We're lucky to live in an area that has two hospitals. Just not so lucky in one of them. Some illustrative personal experiences follow. To avoid lawsuits - so dampening to the spirit...
Hospital L and Hospital T
I briefly covered Hospital L in a previous column. The one where the menu includes Macaroni and Cheese - from a box of Kraft's - in the supermarket.
New examples.
Hospital L - fresh from Recovery - I was put in a room for an overnighter. Some what confused by lingering anesthesia, I was labeled "a risk for falling" The nurse told me as I drifting back off, "Don't try to go to the bathroom by yourself. Call me." Time passed. Couldn't find the call button. Kept stabbing at various buttons I couldn't see and finally she wandered in. By then I had passed the holding tank's limits and to my horrified shame, I wet the bed. Apologized profusely. Twice more and she was visibly angry with me. After the first, mind you, I'd asked for an adult diaper. "Oh, we don't have those she caroled merrily. Going home the next day I suddenly wondered, why the hell didn't they catheritise me? quick efficient, controlled, if you will.
This hospital as recently as 2014 was charged with wrongful death after a nurse put a feeding tube in a patient's lungs and (no surprise) it killed him.
Vivid contrast. Was making a good will tour of Hospital T's ER. After taking blood, an EKG, a CT and two MRIs of the afflicted area, they asked the question beloved by nurses "Can you give me a urine sample?" She and I troddled down to the bathroom; no luck. Back in my curtained-off cubicle and she asked, "Can I catheritse you - it's a one-time sample and I can do it right here. "Great!" I said." Guess where I'll go if there's ever another reason to go.
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