Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Lessons from the E.R.

Turns out I spent most of New Year's weekend in the emergency room taking care of sick loved ones. Now that they are all recovered I thought I would make a list of all the things I learned in the emergency room.

1. Code Blue is THE WAY to get all the available nurses and docs to your room STAT!

2. Unless you are prepared to commit suicide at 50, everyone should quit smoking right NOW - even (especially) 51 year old school bus drivers who are about to be grandmas

3. Don't let this happen to you:

  • you compete with your spouse over who is sicker
  • you weigh 300+ pounds and pretend like you can't walk so that it takes 6 big men to lift you into bed
  • you tell the doctor it doesn't hurt when everyone knows it does
4. It is a privilege to have people in your life who love you enough to let you take care of them

5. Bring something good to read (I read "Into Thin Air" - fabulous!)

6. Be an advocate for your sick ones, and . . .

7. Get out of the waiting room (aka purgatory) as quickly as possible

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