MY VISIT AWAY

The wall of windows in my hospital room did not show the usual scenery; we could not see the foothills which are not far away, because of the heavy smoke from the fires west of this location. Saint Alphonsus is a beautiful hospital, nine floors tall, with a huge curving façade, and the rooms were full.

I found the most comfortable bed to be the one I had in the Emergency room. But I didn’t notice it the night of my admission (Tuesday); I was too full of pain. Time came when I was able to make a joke with an audience of three or four. I complained about the typical uncomfortable hospital bed. Then I said, “I’m used to a Temper-PEDIC bed.” After a moment, I added, “When I become Empress, I’ll give everyone a Temper-PEDIC mattress.” After another moment for them to swallow that foolishness, I closed with, “My middle name is Trump.” That got the laughs.

But when I returned home on Friday, and took the new prescription that night, I wanted that uncomfortable hospital bed, for I was in pain and seeing hallucinations (sheets of music which I could read in the dark)! I didn’t sleep, of course, and the concierge downstairs was able to reach my primary doctor Saturday morning. He said, “Get her back into the hospital.” To the Emergency room I went again and enjoyed a beautiful situation.

Almost as soon as I got into the examination room, in came the doctor with his full team. The curtain was closed fully and no one interrupted the procedure. The doctor never left me to see another patient.

The tall, slender Japanese doctor introduced himself as Dr. Kim. No one else talked. Except me, of course. He asked me questions. Then everyone was quiet.

How strange to see three of the team busy with their respective machines in silence. They all wore blue, one of my shades of blue, “grayed navy,” not looking like the ordinary hospital uniforms. They looked dressed up!

The doctor stood on my right, near the foot of my bed; a guy on my left was the only one who smiled. He wore a gorgeous blue-flowered shirt, the design beautiful enough for a lady’s long party dress.

To the right of the doctor was a young lady, her dark hair up and out of her face.  A “halo” of tiny reddish flowers (as far as I could tell) framed the pretty face.  She faced the same way as the doctor and never looked at me or said a word while there.

After typing in some information, Dr. Kim began consulting his little pocket machine. I knew he was looking for a different drug for me. I spoke up and asked the young man at the head of the bed, “Where’s your machine?” He laughed and said he didn’t have one. Perhaps he hadn’t graduated yet. He had the job of moving the bed , if necessary, for the other three were professionals.

The rooms were the same colors as the attire of the personnel, the same blue on the railings on my bed, the perfect contrasting walls, an off white, gray, blue, whatever, take your pick.  

The point I want to make is that this doctor had apparently trained his team to know their places, look great, work efficiently, and not talk. I wonder if other doctors at St. Al’s are doing this.

I would like to tell you more about this scene, but it’s almost 11:30. Time to sleep.  ♥