E. coli infection, but after two courses of antibiotics, my fever and drenching sweats continued. On Saturday, we went back to the ER, and they said I needed to stay for a few days and do every test possible to find the source of the problem. The hospital is where I’m at right now.
Good News: After extensive blood work, CT scans, and X-rays, they found that my E. coli infection had jumped to my blood, and I have sepsis. They have also concluded that I am suffering from serum sickness, a reaction to the massive doses of anti-venom serum that I received. The fix is IV antibiotics and steroids.
Great News: We finally know what’s wrong, and they know how to treat it! After the drug resistance test comes back tomorrow, and if they can find an oral antibiotic that is effective, I can go home.
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Just before I got snake bit, I happened to be watching the Netflix series called “Best Medicine,” a remake of Doc Martin. Here’s a summary of the show:
When Dr. Martin Best (Josh Charles) moves from Boston to Port Wenn, the cozy coastal Maine town where he vacationed as a kid, he expects a quieter life — one in which he’s bothered less by humans, a populace he’d prefer to avoid. But upon arriving he realizes that no one in this town — not even the scruffy dog that keeps barging into his new private practice — seems to know how to leave him alone.
The comedy-drama series Best Medicine, based on the British show Doc Martin, follows Dr. Best as he attempts to acclimate to small-town life. Unfortunately, given his recently acquired phobia of blood and his innate aversion to social interactions, the citizens of Port Wenn may push him to his breaking point.
In the first episode, the town council is interviewing Doc Martin for the position of town doctor and when he is asked about his bedside manner, he replies “I make people well, and they like that.“ And of course his answer reveals that he has absolutely no bedside manner!
I have run into many skilled doctors and specialists in these last three weeks, and I am grateful that they made me well, but the ones that I remember most are the ones who listened to me, who were kind, and showed their humanity.
My wife is a family practitioner and everyone loves Dyan. And why? They like her because she listens and cares. We “lay people“ don‘t really have a way to evaluate our doctor‘s skills, but we do know if we feel heard and feel genuinely cared for.
I had a “Doc Martin“ type doctor on a follow up for my hand. A pretty cold personality, no sense of humor, and pretty dismissive of ideas other than his. In our meeting with him, Dyan brought up two possibilities for the cause of my problem, and each was quickly dismissed. We did not feel heard and consequently we did not care for the doctor. And now, the two suggestions Dyan had made, were correct and that‘s what we’re addressing now.
Listening matters. Kindness matters. Caring matters.
And not just with doctors.
Sending you many prayers for a speedy recovery.
Stay strong Cole and hugs and bravo to Dyan for her amazing diagnostics skillz! Good vibes to troubled docs who are suffering themselves… May they also heal. Some day we must see this transformation within your bloodstream and body for all the things it’s been!!! There is a story there, and a whole lot more. As a wise Paiute elder always said- “Ask for strength, wisdom and understanding.”
“Make it good.”and “Don’t get lost.”
Be well Cole!!!
Glad you are on your road to recovery. It’s been quite an ordeal based on your posts.
Sometimes life happens while we’re making other plans. That’s how we respond and recover that matters and perhaps what we learned in the process.
Good luck with your new treatments and the opportunity to go home in a day or two.
Thank you for the update, but I’m so sorry to hear that you got worse before starting to get better again. At least it is known what has been going on and a solution is available. Stay positive and keep resting.
Thank you Cole for the follow up.
Your in my prayers and i know that day to day, it will be better. Your wife is here to help . It is a real chance that you have !
Salutations
Canada
Wow. I’m set back, and also moved forward. You are amazing Cole. Thank you for sharing your wonderful, caring insights. My thoughts and prayers are coming to you, no ND filters, just RAW love!
Cole,
We are praying for your complete recovery. Thank you for sharing and being transparent. You are courageous!
Congratulations on your latest collection of photos published in LensWork!
Garry and Susan
Cole,
Your words about listening, kindness, and caring really touched me because that is exactly how I remember you.
When I took your workshop four years ago, you didn’t just teach me about photography—you listened to me. You were patient, kind, and genuinely interested in helping me see differently and grow as a photographer. I have never forgotten that.
You have made a difference in my photography, but more importantly, you made a difference because of the way you treated me.
I’m so glad they finally have answers and a path forward for you. Dennis and I are sending you and Dyan lots of love and hoping you are home very soon.
Sophia
SO grateful. Thank you and many thanks to your sweetie.
Hoping the Great News gets you back to full health!
Your have been going through a terrible ordeal but it’s easier to tolerate if y.ou know what is going on and there is a way to take care of it. Good luck to you.
I look forward to your always informative and inspiring emails.
And your comments about doctors are spot on.
