Monday, December 14, 2009

ER... but where was George Clooney?

Well it all started at 3PM yesterday afternoon when we decided we needed to make a trip to the emergency room.

The sign outside the ER says children are not allowed to enter during the flu season, unless of course they are sick , and also pregnant women. Only one person is allowed to accompany each patient. Masks and hand sanitizer are in full supply for all that enter. It is obvious that the dreaded H1N1 has made its ugly appearance in our city.

There was lots of coughing and honking going on and we sure hope we did not bring any of those mean little germs home with us.
Yikees!

The place was packed. Valet parking was full and the regular parking deck was bursting at the seams. The ambulance docks were full to capacity and they were waiting in line to unload their patients. The place was hopping and bopping. It seemed to be the most happening place in town!


I put on a mask and took a seat in an empty area that had a TV. I mean how lucky could we be to have part of the waiting room all to ourselves. People would walk in and take one look at me with the mask and run. I did not think I looked all that bad in the mask. As I look at the photo now I wonder if they were running from my poor choice of bra! Little did I know that there was the following sign posted right as you walked into this part of the waiting room.

The clock was ticking and the hours were flying and we were going no place. For entertainment they play Brahms Lullaby over the loud speaker each time a baby is born in the hospital and those babies seemed to be flying out of the womb up on the maternity ward. Well, that is one way to stimulate the economy! I could write a book about all the symptoms and bathrobes that were marching in and out of this ER. At 6 PM a representative came out to apologize for the long wait and to assure everyone that they would be seen in a timely manner. I guess he has never read the meaning of the word emergency.

Since I already had the pleasure of meeting with an ENT teenage mutant Dr. last week, who Sue from RueMouffatard.blogspot referred to as Doogie Howser, M.D. (am I getting older or are these doctors getting younger?)

I was sort of hoping to see George Clooney come through the doors to usher us back into the patient area. Now George Clooney could raise anyone's blood pressure. No such luck! Instead we were greeted by a nice female doctor who was sweet and kind and very knowledgeable.

Was the wait worth it? You betcha because this story has a happy ending. Minor health issues with a follow up doctors appointment for the patient. We were in the car on the way home by 10PM. Only 7 hours from start to finish. Makes us wonder just what is going to happen if we have government run health care in the future. If that happens we will be sure to bring a tent to camp out for days instead of hours.

* We are thankful for all the wonderful nurses and doctors who serve in the ER each and every day!

** except for the two photos I took I have no idea who took the other 3 photos but they deserve credit whoever they are.

12 comments:

  1. What a long afternoon and night!!!

    Hope you're feeling better!

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  2. Oh, 7 hours, you poor thing!

    Masks and separate waiting rooms are the norm here in all doctors offices. No more magazine because of the germs passed along. It's very creepy.

    I have a young, young, adorable doctor and aside from being young and handsome, he's very competent. He never hesitates to order tests and he listens. Yeah, really listens. I think I'm in love. :)

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  3. 7 hours? That was really a long wait. Hope you're feeling better by now.

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  4. Yikes, Joyce! My grandson had a liitle trip to the emergency room last week and DID have the flu...but seven hours? Oh my! Maybe you should have worn footie PJs and gone over to Children's...they must be faster! I hope all is well now...Debbie

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  5. Poor girl! Seven hours of ER would make a well person sick, unless that seven hours was spent with our Dr. Cloony. I want one of those toilet paper things for Hubby, he insists in using TP instead of the nice lotion infused Posh-Puffs I buy for him. I think it would make an excellent Christmas present for the guy.

    You take care and get to feelin' better. My thoughts and prayers are with you. :o)

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  6. Sue said you were sick and that is why you missed the luncheon - she wasn't kidding. I hope you are doing much better today. 7 hours would have driven me crazy. Get better. We missed you!

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  7. Glad you are not sick in a serious way ... I am reading an Elmore Leonard book called Road Dogs which is sort of the sequel to Out of Sight .. the movie of which starred Mr Clooney ... as I am reading this book, I can see him/hear him so when I scrolled down and really did see him, my heart went pittipattttttttt .. maybe I need to go see if he's in my ER

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  8. You are hilarious and I do hope the patient is doing much better. Maybe all the docs were fearful of seeing a flu patient. Too bad you didn't see that sign. We had a similarly long trip to the ER when Pa fell over a feed trough and broke his leg. On the way, he phoned ahead to ask them to call in an orthopedic surgeon. The folks on the front desk much have thought that was funny. We waited until midnight when they x-rayed the leg, gave him a big wrap and told him to go see a doctor the next day. Talk about an unhappy camper! I don't even want to think what we will get with government run healthcare!

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  9. I'm Canadian and I love our health care but that is another story.
    I just wanted to let you know that George has actually left you and all the beautiful ladies a message on my site.
    You may want to put on your best bra first.

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  10. Hope you are feeling better...no fun getting sick anytime, but especially NOT during Christmas. My Mother has cancer and has to wear a mask when she goes out in crowds, so I know what you mean by everyone looking strangly at you. If I get sick, I HAVE TO WEAR ONE AROUND HER, A nurse I am NOT, but a nurse I have had to be these last couple of weeks. Hope you are well now, and have a very Merry Christmas!

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  11. Wow, only 7 hours! Oh my goodness, I hope we don't need to go to the ER anytime soon! If George would be there, it would totally be worth it, though! I hope you are better!

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  12. Oh no Joyce! I'm glad that you weren't seriously ill but sorry you had to go through all of that. I worked as a ER nurse for a short while and I always felt bad for those that had to wait so long because staffing was so poor. ;-(

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