Health care is unique to each individual ; regarding their circumstances and approach to health....
Perspective and process keep reminding me of what's working, what's not and why, and what one might want to do about it.
As you know, I sometimes need to be hit on the head to get a point or see another side, albeit I try to practice and nurture empathy for others.
Most of us default to me or I, our own self interests, generally, we need to, before we can take care of others to some extent.
So, my ah ha moment was a procedure I was having which was outpatient, albeit much of the day was required in the hospital.
The procedure went well, the mission accomplished, but anesthesia took it out of me as it does many, so I spent the night in the hospital; not happy about it, but grateful to have that option, and the doctor and Katy thought it best. It was nothing serious.
Meeting and talking with four shifts of nurses, technicians, doctors and hearing their stories, often inspiring; individuals with training from a few weeks to many years.
Yes, while we are fortunate to have these things, there are issues with insurance, drug companies, and certainly, one needs to be one's own advocate and they only have us for a short time in the hospital, hopefully.
Much has been written about the stress on the health care system and people during covid;The widespread impact and depth of suffering and sacrifice. So many emerging stories and outcomes with both negative and positive themes. Mine is a small glimpse into the humanness of all involved and the personal nature of each experience.
The health care workers assigned to me had issues with their families regarding health, illness, denial, death and talked about it openly with me, especially their own health and the challenges they have to fight chronic pain at young ages and why they pursued their professions.
I saw each being compassionate, willing to help, making use of their skills, as shifts changed and light turned to darkness and then again turned to light.
While I might endorse many of them for sainthood , they would say they are doing a job and working to do it well , making lives better as its own reward .
Well-meaning and knowledgeable resources, they offered context of a moment under hospital care, being a point in time, the outcome of which made possible by all the things one does outside of the hospital and the doctor's care , as much as what happens in the brief hospital stay: Like lifestyle, nutrition, attitude, treatment, therapy, any medications et cetera. Now this may sound like old people's stuff , but I'm talking about this with 20 and 30 somethings working in a hospital.
When I was discharged I called my doctor a few days later on a holiday weekend because things weren't getting better as fast as I thought they should and he knew what to suggest, as he was dealing with something himself about a year ago and sure enough, it helped.
So, with all this counsel and perspective, I still need to be reminded about getting through that point in time, working hard to see it as a process to get to the other side; past self-pity, anger , annoyance, boredom mild depression ,and draw upon your physical and mental strength to be positive and plan for a brighter future; maybe distracted by a TV show, puzzle, change of scenery, texting etc.
My heart goes out to those with extended stays and countless moments as I described.
Once you experience those emotional ups and downs, as they say, you can see this as an opportunity and ,much like the movie Groundhog Day, make the best of the moments, one brick at a time, look for small wins and anything to shine the light on something or someone other than yourself.
Still not easy, nor something I think about a lot, but the good news is those little habits you do to invest in your physical and mental health everyday , matter.
THERE WILL BE A TEST.....
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