Dennis Wack
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Glad to hear you are on a road that leads to recovery. What a tough go. Thanks for sharing.
Doctors are a strange lot indeed. My naive belief (I’m only 69 years old) is that the better the doctor, the colder and sterner personality would appear. But I guess they just may be arrogant.
I found the support staff at my hospital extremely helpful and caring. I wrote a letter on Google Maps praising them.
Good luck and I look forward to more updates.
Dwayne
Cole (and Dyan),
Good to hear that you’re well on the road to full recovery, or so I interpret this message. A couple of ‘roadblocks’ (of a sort) to be sure, but it looks like the ‘end ot the tunnel’ is pretty close now.
It does help to be listened to, and I think it would be especially helpful in situations like what you’re going through now. It doesn’t cost anything to ‘lend an ear,’ and anything that improves one’s attitude during such situations is always a good thing, right?
Hang in there, Cole. One day soon, ALL of this will be iin the past, and everything from that point on wil just get better and better, day by day.
Cole, I sure hope that the worst of this saga is behind you now. Having a traumatic experience surely makes one more sympathetic to the plight of others. I had my own 40 years ago and it changed my life completely. Making lemonade out of lemons is the key.
I know exactly what you are referring to: a doctor who doesn’t listen and is ultimately found to be wrong. It happened to me with a large intestinal blockage (my eighth and third since a previous surgery), where I was forced to demand that surgery be done rather than simply trying to clean out the large intestine. The surgery determined that my intestine had collapsed at the previous surgery and never would have healed and only got worse. The surgeon never did recognize her error, even when pressed by me.
I was greatful , reading previous posts, that you were recovering from the snake bite. Not easy and all too often not recoverable. To be back in the ER with a new serious infection seems somehow unfair.
We are told life is unfair but sometimes we need a break and you deserve one. I am optimistic that the doctors are on the right track and you will be out of the woods soon.
I worked in the bio-medical field and have interacted with many doctors having very different personalities. Unfortunately, some of the good ones were cold with massive egos. However, the ones I remember, the ones I built a relationship with were caring , sympathetic and still excellent doctors. I don’t remember the others. A bit of kindness, sympathy and the willingness to sit with a patient and listen goes a long way to help someone that is ill.
I hope you are on the way to a speedy recovery and hope you get back behind the lens soon.
AL
When will the movie be out, my friend? This has been quite the adventure, eh? finding out what the malady is is key, as you know.
I do hope you get home soon, sir. We need you out here!
So glad to hear you now have a diagnosis….you have been through so much the past few weeks! Continuing to sending you healing thoughts and a quick recovery.
Glad you are feeling better! ❤️❤️❤️ what a time you have had!
sorry to hear you’ve had additional trouble, but happy they have discovered the problem.
you’re absolutely right about md’s. some of them don’t exhibit any amount of caring and others do. in nyc, more and more it seems to be the former.
you’re very lucky to have dyan and that she was home!
keep us posted!
Fingers crossed you will be going home soon. What a nightmare.
Wishing you continued strength through this lengthy journey. Hopeful an oral antibiotic is identified so you can continue your recovery at home. Thank you for keeping us posted on your health. Will keep you in our thoughts and prays.
Thankful that you are better and that the educated class is getting closer to a solution for your issues. Solid!
Now we know how your exotic shoots are financed. Thank God for benevolent GPs.
Hang in there, Cole! Yes, a caring doctor who listens makes all the difference in the world. I’ve had my fair share of hospital stays and doctors and the ones I remember most are those who cared. I do remember one who had no bedside manners too, unfortunately.
I think you’re the first person I am acquainted with who has declared his sepsis is good news. And I absolutely love that it is, and I wish a smoother roller coaster of a recovery from here on out.
Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing so much with us.
Kindest regards!
Cole, Thank you for the update. I am so sorry that you had to go through so much to find out what was going but happy that it is treatable. I continue to send you my healing thoughts your way.
Diane
Thank you for your update, Cole. We care about you!
Thanks for the update. Hoped for better news, but hopefully you are on the mend. You help me to feel grateful for the good health I have despite various and sundry minor ailments associated with old age. Give Dyan a nice hug when you are able. I’ve never met her, but she sounds like a super partner.
Good luck on your continued recovery.
I too have experienced doctors who don’t listen. Maddening when it turns out eventually that you were right all along.
Just finished watching Best Medicine. Great show.
Wow, Cole, all that is a lot to take.
All my hopes are with you for a full and successful recovery.
I guess you’ll have to listen to Dyan now! 🙂
Look after yourself.
I’m so sorry to hear that the snake bite was just the beginning of a struggle to stay alive! Little did you know that deciding to breathe would require such a battle. But hold that intention and you’ll beat it.
