[January]

((((((((( Friends )))))))))

My neice had to have surgery today. Steph came through surgery just fine. She's going to be in a lot of pain for a couple days, but the surgeon said this should bring her relief for 6 months to a year. That would be so good.

I, on the other hand, had one of the screwiest days of my life. Steph told me to meet her and my brother in the Surgery Waiting Room on the 2nd floor. I came early, as usual and waited and waited and waited... Finally I asked the lady at the counter if there was another waiting area. Low and behold, there was another surgery unit and it too was on the 2nd floor, but it was on the opposite end of the hospital. The nice lady walked with me approx. 5 miles, (well, it seemed like it), to the right surgery room. She took me the way the employees go.

I got there and it was going to be a while before Steph was taken back so my brother sat with her and I went down to get something to eat. I hadn't eaten at all. I tried to go back out the way I came in, but I couldn't do it. So, I asked a Resident and she told me she gets lost, too, but she could get me to the first floor. I thought that was utterly cool and thanked her many times.

I found the snack bar and ate. When I tried to leave, I couldn't find an exit. I looked everywhere and there was nothing but a wall of glass and wood. I asked someone how to exit, she looked at me like I was a moron and showed me the door. There, in tiny golden cursive letters was the word, "Exit". I thanked her and left feeling like a fool.

I found the way back up to the surgical unit the way the lady had taken me. When I stepped out of the elevator I found myself in a "staff" area and the door was locked. I was trapped. I do not do well feeling trapped. I found my way back to the elevator, but had no idea which button to push.

This is because in normal hospitals, the floors are in sequential order. Nope, not this hospital. It had 1F, 1R, 2F,2R, etc, and the floors are staggered around this huge open atrium. I found a security guard who told me he was sure he knew which floor I needed. It was the wrong floor and I got lost again. I got back on the elevator and hit a random button. (There were no signs, anywhere.) I got off on another floor, but it was still the wrong one. A nurse found me looking totally bewildered and showed me I needed to be across this three story gulf on another floor. She told me the right button and then I got off on the right floor. Then I had to wander around the halls, (again, no signs), until I found surgicare.

I was so relieved until I told the nurse I wanted to go back and sit with my neice and brother. The nurse told me Steph had left. I said, "Do you mean my neice is in surgery?" She said, "No, she left a long time ago." I said, "Where is my brother?" She said, "He went with her."

Growing ever more incredulous, I said, "You must not have understood her name. Her name is Steph *.*." The nurse said, "I'm telling you they left a long time ago." I said, "Did my brother leave a note or a message?" She said, "No".

I was becoming more and more convinced I was in the Twilight Zone. I had only been gone about thirty minutes. How could they have left and not waited to tell me Stef changed her mind???????

I kept asking the nurse if she was sure and she kept telling me was positive they left.

Finally I asked one more time, using Steph's full name and the nurse said, "Oh, she's still here." I said, "You just told me she was gone!" She said, "No, the ones that left were the *..*s". I admit the other people's last name sounded almost like ours, but by darn, it wasn't ours.

I finally got back to Steph and my brother was having a sugar drop and asked me to please hurry and get him something to drink and something for heartburn. I told him I didn't want to, but I would try.

So help me, I got lost again, twice! I won't even go into the details of that. My brother told me they had decided just to run my obituary in the paper and I could just haunt all the halls in the basement of the hospital!

The really bad blow came, when my brother said, "You have more education than almost anybody in this hospital and you can't even find your way here." Pouring his pop over his head wouldn't have solved anything...

I certify that the above is absolutely true although some of the details of being lost have been left out because it just takes too darn long to type it.

Jan


PS. I got lost trying to get back to my car, too.

[Christina86]

My poor friend.... it sounds amusing from my point of view, but I know it wasn't from yours.

Hospitals are funny places... swear that someone builds them without thinking sometimes. hehe

Glad your neice is okay and you're no longer lost.

(((( ))))

You once were lost, but now you're found.

Was blind, but now you see.

