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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Hotels, Hospitals, and Friends

Last Sunday, we packed our bags and took off for the big city about two and a half hours away, where Doug was scheduled to have surgery on Monday morning.

We had made a reservation at the hotel that adjoined the hospital, although the doctor's nurse had not really encouraged us in that direction. She said the hotel was very old and out of date, although she had heard that some of the rooms had been refurbished and weren't so bad. When we called for the reservation, we requested one of the updated rooms but were told that they were assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, apparently meaning that they would be assigned to the first people who showed up for check in. So we went early enough to try to get the updated room or, failing that, to find another room at another hotel.

We did get an updated room and determined that it would meet our needs, although it was very basic. There were two double beds, sufficiently comfortable; a desk and chair, with a lamp and telephone on the desk; an easy chair with a shadeless floor lamp behind it; and a combination TV cabinet and chest of drawers.

The walls were without any pictures or other decorations; there was no wireless internet and not even a hair dryer in the bathroom. Since I hadn't packed my own hair dryer, my hair went unwashed during our stay. Fortunately, the stay was relatively short.

The television itself was very small. It was a color TV, but the colors were pretty much yellow and greenish black...not the best means of watching the Superbowl.

The doors to the rooms were ill fitting and rattled loudly, even with the simple act of inserting the magnetic key into the lock. It was impossible to close them quietly, and the sounds of doors rattling and banging echoed in the hall. Fortunately, the room's heating unit was loud enough to drown out those noises so that we could sleep.

But the selling point for this hotel was that it was connected to the hospital by a skywalk, which meant that we never had to go outside or worry about driving in a strange city.

The view from our 11th-floor window didn't include White Castle.
We met a lady who told us that she and her husband had heard gunfire from the White Castle hamburger joint on the corner near the hotel a couple of nights before and that they had even watched the excitement of the police department's response to the call from their 11th floor window.

Then she told us that, the next night, when her husband was in the hospital and she was alone in the hotel room, someone fell or was thrown against her door. She called security, and they told her that it had been a domestic dispute.

I saw her in the cafeteria on Monday morning, while Doug was in surgery (I do have my priorities), and she told me that someone had knocked on her hotel room door at three o'clock that morning. She had called security again and had had them escort her to the hospital, where the staff set up a cot for her in her husband's room. She spent the rest of the night there.

I honestly don't know whether the lady's fears were founded, but they could have been. I never felt in danger, though.

Doug could see the helicopter pad from his hospital bed.
Doug's surgery went well. He had to spend the rest of the day and night on total bed rest and was released to go home on Tuesday. As with just about any surgery, the doctors make it sound much simpler than the patient's experience would prove to be. We've had some moments of anxiety in the days following our return home, and have been in telephone contact with the doctor's nurse on three different occasions. She reassures us that the symptoms Doug is experiencing are fairly typical for this stage of recovery. That provides a degree of comfort and eases our anxiety somewhat.

As I was driving Doug home on Tuesday, I was planning to take him straight home and get him settled. Then I was going to go back into town to get carryout for our supper. My cell phone had rung while I was driving, but I couldn't easily grab the phone; and Doug wasn't feeling like talking to anyone. When we got home, I checked the cell phone to see who had called, and it had been my good friend, Sandra.

So I immediately called her back, before even taking off my coat. She had been calling to tell me that she was going to be sending her Hubby to our house at 5:00 p.m. with our supper! What a huge blessing that was. Sandra sent her famous Spaghetti Bake, a Caesar salad, garlic bread, and chocolate sheet cake. We got multiple meals out of that and thanked the Lord and Sandy with each one of them.

12 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear of your husband needing surgery, but it sounds that things are going well now. It seems they never do prepare people enough for any procedures/surgeries. I do wish doctors and their staff would, so to save you from uneeded anxieties. You have a good friend there in Sandra. Wishing your husband a speedy recovery!

