I finally got admitted into the hospital yesterday, but that day came too soon. I was planning to start my first week as a volunteer at Laguna Honda Hospital and I feel terrible that I won't be able to help the patients on their bus trip to SFMOMA today, that I'll have to wait on meeting the residents of L4, and that I won't get to be an art therapy assistant just yet. At least I got to finish my shift yesterday on G4.
I have to admit that patient, wherever they are hospitalized, experiences time slowing down. There are good days, bad days, and days where you are just staring into space waiting for something to happen. Since G4 is an Asian-American focus unit, most of the residents only spoke Cantonese or Mandarin. My supervisor let me spend most of my day talking to one resident because he spoke Vietnamese. I'm so glad that I got to meet him. Not only was he someone who I could practice my patient contact skills, but he was also someone I could greatly sympathize for....and I sympathized a lot. I told him about the medical struggles that I had and that he shouldn't loss hope. He kept telling me that I was different though....that I am "young"...that I am "lucky."
I spent the other half of my shift pouring out coffee and other refreshments to the residents and taking them on a little stroll to the library. I learned that it's sort of difficult wheeling patients if their legs are mobile. What do you do when the patients wants to go somewhere else in the hospital but your supervisor told you to take them to a specific place? I took him to the library anyway and was left with the guilt of not responding to his hand gestures and sound utterances to take him somewhere else.
My supervisor (super nice and understanding), let me leave early because there wasn't anything left to do. I don't think she really needs my help. I think I was a little bit of a nucance because it was my first day and I didn't know anything.
On my car ride home from LLH, a medical student called me and asked where I where I was. I told him that I called my doctor's assistant that I would be coming in a little late. He kept asking me stupid questions like what time I would get to the hospital, how far did I live from the hospital, etc. He made me page him when I got to the admissions office.
They haven't done much since I got here. It's just normal saline going into an IV for now. I'm scheduled to go into surgery for a central line around 10:30 (it's past 10:30 now). Hopefully, they'll be able to start the plasmaphersis this afternoon. The senior resident told me that the surgery should take 45 minutes but I'll be in the OR a little longer because of anesthesia and everything. They might not put me to sleep this time because they're afraid that my diffuculty breathing will lead to complications. I've had a central line before..I just wasn't conscious throughout the whole time. I can't have anything to eat or drink until after surgery, so I'm my stomach is growling like mad and my mouth is dry from thirst. This hospital stay is a little too reminiscent...*sigh* I'm still grateful I'm here though.
p.s.Oh, regarding the title of this post. I was poked so many times for labs because my IV is horrible at drawing blood. I just thought it was funny that one of the nurses yesterday called me a pushpin.
p.p.s. I hate having an IV in my hand. Sucks that the one in my forearm had to be taken out.
p.p.p.s.Gah, I need to breath.
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