From the East Wing, In the Hospital, 2happygirldogs, Turkey Bacon, Frogs in pockets, And Lightning Bugs

Greetings to all, and welcome new friends to the East Wing.

Ya know what I love ’bout living in a little town? Everybody knows your name. Ya know what I hate ‘bout living in a little town? Everybody knows your name. Seems I heard somewhere that every little town has it’s ups and downs, but mostly the ups outnumber the downs. And so it is with my little town of North Judson, mostly the ups outnumber the downs. I love living in North Judson.

A case in point being a couple weeks ago I had some medical problems which required a few days in the hospital to resolve the issues. Well, I'm telling ya within 24 hrs after I'm admitted to the hospital, more people would not have known even if my admission to the hospital had been filmed and ran on the 10 o’clock news. Living in North Judson is like going to “Cheers” each day, where everybody knows your name.

It was interesting to be a patient in a hospital, I’d never been a hospital patient before. Upon my arrival home I decided to share my experiences as a patient with the hospital administrator. It was a fun letter to write, and today since I’m kinda too lazy talk with my fingers, I'm gona share that letter with you.

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Thor Thordarson
President/CEO
La Porte Regional Health System
1007 Lincolnway
La Porte, IN 46350

Mr. Thordarson,

I was a patient at the La Porte Hospital, admitted the morning of June 8th, and discharged mid afternoon June 10th 2010.

Be assured this letter is not criticism of any aspects of the hospital operation. As a former hospital administrator myself, and having done hospital consulting work in the past, I thought it would only be appropriate that I share with you some of my thoughts and observations on the operational aspects of your hospital.

In all reality you, as the CEO, are never in a position to observe the true functionally of your hospital from the view point of an anonymous patient. I was. As a result of such experiences I choose to share some of my thoughts and comments with you. Such thoughts and comments are on staff, both professional and non-professional, medical staff, facility, and processes.

Hospital Staff: The limited contact with the housekeeping and custodial staff was very positive. The housekeeping staff was most courteous and pleasant. The housekeeping staff preformed their duties in a manner which I would consider to be beyond any possible level of criticism. Overall the hospital appeared to be spotless and clean, again kudos to those staff employees that all too often are not given their due credit for a job well done. I thank them all.

The CNA Staff is as well trained as I have ever had the pleasure of observing. Whatever the training program in place is working for this hospital, and the end product is visible at the patient contact level. Thank you CNA Staff .

My medical issue was such that I required a substantial amount of contact with the registered nurses. The RN’s I came in contact with were totally professional in every aspect. Not having contact with every RN on the hospital staff, I can only conclude that those I did meet were a true sample of the total nursing staff quality of this hospital. I commend the Registered Nurses for their quality patient care. With that being said, one Registered Nurse, Chris Bowmar, 3rd floor, stood out in my mind for her efforts to provide me the patient care level that may best be illustrated by reviewing the “classical patient care portion” of any School of Nursing. I thank the Registered Nursing Staff for taking care of me.

The dietary department staff were most courteous and friendly people. They too demonstrate proper training and skills to deal with the patient contact necessary to do their job. Thank you Dietary Department, you fed me when I was hungry.

All other departments with whom I had contact, they too demonstrated a high level of professional pride in performance of their job duties. The Lab, X-ray, and the Special Procedures Staff served me well at a time when I needed help the most. I thank them all.

One interesting observation is that from the Medical Staff point of view, the Medical Staff relationship with, as well as views on, Administration have not changed from the time I left Hospital Administration as a profession.

From the patient point of view, the admission process from private citizen to captivated patient, was quick and simple “nursing hands” were on me within seconds of my arrival on floor.

The dismissal process was excruciating slow. Once a patient has been informed by their doctor that they can go home, “the clock starts ticking”. The shorter the final time on that clock, the better the patient is being served. There are several areas of patient care activity that are timed and are critical in achieving the overall goal. From the doc’s ok to go home, to standing on the sidewalk would be an interesting time study.

During this dismissal process I was offered an “optional” (up sale?) pneumonia shot. I opted for the shot. Was told I was all ready to go home just as soon as the pharmacy delivered the pneumonia shot. Some 40 minutes later, I walked to the nursing station to opt out of the optional shot just so I could go home. While making my case for opting out, the shot arrives and all’s well. An interesting comment was heard at that point, “a lot of people turn these shots down just like you were doing, and I don’t know why the pharmacy takes so long to get these pneumonia shots to the floor”.

The bed in room 3216 is an old Hill Rom unit with the single worst mattress I’ve ever had the misery of laying on. The first night at the hospital my thoughts were on life and death, not comfort. As my survival chances improved, my comfort concerns increased. That second night, the bed won. I spent the second night in a reclining lounge chair. With various iv’s and units of blood running through out the night, the reclining lounge chair served me well.

I would almost swear that when I finally did leave that room 3216, while riding one of the “ Dismissal Chariot of the Gods”, I saw that old Hill Rom Bed smile and say “I’ve won again”.

