Thurday Thirteen

My husband has been in the hospital since Saturday. He got his arm and hand caught in a hay baler. He did not lose his limbs. His arm was badly smashed and he had severe lacerations. It took two surgeries within three days to get him to a better place of healing. Time will tell us how much use of his arm he may have lost. But the main thing is he is alive. It could have been much, much worse.

So here are 13 quick observations:

1. Farm machinery is dangerous.

2. It only takes a split second for inattention to turn into tragedy.

3. Ambulances are bumpy rides.

4. ERs are so full that people are treated in the hallways.

5. The waiting rooms at ERs are filled with people who look like they would be better served at an urgent care facility or doctor's office.

6. The hospital cafeteria does not serve up very many healthy items, and they super size.

7. Hospital food still tastes as bad as it always has.

8. Some nurses are better than others, just as some people are better than others. You treasure the good ones.

9. The whole system needs a revamp. There should be an urgent care right beside the ER so the less urgent folks can be shuffled there, and the real emergencies dealt with. I think I said something similar already but I'm stressed, so forgive the repetition.

10. The whole hospital feels like one big disease.

11. Late Saturday night surgeries, when you and your brother are the only ones in the waiting room, are pretty damn scary.

12. It is better not to send flowers to the hospital. It is just one more thing for the caregiver to have to keep track of. Wait until the patient is home, then send all the flowers you want.

13. Many people offer to help and sincerely want to, and that is a great treasure.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 352nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.