Day 2 - 139 -- Reflections on Healthcare Experience

I've noted twice recently that I have a 'horse to the barn' feeling -- I just want to be home and not where I am. This has been particularly true while waiting to see health professionals. Waiting areas are soul-less.  The daily routine for people working with the constant line of damaged people must be wearing. However, one person  can make the industrial sterility of an ER soften a bit. A welcoming word is all it takes to put someone a bit more at ease by knowing that caring persons are taking charge. One person, the first you see, simply opened the door and stood looking at the three of us in the 'blue' chairs. One of the other women turned to me and said that the nurse was waiting for me. How was I to know? The overhead speaker had just called someone's name, so I thought that open door was for them. Once inside the triage office, things did not improve. I was happy that two days before my experience had been much more personal -- including a caring smile.  I wondered how this reception was interpreted by people unfamiliar with the equipment, language and processes of acute care settings. That gate-keeper role could set the tone of fear, confusion, and anger for many people that just need some reassurance.

TVs in waiting rooms in ER can be unpleasant -- too loud, poor channel choice, etc. When most folks are in major distress cartoons seem an odd choice. At the second institution, I moved from blue chairs, to beige chairs and finally to the coveted black chairs -- all 4 of them, so others were standing in the corridor. That area carried a tattered printed sign -- Fast Track Seating. Everyone snorted when they saw that -- perhaps that had been an attempt to make visitors smile -- yet seemed to offer false hope <smile>. Luckily not all caregivers encountered seemed disengaged and were more that helpful, kind and empathetic. I tend to address the absurdities of  situations which helps me smile and shows that I don't plan to be 'that' patient for anyone -- just seems sad when someone's day has made them 'that' ambassador for their dept, institution and the whole health care system.

Among the many new daily challenges has been sleeping -- not due to pain, but basic discomfort of having to sleep on my back and find a way to elevate a splinted arm to reduce swelling. For these past three nights I've slept 3-4 hours only. Today I was up at 4 am so did a number of tasks before finally falling asleep for another 4 hours about 9 am. I feel safer in the familiarity of my own home. Researchers have found that we recuperate faster and better from home than in a care facility. The song for today embodies that feeling of comfort and safety. Enjoy!

In my Room -- Beach Boys