For the majority of his life, Dr. Brian Hummel repaired the rhythm of the soul's most sacred drum.
"Early on, I would wake up dreaming about operating," said Hummel.
Operating on hearts suddenly stopped when Hummel's focus got foggy.
"My wife will look across and see a neighbor in the window," said Hummel. "I can't see the neighbors. I can't recognize faces from a distance."
After 10,000 surgeries within 35 years of practice, Hummel became partially blind.
Although retired, his pursuit of stitching together hearts led him to stitch together stories.
"The ability to transform somebody's day-to-day existence into something else is exciting," said Hummel.
Hummel turned the trials of his career into a fictionalized history novel called "Toxic Intent."
Hummel explained that having emergencies during surgery happens, but having emergencies related to a medicine you're giving is something else.
Hummel writes about operating on his patients with a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that had sinister consequences for his patients.
"They traced it all back to this manufacturer in China," said Hummel.
That's where his medical mystery begins. Writing was a way for Hummel to share his heart after mending the hearts of so many others.
"I felt very proud that stomping my foot saying, 'We've got to do something' had an impact," said Hummel.
Performing surgery and now writing novels helps Hummel navigate the pulse of life.
"There is this intimate connection to somebody else's life," said Hummel. "You're talking about their whole life and relationships. I just feel like we're all fragile."
Hummel's book is available to purchase on Amazon.