Memories of Hospital

 The day of surgery I left home before dark, if I remember correctly I was to be there at 7. Liam drove me and dropped me at the door while he went to park. I found my way to the locked admissions department and joined the group of nervous patients.

An elderly man came along after asking a cleaner for directions. The cleaner was generous and kind to this obviously nervous old man and I thought it was wonderful that this man who had a floor to mop somewhere in the vast hospital had taken the time to walk the man to the door. The old man continued to pace, make phone calls and demand to speak to the clerical staff. He was verging on rudeness until it became apparent that his pushy anxiety was for a very good reason: he had a letter asking him to be here on this day but he wasn't on the admissions list.

I was soon called to have my pre-surgical checks done. I was given a gown and non-slip socks to put on and the clothes I had put on only an hour or two before were tossed into a plastic "patients clothing" bag. Clothes, shoes and walking stick were all handed over to Liam. I gave my bag including phone, money and other personal effects to a nurse. Only a few minutes passed before a porter came with a bed. I looked up at a clock. It was 7:50am. 

"What time will I be in theatre?" I asked

"The first one usually starts by 8:30am"

In the anaesthetic bay, a young doctor tapped away on my hands, trying to get veins to be visible.

She tapped, tapped, tapped, hands, wrist, elbow. It was too cold and I hadn't eaten. I could see people in theatre, getting ready. Someone asked if I knew how I respond to anaesthetic. My team was in a meeting and there would be a delay......

A man came and said he would give me a sedative because I was tense. And I thought I was doing so well!

It was 8:50am.

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When I woke up the first thing I did was ask for a bed pan. The second first thing I did was ask if my family had been phoned. It was 12:20pm. 

My possessions hadn't arrived yet but they would soon. I dozed a little, sat up, looked at my bandages, looked around. I was getting hungry but I was going to the ward soon, I'd get food up there.

A new patient arrived with uniformed escorts, his leg and wrist cuffed to the bed. It didn't take long for him to wake up and ask for pain killers. He named the drug he wanted. He raised his gown to show off the stab wound on his thigh. I'm not sure who he was showing but he wanted it to be seen.

Snowbrush recently posted about hospitals and in the resulting conversation commented that he hoped I would talk more about the hospital. I don't have much else to say so here we are.