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Hospital Personnel - Just Wondering


Guest bean_si (Not Active)

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)

Just wondering if anyone else has these types of experience. I recently was hospitalized and all the personnel were fantastic from the ER to the onc. floor including the housecleaning staff. I did notice in my 23 hr. visit, that a volunteer started to talk to me, to tell me the entire story of her husband's lung cancer illness in great detail. About his excruciating pain from bone and his death. She needed to talk. Since his illness mimicked many of my symptoms, it was kinda hard to hear but ya couldn't stop her. Then the Health nurse began to tell me how watching the patients with the BEAST was breaking her heart. She did needed someone to talk to. But I just looked at her like please tell someone else, anyone else - not me.

That was nothing like one year ago at a different hospital when EVERY (strangers), I mean EVERY one who visited my room stood, complaining to me, the employer was too harsh, they made too little, their kids were sick, dad wore out, buying their new carpeting would kill them.

When the very elderly priest came to visit, he started out with how are you and within seconds was telling me about him and the second world war and his school and his college years and his working in Panama as a priest. It was so cute. AT the end he said well I hope you feel better after our talk. I smiled and nodded. This made him jubilant! "Call me anytime you need someone to listen to you?" I smiled and said sure Father, okay, I'll do that.

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Cat,

You must have one of those faces! Everyone knows just by looking at you, that you will paitently listen to them or you will have the answer. I bet people come up to you in the grocery store and ask you where things are too! Guess what sweetie? We really do listen to you! That is the charm of this place! Feel better soon.

Blessings

Betty

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Cat,

I received wonderful care when I was in the hospital... My main nurse never mentioned the fact that her mother had LC until the day I was leaving. I guess I looked kinda dejected about all the stuff going through my head - she told me that at least it wasn't "X" type, but that there were new breakthroughs daily. Although her mother had died, there was still Hope and I needed to fight this disease and do everything in my power to make it go away...

Now, my trip to the ER for smoke inhalation? Another story entirely! The doctor's mother had died of LC and I guess he figured I would, too. (I wasn't there because of a cancer-related problem, I was there because my lungs were still healing from surgery and there was a fire at work and GUESS WHO was the first one to find it by smell?? I wasn't looking for an ER oncologist, just something to clear out my now-irritated lungs.)

I guess some people feel that you "understand" if you've been there. I don't mind discussing my "illness" most days...but NOT going over statistics when I'M having a down day, scans are coming, results are due, etc. I may reach out to others at the beginning of their journey when I am at the oncologists office because it IS scary, but healthy people better just stay outta my bizness on those days! :shock:

You make the call, Cat. Decide if YOU want to talk about it. If not, change the subject - easy enough tangents can be found... "When I was recuperating, I planted flowers. Have you seen the blooms at....?"

Take care, we're all with you in the boat!

xxoo,

Becky

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Cat, neither I nor my wife have had that kind of experience. However, I agree with Betty that you must project "I'm kind and a good listener" in your face and personality. You draw them like a magnet. Maybe you should practice scowling and grumpiness -- LOL. I guess you are blessed (or cursed) with the gift. Don

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Hi Cat, I personally haven't had that experience either. When my husb. was in the hospital (twice) and with my dad in the hospital, nothing like that has happened, but generally, I do find that most people don't have good listening skills (including me), but GREAT talking skills (also including me). LOLOL!!

P.S. I'm glad you are out of the hospital and hope you are feeling better.

Love,

Peggy

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Yep, I hear ya. Just having been in the hospital not too long ago I found everybody told me all kinds of things. I think it's cause I was a captive audience being tied to an IV pole and stuck in a bed. :roll: They knew I couldn't go anywhere. My family doctor even sent an intern to me to write a paper on my case (he soo owes me). What could I say? Not like I had anything better to do than to lie there and answer questions.

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Ry, you MISSED the part about your attire! SURE, you could have gotten out of bed and pushed that IV pole, but would have had to decide between holding the back of the "Buttview" gown together or pushing the pole...(doing both would be a stretch for me on drugs, toss in chewing gum and I'd be LOST!)

I had plenty of people to talk to, just not the whole "cancer" thing... My favorite? A night nurse who was drawn to my room because he had a 33 and 35 y/o daughter that COULD have been where I was.... His PRESENCE had such a calming effect, I SWEAR he was an angel... Less teeth than grin, less hair than scalp and one gleaming halo... (and I ain't puttin' crap on people with thinning hair, I've experienced it and the men in my family are bald - er, is that "follically challenged"?)

For those of you loyal fans, this was NOT "Jay, the evil night nurse" but Bruce. As an insight, "Jay, the evil night nurse" WAS called that to his face - the night he moved my spirometer "goal" up by 500m! He went from merely "Jay - the night nurse" to "Jay, the EVIL night nurse" - and he laughed....and eventually, I MADE that goal, too.. :roll:

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Guest Phyllis

My experience has been pretty positive with all of the hospital staff. I especially love the radiographers. It was funny that when I was first in the hosptial after they had done surgery and brought me out of my coma all of these physical therapists came to see me to tell me how great I was doing. I did not know who they were and had to just smile. I have bad days when I just want to avoid people in general. Luckily, that is not too often.

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