Don’t get sick

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I’m not talking about the virus. It’s not a good time to get any kind of illness especially anything serious. I’m having a skin procedure in December just before Christmas. It’s the soonest appointment I can get. I’m worried they will again shut down all non-essential procedures. I’m worried that my doctor will get sick. I am less worried that I will get sick but it could happen with virus cases escalating exponentially. Lots of things to navigate until then all involve worry.

Yesterday I spent some time at the hospital as the personal uber and upbeat therapist (yeah, that was a stretch) for a beloved family member. We’ve had some health issues here. Any health issue requires tests up the wazoo (that’s a technical term).

Between all that’s gone on this year and my brother’s car accident a few years back, I’m well versed in the secrets of our local mega-hospital campus. I know where you can get a good parking space. I don’t like parking decks. People drive like maniacs and I get disoriented in them and lose my car.

There are a lot of others like me as the ground level lot parking lot is always full. I laugh at the cars driving around waiting for someone to leave. There is a ramp that goes down to a lower level that allows you to exit. That ramp has parking places and you can always get one. It’s no farther than any of the other spaces but I suppose nubies who don’t frequent the hospital, don’t know where it goes. Good for me. Keeps them out of my spots.

I know where all the bathrooms are. Yep, I’m good at that. There is a coffee shop. It’s not Starbucks but they sell Starbucks coffee. Yesterday I got to watch and was surprised at how little traffic they get. It may have been the timing, just before lunch.

There are long wide corridors great for walking. If I’m waiting for someone I prefer to be able to get up and walk the hallways. It makes my Fitbit happy and I’m all about that. They have benches (which have become rare) along the corridor making it good place to sit a bit.

There are various wings named after benefactors who funded them. I was surprised to see one named after the former CEO of one of the companies I worked for. I knew him well. He was cheap, niggling down an item at a charity flea market. Seriously? You can buy an island but you don’t want to pay $50 for a small doodad?

They have a new children’s wing. It’s very pretty and colorful. Nothing like where they put me when they yanked out my tonsils in the 1950s. That was something out of Dickens. I was very scared. I was young and it was the first time I was away from home.

All went well yesterday but there will be more trips. Maybe I can find more secrets. I’d love to find those supply closets where docs have all the sex (Grey’s Anatomy). I asked one of my docs about that and his response was “I wish.”

Stay healthy.

56 thoughts on “Don’t get sick”

  2. I can read between the lines and relate to every word of this. Not really trying to be shocking, but Aimee had to walk into the hospital on her own and have a mastectomy without anyone there for her. I think that day I realized that nothing medical will ever feel the same to me. The one thing that kept me from falling apart was knowledge that we are all going through this together. Somehow that kept me balanced (sort of). Staying healthy needs to be our goal, now more than ever.❤

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  3. Sending your beloved family member good wishes. I am glad things went well. I hope the more trips you mention prove to be conclusive and/or solve the issue. I would like very much to have you as my upbeat therapist. I am pretty sure it would come with humor and an attitude of ‘in charge” which would be very beneficial to my anxiety over being at the hospital. You do know the ins and outs and the right questions!

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    • I get a helpless feeling when it comes to medical stuff. Sometimes I’m like “why are you doing that test again? You did it 2 months ago and the results were inconclusive.” Then sometimes I’m like “have you done all the testing you can? If we can go to the moon why can’t we diagnose this?” So far we’ve been fortunate that I am allowed in. Virus numbers here are rising so I don’t know if that will change.

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    • They didn’t let my mother stay over night. After she left I was bewildered. I was very young. Back in those days, you didn’t do stay overs with relatives. At least we didn’t so it was scary. I still remember it. I was very young but I can’t remember how young. Maybe 8ish.

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  7. Hoping your family member is OK, and also that all goes well with your procedure! It’s never great having to get familiar with your local hospital, but when you do wind up going a lot it’s nice to know all the secrets to navigating it easily 🙂

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    • To be honest after I learned the ins and outs when my brother was in, I feel a lot more comfortable there. Just knowing where the bathrooms are, the cafeteria, the general layout and some short cuts helps. There are different wings so you have to be careful to go up in the correct elevator. I learned that too. There is a smaller hospital in town. I remember going there to pick someone up. The parking deck had a 2nd floor walkway into the hospital. Once I got over to the main building I couldn’t figure out how to get where I needed to be. I walked back to the parking deck, walked down the stairs and walked in the front door. Poor signage and poor planning.

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  8. Wishing your family member the best and sending good vibes for your December procedure … it’s like wishing for the moon and stars to be in perfect alignment to have this happen with the stats on the rise. Here they are on the rise as well, at a much faster rate than they expected it to be AFTER the holidays. They have renamed and retooled every major hospital around here – it seems I can’t go by a hospital without seeing renovations going on – hopefully all for the better.

