Although we are spending all of our time at home these days with our loved ones, I must say that I really miss my family when in the hospital. It is not the same watching Jeopardy without Michelle and our Miss Lily. It is not the same eating dinner alone, instead of together at the family table, or being able to walk out the door and spend time in the backyard. I miss knowing where everyone is at in the house, and popping in for visits throughout the day. The comforts of home are just that, comfortable. It can be rather lonely being in the hospital.
Other than my family, there are a couple more comforts from home that I truly miss. My pillow! The bed covers! Oh how I miss my memory foam pillow and heavy bed coverings from home when I stay at the hospital. I have even secretly asked Michelle if she thought that I would be allowed to bring my own pillow from home with me for my stays. No such luck. The pillows at the hospital are almost useless. They are so flat that they barely lift your head up off the bed. Even asking for a second one doesn't really make much of a difference. I truly miss my memory foam pillow. Michelle and I have become accustomed to a certain number of blankets with a certain weight on our bed. After 32+ years of marriage we have mastered the 'Goldi-locks" phenomenon of "this one feels just right". When we were first married, I liked light weight and she liked heavy weight blankets. Over the years, she has slowly kept adding more and more blankets on the bed and I find that now I have slowly adjusted and become accustomed and comfortable with the weight of blankets on our bed. It is now actually hard to sleep when that weight is not there, and when she is not there. At the hospital you get one thin sheet and one super thin, light blanket. Not going to do it I am afraid!
The food! What can I say, culinary dishes they are not. Food in hospitals is notoriously bad. My experiences have proven this again. I havent really eaten any of the meals offered to me for the most part. There must be a great deal of food wastage. It not an easy task to satisfy everyone's taste buds and food needs but I do feel they could do a little better in this department. I must admit I am somewhat spoiled at home for food, we have some awesome meals and baked goods that really are delicious. My children suggested that I Uber something to my room. I couldn't bring myself to do that, not even sure if that would be allowed. Shhhhh! Even though I wasn't support to leave the hospital, I did sneak out and get some Swiss Chalet take out (next door to the hospital) this week during my stay.
Being in a semi-private room means that you get the luck of the draw in terms of the window bed and with your patient partner. I have gotten the window bed only once out of the three stays at the hospital. My roommates have also been diverse. They ranged from two that have said 'hello' and not much else to another that happened to also be from Newmarket. What are the chances! Conversation ensued and we ended up removing the drape barrier between our beds so that we were able to watch the Leafs game together that night on my laptop. Even though he was a Habs fan, I still let him watch the game with me! Go! Leafs! Go!
Luckily, I have completed my three required overnight stays at the hospital, and for now my time at the hospital will be confined to day visits only for treatment. I feel pretty good, tolerating the treatments well, and have great energy. Let's hope it stays that way for a long time to come!
Cherish your family, and your home (your pillows and blankets!).
Home, Sweet Home everyone.
Richard
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