Fun in the ER

Don't worry. It wasn't Cade that required the trip to the emergency room.

Jim has an umbilical hernia. He has been to see the doctor--was referred to a surgeon and has a surgery date for next month. Simple procedure--done outpatient and just a few short days needed for recovery. Luckily, the hernia is generally not painful. Until this morning. Jim was in agony and of course had to work. Being a pharmacist, it really is very difficult to call in sick to work...especially when the two other pharmacists that work there are also out on medical leave. So, Jim survived until 2:00 when the next pharmacist came in to work for the evening. We then went to the ER like our doctor advised. Just to get Jim checked out and make sure that nothing was becoming too serious.

We went to the ER. And, as expected waited. For a very long time. But, there really is no better place to people watch (except maybe the airport) than in the ER. Strange, strange, strange people. Luckily we went in the afternoon. As we were leaving (many, many hours later) it was dark--and I think the scarier people wait until it is dark to come out. I don't know if I am getting older--or more conservative or what, but wow. The guys with the holes in their heads and their baggy pants with the shirts with skulls on them. They were talking very loudly to each other about "banging" some girl. Lovely. Then the girl who kept missing her call to go back to be checked out because she kept disappearing. Smoke break? Who knows where she kept going. Then a girl came in with food from Mimi's asking to change the channel on the TV and to turn it up. I think she thought the waiting room was her living room. It was bizarre!

We were gone for over 5 hours. We saw a PA for about 6 minutes. That was all the medical care Jim needed and all he received. But, I guess the entertainment in the waiting room was worth the $100 co-pay.

By the way, Jim is fine and surgery still scheduled for next month!