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  2. Hi Linda, Hope your hubby is doing okay today. I know you are glad that the surgery is over. Your friend is very very nice --and I know you enjoyed that delicious meal. Aren't good friends just the BEST?
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  3. I hope Doug continues to mend without further discomfort. It's easy for the doctors - to them, it's routine and they get to walk away intact after surgery.

    Your hotel sounded a little unnerving. I stayed in a place like that about a year ago and was happy to leave in the morning.

    As for Sandra.. she's just the best, isn't she? You two deserve each others friendship.

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  4. I pray that Doug will continue to heal and that there will not be any complications. Glad you survived that hotel stay...have stayed in a couple places like this so I know how unnerving it can be...what a dear friend to deliver such goodness to you and Doug...so thankful you didn't have to go back out. Happy Sunday. XX

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  5. It's nice to have you back and hope Doug heals fast.I have stayed at one of those and later found out many hospitals have rate agreements with other hotels, including free taxi.I don't sleep well my first night in a motel anyways it seems, so definitely wouldn't want help not sleeping. I hope that was the cake recipe you sent me your friend fixed. I made it last week and even with sharing it it took me all week to gorge on it.

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  6. Kristina - Doug seems to be gaining a little ground each day, but each day also seems to have it's scary moments. Sandra IS a good friend. I'm blessed to have her in my life. Thanks for your good wishes for Doug's recovery.
    .............................................
    Betsy - Hubby does seem better today. Each day brings some improvement. Good friends ARE the best. Everyone should have a Sandra in her life.
    .............................................
    Hilary - It seems as if every day brings overall improvement but with some setbacks. "Unnerving" is a good description of the hotel. I'm not generally skittish and just made sure my door was securely locked the night I spent alone in the hotel. I really never felt in danger, though.

    Sandra IS the best, as you say.
    .............................................
    Lori - Thank you for your prayers. That makes all the difference. The trip home had been hard on Doug, so Sandra's goodness was mightily appreciated.
    .............................................
    Thanks, Steve. This hospital did have agreements with other hotels, and we considered some of those. If the one we stayed in had been really nasty, we were prepared to go to another. But it wasn't that bad, and the convenience made it worth it.

    Sandra uses a slightly different version of the chocolate sheet cake recipe, but it's basically the same. I'm glad you're enjoying it. If you don't want to gorge yourself on it, you CAN freeze it. It does quite well in the freezer.

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  7. I hope Doug makes a speedy and full recovery Linda.
    The hotel doesn't sound like the best in the world, but convenient.
    And what a great friend you have in Sandra.

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  8. Keith - Doug seems to be doing much better today. The hotel probably wasn't one I'd choose for a vacation, but it met the need for this trip. And you're right about Sandra...she's a great friend.

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  9. Sure hope Doug continues as he has in the healing process. That sure seems true about doctors not explaining surgical procedurea as they really are. sometimes I wonder if it is because they haven't experienced it themselves.

    This verse sure was a blessing to Dave and I when going through a waiting period recently:

    Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"
    Exodus 14:13-14 NLT
    When we applied it to our circumstances it sure gave expanded peace and rest.

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  10. I think it's wonderful that you didn't mention that we kept some of that meal for ourselves. It makes me sound so ... so ... saintly! And you KNOW how much I enjoy looking like a saint!

    I am glad the food helped out. Just as the meal you brought to us when I returned from the hospital helped. Funny how that "do unto others" thing works out, isn't it. :)

    Tell Doug to hurry up and get well so that we can all go out for a REAL meal. :)

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  11. Saint Sandy - It doesn't matter that you kept some of the meal for yourself...the amount you gave us was most generous. And I think you out-niced me with the meal you provided. After all, actual cooking was involved, whereas I brought you restaurant pizza.

    I'm looking forward to the day when the four of us can go out again. It's been almost two months since Doug's been out of the house for much of anything other than doctor appointments.

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  12. KD - Doug is doing better. He hasn't packed for a trip to ER in the last couple of days. :) Hopefully, he's over the hump, even though he still doesn't feel so good. Thanks for the encouraging scripture passage. It's odd how we find it so simple to trust God for our eternal salvation and then have trouble trusting Him for the day-to-day things.

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