Holy Hospital, Batman!

What is it that hospitals can't all be like this?

I took Ray into Hackensack Medical Center for the second time this year. As usual, I was impressed with the lobby, the halls and the Surgical Admissions area. The waiting area was its usually nicely decorated but subdued hues with fancy coffee and some tea right there and ready. I fell asleep sprawled on one of the couches there for a time, but mostly I spent the time reading. That was only slightly marred by the Swiss Family Tacky (as I called them) a boisterous group comprised of some very abysmally stupid people... proven when one asked the rest of the group, "What's a muse?" and the response was, "Well, uh, it's something inside your head, that, uh..." Oh, please stop.

In Greek mythology, there were nine muses, each of whom ruled a specific area of creative disciplines, such as music, writing, art, memory, astronomy etc. One was Mneme, another Polyhymnia. They were directly related to Zues, maybe daughters (wasn't everyone? That guy really got around). But they are not something in one's head. Duh.

At any rate, the surgery was over in less time than in May. I guess doing one hip makes for an expert in doing the other... I don't know. But at any rate, hip replacement #2 began somewhere around 1145 (Ray was wheeled out of the Surgical Admissions around 1130) and Dr. Andronico found me immersed in music and The Lives of the Planets around 1320. Fast! He said it all went well and I'd be able to see Ray in a couple of hours.

They do not run this hospital like others. The visiting hours for those in recovery are stringent. You can see them at 0900, 1200 or 1500, for ten to fifteen minutes, no exceptions. They don't waiver on any of it. As it happens, I went into the Recovery area just as they were getting ready to move Ray to his room. So I was delayed while following along up to his room to see him settled.

I must say that the hospital looks more like a hotel than a hospital. The halls were all beautifully decorated and while clean and neat, missing that rigid anticeptic smell and lack of ambience the horror that makes hospitals what they are. I loved it. The rooms are a little more typical, but with nicer furniture and none of that crucifix weirdness like at St. Clares - I found that just a little off-putting, to say the least. A cross is one thing... a crucifix... well, that is not what I would consider reassuring.

So it is in those good hands that I left Ray this afternoon.

Morristown Memorial is a good hospital for the most part. But it is not like Hackensack, which was amazing in every sense of the word.

Tomorrow my mother is having a special test where they will look at her heart via her esophagus. I need to call the floor nurse to make sure I get that update. I have no idea what time that is. This afternoon was a botched job... I got out of Hackensack at 1549, in Parsippany by 1625, out of the pharmacy at 1645and ready to do payroll (sort of) by 1700. That went so poorly that I was unable to submit it yesterday. (It's okay, it will go in today.) And you see how well the trip to the pharmacy went... it is 0217 and I am wide awake!

Plans for today: finish running the payroll (I'm actually going to do that now so that at 0830 I can have it submitted for preview and then ready to be processed by Ceridian), get fuel in the car, put together a couple of things for Ray, head to Bergen County, shop myself silly at Paramus (I have about $400 in spending power) and then head to Hackensack to visit Ray. I hope to be home by 1500 or 1530 and read and maybe lightly nap in my hammock, have dinner (forget a nice dinner; I had no lunch or dinner yesterday and so any repast will be good), and then sleep (I hope) well to face the remainder of the workweek.

Cross your fingers for me!