Thor, I’ve taken way too much of your time this day, but thought you may enjoy viewing a different prospective of your hospital operation, one from inside the bed. Oh, by the way, your hospital does look the same as when a patient is wheeled down the hospital hallway on TV.

Please convey my heartfelt appreciation to the total hospital staff along with the medical staff for the services they all provided at my time of most need.

I wish you well,
BobbyRay
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One of the things discovered at the body shop was the diagnosis of diabetes. Oh well, small price to pay for what might have been. Diabetes we can take in stride. A little change in routines, eating habits and such and don’t sweat the small stuff, and all’s well. I think the last time I saw a doctor, Kennedy was President, it’d been a while.

Had an interesting conversation with one of the docs during the initial exam phase of the hospital stay. He said “how come you waited so long?” I said “ thought I’d get better”. He said “you were wrong”. I said “Ya know what, I reached that same conclusion, that’s why I’m here”. We got along, that doc and I, we told stories.

He told me ‘bout his childhood in India, I told him ‘bout growing up in Toto. He’d been to Toto, I hadn’t been to India. From the sounds of things there, don't plan on going any time soon. Lots of people have hard lives in India. Such hard lives, we can’t even start to comprehend the misery.

Boy, were the 2girldogs along with Sophia and Spike ever glad to see me come home. Sophia even made it a point come sit in my lap with Spike. Then meowed in my ear “I hate Spike” I sat in the floor with the 2girldogs for a long time. We hugged, me and the 2girldogs. Sophia got jealous and crowded her way into the circle. It’s hard not to let a Calico Cat into your circle when she meows to you in Spanish, and lays the Sophia Smile on ya.

Today is Father’s Day. To fathers everywhere, happy day. It's the 100th anniversary of Fathers Day. First celebrated on June 19, 1910, and a hundred years later, here we’re still doing it, so I guess it caught on.

Seems a lady in Spokane Washington, a Mrs. Dodd, got the idea while listening to a Mother’s Day Sermon in 1909, and thought if the ladies, why not the men. She proposed to the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA that they celebrate a “father’s day.” The very first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, and soon other towns had their own celebrations for fathers day, at first not all on the same day, but soon established as the third Sunday in June every year. But Father’s Day didn’t become a permanent national holiday until 1972.

Fathers Day is like all other holidays in the since there are always special “sales” just for that special day. That’s a bunch of crap. Just another way to push the product, no matter what the product. Sales are sales. Last week I counted over 30 emails on business email account wanting to sale me something special for fathers day.

One of the little changes in the way of doing things ‘round East Wing is drinking Diet Pop (for the rest of the world outside Indiana, that’s diet soda). Those little 8oz cans of Diet 7UP, it don’t get any better than that. But once in a while I’ll bump up against something that’s not right, just plain not right.

Turkey Bacon is one such thing. Ya gotta be damn tough to eat Turkey Bacon for breakfast. Me and the she decided I’m not that tough, so the ole Turkey Bacon has yet to find a home in the East Wing. Now somewhere between heaven and hell there’s a place for Turkey Bacon. I’m not wanting to condemn anything to hell, but I’ll say one thing for sure, Turkey Bacon is not manna come down from heaven. Turkey Bacon YAAUH !

The little boy cat Spike thinks he’s made out of Velcro. When he wants on the couch or chair or bed or curtain, he just runs and jumps as high as he can, with all four feet sticking out and he sticks fast, then climbs the rest of the way up. Don’t need any mountain climbing gear, no ropes, no eye hooks, no hammer, no nothing, just claws and enough cat guts to jump. And that little boy has all the cat guts he needs to jump.

Much the same as when little boys putting frogs in their pocket just to turn loose on sisters later. I still remember what it feels like to have a frog in my pocket. One time I forgot and left the frog in my pocket overnight, scared the crap out of me when I put on my pants the next day. I thought it might be a snake in my pocket. I took those pants off real quick and beat my pants with my shoe. When I was sure I’d killed the snake I turned my pants inside out real careful like and shook ‘em and from a pocket out fell a frog leg. Oh well, the frog should have said something. But it sure scared me. I think that was the last time I had a frog in my pocket. Ya don’t get warts from frogs ya know, but they’ll sure pee on ya if ya squeeze ‘em very much, but ya won’t get warts, ‘cause I’ve picked up a bunch, and no warts.

Summer so close ya can smell it, 7:48AM Monday, June 21, 2010, that’s the official start of summer. But ya know what, I think it started sooner this year, ‘cause last Thursday just after dark, the lightning bugs came by, now I don't care who ya are, when the lightning bugs come by, that’s summer time. Welcome lightning bugs. Welcome summer, I’m glad you’re both here.

Thank you for spending this last Sunday of Spring for 2010, this Fathers Day Holiday in the East Wing. As always the pleasure of your company exceeds my ability to put thoughts to fingers to make words on computer screens around the world. We’re so glad ya came by this warm almost summer evening.

Stay safe in Afghanistan.

From the East Wing, In the Hospital, 2happygirldogs, Turkey Bacon, Frogs in pockets, And Lightning Bugs.

I wish you well,
BobbyRay