Next time please leave a trail of breadcrumbs.

[lenjan]

((((((Jan)))))) Does that hospital have a psych floor? I would have needed to be admitted there if I'd gone through all that!

The hospital I was in for so long last year is built the same way as you described. I had to go back as an outpatient rather frequently and it took me awhile to figure out where everything was! Once I tried to go back to the floor I was on to say hi to my nurses -- UFF DA. You would think after 5 weeks on the floor, I would know where it was! LOL

It's good you can maintain a sense of humor about it all.

Candy

[January]

((((((((((((((( Friends ))))))))))))))

I am so, so happy I'm home. At least I didn't accidentally end up at the morgue like I did the last time. Whew!

Hugs,

Jan

[(JD)]

Not fun. You are obviously preoccupied and your brain loses direction during the times. I know all too well not a good feeling, and the more frustrated you become, the worse you get. ((((hugs)))

[January]

Oh Sky, you described it perfectly! It kept getting worse and worse! When I was stuck in the place with all the locked doors, I actually thought about using my cell phone to call my friend and explain I was lost, but I couldn't tell her where I was. Thank you for understanding. I'm laughing about it, but it's just plain scary...

Hugs,

Jan

Hey January,I know how you feel,with all the test's I've been having at the hospital lately.I now go directly to the desk and get an escort,I don't even make an effort to find the area I need to go,I learned the first few times,that if you're having an anxiety attack in the hallway,they don't escort you to the ER,they just give you directions!

[SerenitysWave]

<font color="purple"> oh my goodness!! that is quite the adventure! </font>

[January]

((((((((( Justice & Melinda ))))))))))))))

Thank you so much for responding.

I'll have to remember to get an escort if I ever have to go back to that wing again. The rest of the hospital is fine, but that wing is enough to drive me even battier than I am!

Hugs,

Jan

[sabby]

Ok, that's enough adventure to last the rest of the week!

Glad you are not still running around in the maze like a rat trying to find the cheese. *giggle*

Hugsssss
J

[bebop]

Jan hon I know it was scarey for you but your humor in the writing has me rolling. I have been lost in hospitals too and it is not fun but we can at least laugh at it later.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
My brother told me they had decided just to run my obituary in the paper and I could just haunt all the halls in the basement of the hospital!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
I like your bro's sense of humor. That really cracked me up.

em

[January]

(((((((((( Friends ))))))))))))

Thank you so much for posting.

My brother does have a really good sense of humor sometimes. Of course, I tease him right back!

My friend Cher has been gone visiting her family. I was trying to explain to her tonight about my misadventures in the hospital. She looked at me and said in all seriousness, "Maybe it's time for you to get an ID bracelet."

I knew my name, I just didn't know where I was!

Jan

[Hopefull]

I have no sense of direction. I was at my T's office and she ended the session. Then she opened the door to her office and let me out into the hallway. I just stood there and almost started crying. She finally noticed me and walked me to the waiting room. I can now find my way from her office to the waiting room without help. However, my Pdoc's office is down a different hallway and unnerves me. I sometimes joke to myself that they put the Pdoc's offices further in the back because they don't want us to run away until the appointment is over. I think I can find my way out if I just keep following the hall way.
I feel for you. I hate getting lost and can do it almost any where. This is why I am nervous about ever driving. I will probably just buy a car with that satelite direction thing.
I think the escort would be a good idea because the elevators tend to only go to a specific wing! I hate the wing concept. If I want to be on the third floor, why can't I just find an elevator and hit three rather than trying to find the correct wing elevator.
Your post had me laughing.

[bebop]

hahahaha Jan! lol

[January]

[lenjan]

Huh -- I didn't realize not being able to find your way out of dr.'s offices was related -- but I have no sense of direction either, and I *always* get stuck trying to find the exit in dr.'s offices unless they're straight down the hall to the door! Somebody *always* has to point me to the exit, which is tremendously embarrassing.

I'm all about GPS too. I hope someday I can afford one.