Other Hospital Lessons

Hospital visits, like the one I describe in my previous post are always learning experiences. Here are a couple that taught me once again never to get feeling sorry for yourself because there is always someone who is going through more than you are.

Monday, my Mother-In-Law was kind enough to stay with our daughter while my wife and I went down to the hospital cafeteria to have dinner together. As we ate, some friends from our neighborhood walked by. We stopped them and asked if everything was okay. They told us that their youngest had some terrible 45 minute-long full body seizure and had to be LifeFlighted up to the hospital. He was in an unconscious state and was due for an MRI. But the doctors really had no answers for them yet. It was obvious these young parents were under terrible stress so we didn't press them for too many more details, but I felt so concerned for them. Having gone through a similar, but less severe experience a couple of years back my heart really went out to them. I hope their child's state improves quickly.

Then, Tuesday morning as we were in my daughters room playing with toys and watching TV, we heard an alarm go off in the hall. "Code Blue on Level 3" it said. Then we heard running feet going down the hall. Some other child's life was in jeopardy, probably just a few rooms down the hall. You don't ask anyone about other patients due to confidentiality rules, so I don't know what happened, but these kind of experiences really do teach gratitude no matter how dire your own situation may appear at the time.