I’ve been really behind lately so I’m just going to catch up by writing this “free-blog” post first. Today was a horrible day. I got sick and for the life of me could not stay and go to the classes. So I left and went to the hospital instead pushing my way through the doors marked “Emergency”. Signed myself in, had myself checked by the nurse, filled out some paper work and started to wait. I waited and waited but since I’m a patient person (especially when I’m sick since I just don’t care about the world) it didn’t bother me. I know that hospital staff has it hard and I wouldn’t want to be the one to make their life any harder because I personally hate difficult people. So after waiting for over an hour the good doctor came out, called “Julia?” and led me to a room where she got right to asking me questions and examining what the hell was wrong with me. After she concluded whatever she concluded she informed me that the nurse would be right in and I would be hooked to an IV machine and all would be swell from there. So I’m thinking “Yay.” my suffering will soon be over. However, before it was I got to wait some more. I read some philosophy, played some games on my phone and finally the nurse came in, put a needle in me and left me there saying “I’ll see ya in a sec.” I don’t know what her definition of a “sec” is but it sure as hell is not the same as mine. I waited and waited and waited. It was crazy that day with a trauma patient and several arguments breaking out because other people were waiting too; but I was patient because again I felt bad. So I waited in that room for a total of five hours finding things to take up my time with but it’s kind of hard…actually it was impossible. My head started to hurt because I was so hungry but yet this IV machine would not come. By this time I have healed my own self, was freezing, and was praying to the good Lord to send me home. The Lord sends my father along and he being an impatient man that is not shy asks to see the doctor. The doctor comes and is shocked to see that nothing has been done to me. Of course, the nurse had forgotten about me completely. I wasn’t mad because I understood there were others there in much more critical cases but I did feel kinda hurt since me and the nurse had a nice, funny conversation and I trusted that she would take care of me. Bioethics much? When does the hospital system become impersonal? My doctor said “I can’t let you leave till you feel better because I’m your doctor it’s my job.” Shouldn’t every doctor have this mind-set? But I guess it is harder when you have so many patients during the day, but is it really OK to forget about one patient because another one is more ill or should we, as patients, all be treated equally in a system such as this one? Anyway moral of the story, speak up and remind people you’re there because being forgotten really sucks and can cost you A LOT of time. 🙂