You have plenty of kind friends who are rooting for you !❣️
What an ordeal, sorry you had to go through all of this-are still going through it. Keep the posts coming, they good reminders to us all to be grateful.
Hoping you are well on the way to recovery now and will be back home soon! And so true about doctors – listening and caring matter so very much!!
Sorry to hear that there has been another large bump in the road. Very pleased to hear that things are now smoothing out. Your comments on bedside manner are spot on. Wishing you steady healing.
Thank you, Cole, for sharing this precious update about your health with us — those of us who have learned so much from you. I am glad that you are well again.
What you say about your experience with healthcare is so important. As patients, we may not be able to judge a doctor’s technical skills, but we do know when we are being listened to, when we are treated with kindness, and when someone genuinely cares.
I remember a story from Albania. A very sick woman was being examined by a group of highly respected doctors. Each of them suggested a different diagnosis. A hospital cleaner happened to be present and, from what she had observed, said: “I think this woman has jaundice.” The doctors listened — and she was right.
That story has stayed with me. It reminds me that communication matters, and so does humility. No matter how advanced medical science becomes, no one professional can fully understand the unique organism and experience of every individual.
Healthcare needs this culture of listening and humility. And nurses are especially important in creating it. Perhaps that is why this vision resonates with me: “Nurses: A Voice to Lead — A Vision for Future Healthcare.”
Thank you for reminding us that healing is not only about making the right diagnosis or providing the right treatment. It is also about making a human being feel seen, heard, and cared for.
You are certainly going through a lot at the moment. Hopefully this new treatment will work and you will recover soon.
Best of luck
We are all thinking about you here in Melbourne, Florida … positive vibes as you recover, Take it easy… But Take It !
being a nurse i find those kind of doctors difficult to commu nicate withg and usually resort to If this was your mother/father how would you feel if they continued to be sick almost died and you then get dismissed when you question the doc. Sometimes that helps
Hi Cole, I think the last two sentences that you wrote are some of the best medicine for not just doctors or individuals, but for our entire society. Thank you for sharing with clarity your status and observations while you are going through this horrible ordeal. So happy to hear though that you are receiving the right treatment now!
Please keep fighting and tell Dyan we love her for all she has done and is doing and will do!
Just reading your update and very glad to hear that you are getting the right treatment and that you are being well looked after – stay strong
While I hate to see you going through this, I admire your strength. Being a caregiver for my husband for many years, I also admire Dyan’s strength. You make a great team! Maybe those crabby doctors need a new vision!
Wow! The epic goes on! Besides kindness and humanity, persistence and advocacy is very important. Dyan’s instinct and knowledge played an important role in the tests that that followed, and treatments that started in the nick of time! What a journey for both of you! Wishing you strength for the recovery!
Hi, Cole. Fortunately, they have found the right medication. We are happy for you, that things are going in the right direction. And you can be happy with such a partner as Dyan! Greetings from Friesland.
Hi Cole,
So glad you are on the mend.
The Doc Martin series here in the UK sounds a little different to yours and as is often the case perhaps somewhat lost in its US remake. Yes he is cold but happens to be the best diagnostician there is and fearsome in his support for a patient. We have a GP like that, he fixes you but not in a warm and cosy way, but he does listen. I think he’s the best clinician in our local GP practice. We also have socialised medicine which although not perfect none of us would change. Time the US had proper health care free at the point of delivery don’t you think? People before bombs and billionaires is perhaps too much to ask!
I am an Ovarian Cancer Survivor, 36+ years. I had great doctors and no so great doctors. I have fired two in my life time and I made sure they knew why I was firing them. Bedside manners and not listening was the problem. Another one did not fire but made him listen to me. I was told later by the staff that Dr L. was better around other patients. He listen to me. I know Surgeons are know to have no bedside manners and maybe that is what makes them great surgeons. I know that I don’t feel care for if they don’t listen to me. Doctors are not Gods and they don’t know everything. A good doctor has to look at all angles and sometimes think outside of the box. But most of all they need to listen to their patients and family members. I am so sorry you are having to go through this. May God give you the strength to get through this.
What a ride you have had over the past several weeks. Stop trying to pick up snakes! 🙂 I am very glad to hear you are on the recovery road. We need you. Good health and a good weekend to you, man.
I’m glad you’ve figured it out and I wish you the best of luck in your recovery.
I’m so sorry you had to go through all that, but very thankful you can finally see healing in your future! I have almost stepped on a couple of baby rattlesnakes while hiking, and now I am even more grateful that they slithered away as fast as they could! Praying for your full recovery!!
So sorry for all that you have been through, Cole. It seems to be never-ending…but, hopefully, you’ll soon be home and on the road to recovery. Sending healing thoughts and hugs.