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  10. I got that kind of intimate with the local hospital when my Mom was in for a month. I spent most nights in the hospital, eventually they moved her to a room with an empty bed so they didn’t keep having to mess with the cot and I slept in the hospital bed next to hers. I knew the fastest elevators, the fact that walking in through the lobby was a sucker’s move if you wanted to go to the ICU. That if you become a familiar face and act like you belong you can walk down the back short cut halls that are “staff only”. 20 years later my nephew ended up in that hospital and I found that they have changed things! I was inexplicably annoyed by it. 🤦‍♀️

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  11. I hope all goes well for your upcoming procedure and recovery ~~ navigating the Hospitals/parking ramps/one-ways is not for the feint of heart. And, like you, yes I’d rather get up and walk/move than sit in one of those hospital chairs – and why are they so uncomfortable anyways?

    Bests, MJ

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  13. I got to know a hospital/physicians’ office complex way more than I wanted to a few weeks ago. After dropping off the patient, I went looking for a parking place that provided quiet and enough light so I could read my book in peace. Over the course of about six or seven visits, I got to know the parking structures very well… and even had a favorite parking spot. Maybe I could give enough to the hospital to have that spot named after me?

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  16. The hospitals here are allowing only one designated visitor per patient. Fortunately, we have not had anyone in the hospital but I have spent my share of time around the local hospital visiting. It is important to know your way around! May your procedure go well in December and stay safe.

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    • This week I was in the Diagnostic Center, which while part of the hospital, in not in the main part. When I visited in September, I was the only one and I was quizzed on my relationship so there may be limits. I was just so grateful I was able to get in because initially it was patients only.

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  18. Patients only, unless needing a carer is the norm here. Parking in hospitals is currently free during the pandemic. We get a discount anyway as Hubby is disabled, but are usually lucky in finding a space. With all the visits to A&E we feel as if we have our own personal one now. Coffee shops were open for takeaways only but nowhere to sit in the corridors. Masks compulsory. Hubby had a good appointment yesterday for his eyes, everyone was well organised and their system worked. Makes me want to ask their admin manager o show our GP surgery a few things.

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    • Parking is always free in our hospital complex. It’s really big with many buildings that include doc offices, emergency, specialty sections like children and then the main hospital. Many decks and different parking lots all over. It’s intimidating at first. Masks are mandatory and you get screened at the doors. Temp is taken and you have to answer questions. I haven’t been stopped although they question why I am there. Yesterday instead of waiting in the waiting room, I waited in the corridor which is very large. I felt safer as there weren’t many people walking through. Glad Hubby’s eyes are ok. Well run and organized makes a difference. Doesn’t always happen at mine. They’re sense of time is off.

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      • The hospitals make a lot of money charging for their car parks. It works out about £1.50 an hour, but we pay £1.90 for all day (up to midnight then it flicks over and another £1.90 would apply as we discovered being there from 11pm until 3). Hubby gets his temp checked and answers their questions going to the surgery for his INR.

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  19. I was at a railway station recently and found I knew the person one of the engines was named after. He founded the charity where I volunteer. I am more used to people I have known becomming park benches or roads. It must be a sign of age.
    Our hospitals are filling up with covid patients again. My daughter who lives with us has just tested positive so we are isolating. Her first symptom was not being able to smell her harvest scented candle which sounds like the answer to what is the most pathetic reason someone has attended accident and emergency. She still does not have a cough.

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  21. Oh I’m surprised about someone with diagnosed melanoma not getting an “urgent” spot for surgery. WOW. Our hospital also doesn’t allow “non-patients” in – we’re on our own in there and in my case with my husband being the “anxious” type, I prefer being alone to getting his “anxious vibes” ! Nice of you to be uber/companion/cheerleading section for your family member – for those of us who do that for friends and family it might be a little thing but for them it means the world. Hang in there – you will get your surgery and be JUST FINE. And that’s me saying that without my cheerleader pom pom – I just “know” it !

    Hugs, Pam

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    • I was surprised about the melanoma diagnosis too. When I asked about the delay in my own surgery which was 3 months, she said if it was critical, they would get me in. The “crisis” started in September and I was surprised that I could get inside but I’m a family member.

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  22. I had a positive melanoma last year that was scraped by my GP. It took another four months, with my doctor referral, to get said melanoma removed by a dermatologist. I was anxious about it getting loose and running afoul. I also called other dermatologists but could not get earlier appointments. All to say this was before COVID so I understand your anxiety about all of it.

    Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________

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  23. wow you found a lot of interesting things… and the story of the flea market guy was thrilling … and we grinned about reading what this doc answered… for me hospitals are something from stephen kings stories, the best is we all will stay healthy forever and ever …

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  24. You saved the best for last in that post: “Hospital sex closets!” Hilarious that your doctor was not remotely phased.

    Non-patients aren’t allowed in hospitals here unless escorting a minor. No places to explore except the parking garage.

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