Life Matters

Hot food, how I yearn for thee

By Linda Petersen
Posted 2/22/17

An unexpected vacation came my way last week via a trip to the local emergency room when I experienced severe pain radiating from my shoulder down to the tips of my puffy fingers. The receptionist immediately had me whisked away in a wheelchair for a

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Life Matters

Hot food, how I yearn for thee

Posted

An unexpected vacation came my way last week via a trip to the local emergency room when I experienced severe pain radiating from my shoulder down to the tips of my puffy fingers.

The receptionist immediately had me whisked away in a wheelchair for a cardiac work-up. (Not a recommended way to beat the line, but it was nice not have to wait!) The orderly swished me by all the cubicles so fast I did not have time to be nosy and glance in to see what everyone else’s commotion was about. The thing about the ER is that it houses real people with all their unglamorous appeal. No high heels or make-up. Unruly hair which obviously had not seen a comb in some time. Morning crustiness still in the eyes, line of drool down the side of the mouth. Bra-less, face contorted into an ugly grimace of pain, posture slumped over…and that was just me, I could only imagine what everyone else looked like!

Once admitted to the cardiac ward, the nurses got right to work hooking me up to all kinds of do dads and thing-a-ma-jigs. Their cheerfulness belied the seriousness of their work. I was comforted not only by their reassurance but also by the toasty, warm blanket that soon enveloped my body. Once the morphine took away the pain, I was a happy camper and willing test participant.

Wheee! Off with another orderly for another test. Lay still in an MRI while it sounded like the room was crashing all around me, piece of cake. Bare my breasts and butt for another procedure, no problem, didn’t everyone? Each time there was the added adventure of being maneuvered, gurney and all, back to my room, bumping in and out of the elevators and trying to fit through slim doorways expertly piloted by friendly orderlies.

Once back in my room, poking and prodding for blood tests and glucose monitoring became commonplace at any time of the day or night. What an amazing staff of nurses and CNAs whose job it was to wake me only to poke me with a needle to see me bleed, and to do it all pleasantly when I felt less than pleasant for them having to do it. Although I tried never to be crabby at them, my roommates were often less cooperative with swearing and complaining commonplace. Still, the staff smiled and carried on reassuringly, seemingly immune to the barrage of complaints.

The most exciting thing for me was “room service”. Yes, “room service”, just like in a fancy hotel! Armed with an actual menu, I called down to the kitchen and my custom order would find its way to the bedside table. How amazing! Being a person obsessed with food, this was the highlight of my vacation. (Well, that and not being home to have to clean my house.)

I carefully selected each meal; scrumptious omelet with tomatoes and onions, muffins and fruit, macaroni and cheese with custard pudding, pot roast with mashed potatoes with cake for dessert! Yum! It all sounded as good as I am sure it tasted, IF I were ever able to eat it when it arrived! Unfortunately, my food delights were delivered while I was away for one test or another. Imagine…meals being interrupted by medical procedures! What kind of vacation is that? The willing nurses offered to heat it up for me or to get me something else, but this seemed to be a silly request with all the important medical poking, prodding, educating and examining they had to do. When they took their jobs, I am sure that “waitress” was not in the job description.

Fortunately, it was the kind of vacation where the primary focus was my health. The kind of vacation where what was going on inside my body was more important that what I put into my body. With the utmost professionalism, the staff were unwaveringly pleasant, reassuring and kind. My medical care was top notch, and I was soon sent on my way home with expert instructions for the next chapter in my medical care.

Next time I really want a hot meal, I will be sure to go to my restaurant!

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