Hospital Behaviour In Times of the Plague

The flu is most definitely among us.  It is unpleasant and not to be wished on your worst enemy.

I read that many hospitals are turning away visitors to their patients and this makes sense.  The hospitals are swamped; why create more business for themselves by letting the fresh meat in?

If you are a patient, become a curmudgeon and send visitors on their way.  Down the road, you don't want to have to go see them in the hospital because they caught it visiting you and then .... and around and around it goes.

Non-productive.

Thinking about visiting as a general subject ... when I was in for hip surgery, two couples came to visit and because they are extremely classy people, they brought a darling little Easter basket with all kinds of goodies (it was Easter - they don't make a practice of just handing out Easter baskets willy-nilly.)  

I was delighted to see them - sorta - because I hadn't had a shower or washed my hair that day or the day before (because they were waiting for an operating room and I hadn't had surgery either.)

Richie had just brought me the Thai shrimp I'd ordered from Elephant Bar across the street and since I hadn't eaten any of the hospital "food" (quotation marks because I'm not sure what it was) and I finally was hungry I could thank him, set it aside, turn back to my guests and carry on with my company but "No, no!" they cried as one - dig in!  "You need to eat - get your strength back!"  So I sat there awkwardly slurping up the noodles that  had twisted off of my fork.  Not a really great look.

What do you say to someone in the hospital?  This has stumped me for years and years, largely because, happily, few people I know have had to go to the hospital.

For starters, a hospital room is such a strange setting in real life.  Very few of us seem to entertain in our jammies on a hospital bed in the middle of our living room.  Clearly that's saved for the hospital.

They are lying there, wanly, and you bop gaily in and ask, "How're you feeling?"  Slit-eyes will glitter back at you.

Did you bring a book (for them!  Not to extend your visit!)  A couple of magazines?  New - not scooped up from the lobby on your way past.  Waiting room and lobby magazines are smeared with germs - avoid them at all costs.

More on Visiting tomorrow - the Symbiotic I huffed for excessive coughing is making me sleepy.
TO BE CONTINUED