Get some rest, in a hospital...Right

April 3rd, 2010 - I recently spent some time in the hospital and once the immediate crisis was over and you move to recovery mode, the hospital is definitely not the place you want to be. Not because the food is bad, although it wasn't great. Not because the pillows are bad, I had mine brought from home. And not even because you have to share a room, I did not have to, I had my room all to myself. It is because a hospital is not at all a place to get some rest.

After being moved out of recovery and into Intensive Care, I thought, "thank God, I can finally get some rest and have folks quit probing and sticking me". WRONG! Seems the fun was just beginning. First of all I had a blood pressure cuff on my arm at all times, not so bad, however every 15 minutes the machine kicked off, and it felt like a boa constrictor was squeezing the life out of me. Just when my fingers were turning blue from lack of bloodflow, the cuff would release and the feeling would return to my fingers. As I finally regained my composure, Old Faithful would go off again. In addition to the blood pressure cuff, I also had a device on my finger that could measure my oxegen level, a tube in my nose to make sure I was getting oxegen, and an alarm on the oxegen machine, with the decipal level of a police siren, that sounded if the oxegen level was too low, or, as was usually the case, I happened to press on the tube in an effort to get comfortable. And of course, an intravenous line to supply the needed meds that could not be taken by mouth. This machine did not have a siren, just a steady beep that sounded everytime I moved my hand in a direction that 'kinked' the tube, which was often. All that takes place without nurse intervention, but of course, there is always nurse intervention. My perky nurse came in every 20 minutes or so, to check my output (you know what I mean), take my vitals, and check my wound site. My nurse also showed up every two hours with a syringe in tow, to draw the 2 or 3 vials of blood needed to repeat the tests they are keeping an eye on. You would think they could tap into the line that was already in my vein, but you would be wrong. No, seems they need to stick you each time so they have a clean draw! At one point between the beeping, and sticking, and the extreme pressure on my upper arm I almost fell asleep...only to be awaken to take my meds, one of which was a sleeping aid.

After three days I was ready to go home and was very excited about sleeping in my own bed. But, there are lessons I have learned. 1) Hospitals are great places to be when you really need 24 hour care. 2) I don't know how much money nurses make, but it isn't nearly enough. And 3) Your life can change in an instant, live each day to the fullest, count your blessings and....always carry earplugs with you, because you just never know when you may need them.