Hospital Burnout

Thursday, October 13, 2011

In attempting to put a finger on the reason for my funk today... I realized I have hospital burnout.  I am so tired of that place; it's smell, it's boring hallways, it's lack of stimulation.  Iam tired of constantly calculating how much change is in my wallet to plug the meter, and worrying the entire time I'm with dad that my parking hasn't run out and that I have got a ticket.  Parking fees wait for no man.  If I am bored of with all of it, imagine how dad feels!  I miss his old roommate... who was a retired police officer... and in overhearing conversations with dad, sought to reassure me that dad was improving day by day.   There is now a new roommate, and his family seems too focused on his recovery to even say "Hello" to us.  Which is ok... I am tired of meeting new people!  I can no longer remember the names of nurses, OTs, physios, doctor's and social workers.  I think I have met the same two nurses twice.  They rotate so often, I cannot keep them straight.  They cannot keep us straight!  I am still explaining that "We are moving to Australia, so it's imperative that dad not fall again.  We need to be on a plane out of here in two and a half weeks.  Can you have him up and walking by then?"  Thanks.

Walking in to his room this evening, I found him asleep over his empty dinner dishes.  (Poor dad must have hospital food burnout.)  My only thought was, "I want to get you out of here."  Hospitals really are cruel places to be... you go in with one big problem that needs to be fixed, and end up with half a dozen smaller issues.  In this ward, all the rooms are shared, so everyone is sharing tiny quarters with strangers privy to the most intimate of details.  After a while, it gets to you.  I'm starting to think we have overstayed our welcome!

I warned you I was in a funk.  I have fingers and toes crossed that dad can soon move out of this ward and into some respite for some rest and privacy before the next adventure.