One year ago today: October 76, 2008, begging for lessons.
No new photos today, so you get an old one. This is me leaning on a pinball machine in California back in the good old days. You know, back when the economy was a shambles and all the jobs were going to Mexico and everybody was out of work and the government was spending all the money on overseas wars and all the local factories were closing down and all the remaining jobs paid minimum wage. Those days. (The shirt says, "Californication".)
Wallace dropped me off at 9:00 AM (Memorial even seems to have considered the convenience factor on that one) and it was an hour of standard tests. Including something called MRSA, a staph infection that’s clearly a concern, but I don't have it. They also offer a swine flu inoculation and I passed on that. Thanks to all who called in to check on me, I would return your phone calls but you drained my cell batteries today.
The procedure was over in an hour and it was all the other stuff that took half the day. Including the need to lay prone for “six to eight hours” to allow my artery to heal. That was the hard part, just lying there. They put me into Intensive Care with basic cable that was so boring I watched two episodes of “Judge Judy”. I have since forgiven the hospital on that one.
I was flat on my back so long I developed aches and pains from that. I took along a history book about civilizations and wound up reading all 900 pages during the following 12 hours. There were some novel perspectives, including a Hindu that toured England in the early 1800s. He found it so strange that rich people had to lock their doors and that the only thing stopping the poor from robbing the rich was fear of the authorities. Later, one of his contemporaries was to also note that, contrary to what was seen in India, all British did not live in mansions with servants. They figured out that the British Empire was mainly created by men who back in London were considered social rejects. And criminals.
In the next article, a Frenchman described the system in India. Fear of confiscation meant nobody ever improved anything. Why bother if you'll just lose it? The entire Hindu organization works against progress, mental, physical, spiritual, scientific or at all. Whereas they could predict eclipses, they felt them caused by an evil spirit. Such a people won’t even codify their own laws, for that is a form of commitment. The result is a culture of one mindless generation after another. The only activity ever rewarded is drifting stupidity and everything else is held in check by strict obedience to rules everybody knows are wrong, so they justify it via religion. (What I can’t figure out is how my parents, who had never been to India, learned all this.)
Back to the hospital. It is a very well-run organization. In particular, it lacks the atmosphere of “budget cuts” at Mt. Sinai and the “assembly line” of Jackson (both of whom I thank for excellent earlier care). Memorial West was my first non-emergency stay, in case that makes a difference. I was more than impressed by everyone I met (at Memorial). Sorry, no names. Yes, I did meet a lot of nurses but the gal that really caught my eye was a PA, or “Physician’s Assistance”. Ah, the advantages of advanced education.
Except for the odd overhead, the hospital was pleasantly silent. The meals are remarkably excellent and your choice, including desert. This is the first time I’ve seen a hospital serve coffee and I can doubly appreciate that. You can’t get a cup even in movie theaters in Florida. Whereas each department tends to ask repetitive questions, in general the paperwork is handled behind the scenes. In fact, let me think if I can come up with even one thing to complain about. Thrump. Thrump. Nope. If you have a choice, make it Memorial West.
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