Posted by TexasChic on December 30, 2005, at 20:32:22
Yesterday I spent most of the day at the hospital. My mom had surgery, nothing serious, it was to repair a incision induced hernia. Everything went well. It was kind of upsetting because it reminded me of all the time I spent in the hospital with Grandmother (who passed away in June). But I managed. I have it down pat, you bring a sweater, a bottle of soda (caffeine to keep you awake), a bottle of water, food, and a book. With a cute little bag to put it all in of course. I use this same system for jury duty.
So after sitting for hours in an uncomfortable chair, in an uncomfortable place, the doctor finally comes out (who was young and cute by the way) and tells me my mother came through okay. So after seeing her and knowing everything is okay, I decide I can finally leave. Feeling utterly exhausted, I go in what I think is the direction of the elevators. Of course, it isn't. Have I mentioned I'm notorious for getting lost? Usually its driving, but I do it walking too. Its not the first or even second time I've gotten lost in a hospital either. Hospitals are an endless maze of identical white hallways, with indecipherable signs, and a suffocating silence that gets kind of creepy after a while. There's a very dreamlike quality to it.
In big buildings I always somehow end up in a section under construction or for the employees only (I've done this in hotels too). This is kind of creepy because its usually deserted (with my luck anyway). So here I am, walking and walking and don't see any people. After an unknown period of time, I finally find some stairs. I walk down to 1st floor and see that the door going back inside the hospital requires a card! I turn and see a door that goes outside, and relieved, immediately go through it, so happy to get out of the place.
I look around and realize I'm on a whole different side of the hospital. One I don't recognize. Now this is downtown, where like in most good sized cities, isn't the safest place in the world. So I turned around to go back in the door, and of course it locked itself. I try not to get freaked out and tell myself, "Its okay, its daylight, I'll just walk around the building".
So I start off walking, carrying my bag of stuff and my purse, feeling very exposed. I walk block after block after block. There were no entrances! Just the back of the hospital with dumpsters and loading docks. I tried to use the top of the hospital as a reference point, but it never seemed to get any closer. Finally, when I rounded a second corner and still didn't see anything different, I decided I better go back the other way. I had seriously underestimated the size of the hospital.
So I walk and walk and walk, passing a cemetery (of course) and FINALLY find the front of the building where people are waiting at a bus stop. I'm still far from a door and this is not a much safer area then where I came from. I walk close behind a couple holding hands thinking, "They must be okay, they're holding hands". Don't question my logic at this point, I was completely exhausted by then.
I don't even remember the walk through the hospital, I just remember finally getting to the parking garage and begining the search for my car. I knew it was on the 3rd floor by elevator 3. I could only seem to find elevator 1& 2. Finally I just start walking around pushing the button that locks the doors and causes my car to honk. Eventually, I find it and get the heck out of there.
I don't get to go home yet. I have laundry piled in my car to do at my Mom's house. I don't feel like it, but decide I better get it over with while I'm on that side of town. I don't want to have to make another trip.
The house is of course, creepy and deserted. I'm hobbling around hurting all over from the uncomfortable chair, all the walking, and being so tense. I'm sitting there wondering why I HAD to decide NOW was the time to wash my comforter and everything else I've been putting off washing for months. .
In the meantime, I have to call all these people to tell them how my mom's surgery went. Then I have to get the information together for my brother, who's at work, so he can pick up my mom the following morning. I write down the phone number, directions, the unit she's in, and any other pertinent information I can think of. I finally get done with laundry, haul it all out to the car, and at last, get to go home. The drive is eternal. I'm so tired and slightly nauseous. When I get home, I go in, leaving all the laundry in the car, and fall face down on my bed (which doesn't have sheets on it of course).
The next morning (today), I had to call my brother and wake him up, otherwise he would sleep till noon. I call and check on my mom, she's doing good. My brother calls numerous times asking for directions, the unit she's in, ect. Basically all the stuff I already told him. FINALLY, he gets her home and situated.
I go back to bed (still no sheets), able to relax at last.
All I can dream about is endless white hallways.
The End.
-T
poster:TexasChic
thread:593565
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20051225/msgs/593565.html