The Return
Topic: Observe if you will....
If you've ever been in a hospital for an extended amount of time you'll understand this. You lose track of everything. You don't know what day it is, what time it is, what the weather is like, anything. You mark time by what meds you have to take, or what day was this or that done, etc. "I got my stitches out on Wednesday, so, what day is it today?"

The staff changes, some faces you see more than once, some never again. Every new doctor or nurse who sees you gets evaluated, "Do I like this nurse? What do I think about this doctor?" If you don't like them, odds are they will be gone forever in the next 12 hours so not such a big deal. How important it is that you like your care staff tends to hinge on what's being done on their shift. If this nurse is going to be in charge of starting your IV, changing all your meds, being with you as you writhe in pain for 8-10 hours, whether you like them and think they are competent makes a bigger difference than it does for the nurse that is going to be bringing in your dinner and changing your sheets.

Televisions are everywhere in the big city hospital. We don't get much for broadcast TV out here in Wakefield so you'd think that with constant TV news streaming into the room you'd feel more connected to things going on outside the hospital but you don't.

Sometimes you may start to feel territorial about the hospital if you stay long enough. You get mad when the security guard asks you what room you are in, or what room you are visiting, and tell you that you have to have a pass after 9pm to get in. "I live here you moron, I'm not a visitor! I've been here for two weeks and didn't need a pass! Let me see YOUR pass!"

It's like it's your home and you start referring to it as such if you get to leave at some time during your stay. "Yeah, call me later, I should be home-in my room I mean-after about 6."

You start walking out of your room with no shoes on and don't think twice about it. Stroll down the hall in your pajamas when you are perfectly able to dress in regular clothes because you just don`t care anymore. It's sucks to be in the hospital.

Sorry for the long absence, I hope that the few of you out there reading won't give up. I'm still here.


Tomorrow I may try to mow. My grass is about a foot high. I have a few thoughts about mowing I'll share later. Take care.

-Wakefield