It’s official! Dad scored an early release from the hospital and is now sitting on his back patio enjoying this beautiful sunny day! Mom had their bags packed and loaded in the car, dad was changed into his street clothes, all while waiting for the final IV to finish so they could hit the road to home. This concludes his fourth chemo treatment and fifth hospital stay in the past 13 weeks. We become more educated on what to expect with each stay but that doesn’t mean things improve with each stay. For example, we have the admission process down pat, know our way around the seventh floor, and know to have plenty of things to ‘entertain’ ourselves while there…books, phone, iPod, laptop and dad’s newest play pretty….an iPad! Some of the things that don’t necessarily change or improve are shift changes, money-eating vending machines, and sleepless nights. With this in mind I have come up with the following:
Top 10 Reasons to Avoid the Hospital
1. Being in the hospital usually means you are hurt or sick and who wants to be either of those??
2. Hospital gowns….seriously have you seen those things? They leave a lot to be covered and they are certainly not fashionable at all. That’s why dad bring his own coordinating pajamas! (Courtesy of his wife and daughters..he always looks good!)
3. Hospital food…..Let’s just say that even though you may have a variety to choose from, the likelihood of you receiving your food hot probably depends on how close your room is to the kitchen. And it may be due to the chemo…but dad says it has no flavor at all. I’m not very daring when it comes to food tasting so l will have to take him at his word.
4. Sleep….You aren’t staying at the Hilton and you can’t hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your door, so don’t count on getting a good night’s sleep. It’s sure to be interrupted so they can do all those important things like make sure you are still breathing, taking your temp, pulse and the occasional blood draw.
5. IV Poles….Being hooked up to one of these things is almost the equivalent to putting a pet on a leash. You only have so much freedom to move about. They can also hamper your efforts when trying to make a mad dash to the bathroom....just sayin!
6. Speaking of bathrooms….Urine collection definitely needs to be added to the list.
First of all, who really wants to have to ‘collect’ their own urine? This requires a little preparation…so when the urge hits you better get moving to the bathroom and hope that IV lines are long enough to let you get there (See #5) or that you are operating on batteries!
7. Room Temperature….Be advised, hospitals like to keep things nice and chilly. So you might want to take that into consideration when you are selecting what PJ’s you want to wear. Also a scarf, gloves and electric blanket might be serviceable options to consider when packing for an extended stay as well.
8. TV… It’s great that most hospital rooms have TV’s. It’s kind of hard to keep up with your favorite TV shows when you don’t have a program guide to know what channels you have. I guess TV watching shouldn't really be priority in the hospital but you have to do someting to pass the time. :)
9. Hospital Beds….Otherwise known as a 4 inch thick piece of vinyl that occasionally has air blowing through it. A stack of cardboard would likely be more comfortable than the hospital mattresses that we have experienced. I can assure you that the hospital mattresses do not come from Sealy Posturepedic!
10. Nurses/Techs….. I can assure you that a good hospital stay is largely dependent on the quality and personality of the nurses and techs that are assigned to you. We are thankful because we have had some of the best nurses and techs during dad’s stay. However, there is one nurse’s name that will not be soon forgotten (make that two). I respect the hard work they do and know they deal with many different types of people and situations on a daily basis. I’ll just say that a smile and pleasant attitude can go along way with a patient.
Now my top 10 things were listed in fun as much as seriousness, so I do hope that patients and their families can appreciate the hard work that goes into caring for them. I also hope that nurses and caregivers can appreciate that without patients there would be no need for them. Our family has gone out of the way to be helpful without hindering them from getting their job done. (In some cases doing their job--refer back to #6, but it's all good)
On that note, I imagine dad must have clicked the heels of his beige slippers saying ‘There is no place like home’ after getting the news of early release today! And I for one have to agree… There Is No Place Like Home!
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
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