Skip to main content link. Accesskey SSkip to tab navigation link. Accesskey 1Skip to sub navigation. Accesskey 2

                                                                                                                      Yard:   Pool:   Keg:   Crib: More Weather

    Blogs


    What Hitch Taught Me
       posted on 12/16/2011
    Disturbing Things That I Don't Want to Acknowledge
       posted on 11/14/2011
    Minivans, News and More Proof That I Am a Jackass
       posted on 10/28/2011
    The Danger in Thinking that Everything Happens for a Reason
       posted on 10/04/2011
    Reactions to News of Twin Sightings
       posted on 09/23/2011
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       posted on 09/15/2011
    Thoughts on One Year of Fatherhood
       posted on 08/30/2011

    Comments


    Nostalgia Kegerator
       02/01/2012 by .
    Nostalgia Kegerator
       01/31/2012 by JimC
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       09/20/2011 by Long Lost Aunt Sandy
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       09/16/2011 by muchgooder
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       09/15/2011 by Bob
    Religulous
       09/14/2011 by muchgooder
    Religulous
       09/08/2011 by Bob

    Scenes from a hospital


    Created on Tuesday, August 19, 2008        Bookmark and Share

    Home -> Blog -> 2008 -> August


    I spent part of this evening visiting my good friend David. David had the horrible misfortune of being being hit by a drunk driver a couple of months ago and then having some awful complications from the resulting surgeries. Thankfully he is doing much, much better these days on his long road to recovery. This week is also the three month anniversary of one of the most amazing and vibrant people that I have ever met. Jennifer Lindley was someone that considered me a friend and for this I will forever consider myself to be fortunate.

    Tonight was the first time that I had stepped in a hospital since the last time I saw Jennifer. The thought hadn't occured to me until I approached Buffalo General from down the street. I was surprised by the sadness that came over me as I walked through the main door. While I enjoyed seeing my good friend, the last few weeks of her life were difficult to witness as both her body and her consciousness were eaten away by cancer. My visit today with David wiped away some of the awful feelings that I have toward hospitals. While David has had an awful few weeks his overal prognosis is good and he looked much better than I had expected him to look.

    As I drove home I reflected on my last several trips to the hospital. Not to sound like a "Live" song but there really is such an array of life experiences that one can witness at a hospital. Life coming, life going, happiness, sadness, etc. It is all right there in front of you.

    When I was in 7th grade a slipped and fell on my lawnmower and severely burned my hand. After three hours of being told by my father to rub butter on it (after he went out and finished the lawn, of course) I was taken to the hospital. I had almost no skin left on my hand and it was unlike any pain that I'd ever felt. The lovely doctor in the emergency room told me that I should shut up because he treated people with burns that covered most of their body. Thanks, doc.

    But I also thought of so many more stories that were nothing like that. Jennifer was in the hospital for the last several weeks of her life and at no point was she ever alone. Her friends set up vigils by her bed, day and night, and even though she slept almost all day before she passed she was never alone. Her husband David was there 90% of the time and I am still in awe of that. Even tonight I witnessed people visiting David's roommate, each of them entering the room with big smiles on their faces. The one woman that was in the room when I entered look like she had been in the room for several days and would probably and gladly be there for several more.

    Having said that, I could never imagine working in a hospital. It seems like each of the workers there fits into one of two categories - amazing or heartless. I remember the few months that my mother worked at Children's Hospital. She would come home every night in tears until she had to find a new job to save her sanity.

    Anyway... I can't think of anything else that brings out such mixed emotions.


    Champions   More in AUGUST   Thank You for the Well Wishes

    Add Comment
    Name:
    Comments:


    Skip to main content link. Accesskey S