I didn’t have many plans to go to major hospitals this week. I went to the Cancer Center first, but there were no patients there. But while I was there, I met the receptionist and a nurse I hadn’t seen in a while.
The pediatrics department was almost as quiet. Only one girl was seen, and her parents were very welcoming. But she was scared of me, wanted to touch me, and was scared. So in the end I didn’t go. Most kids are happy to see me, but some, like this one, are sometimes scared.
I then went to the delivery room. The nurses are always happy to greet me! Then a patient came to visit, a young Spanish speaking woman, pregnant for the first time. She was in bed, but had makeup on, including her eyelashes. Sometimes people who are going through big things in the hospital need something like makeup to help them feel more like normal. While we were there, an older couple came in, probably her parents. The woman, presumably the mother, told us how scared the young woman had been. It was a pleasure to spend some time with her.
I still had some free time, but as I was walking down the hospital hallway, a few nurses saw me and asked to spend some time with me. Of course, a small crowd gathered. On these slow days, I try to spend some extra time with my staff, they need the stress relief.
Although my owners and I were disappointed that we couldn’t see our patients, it was still important to come to work for the staff, and for the visitors too. Hospital life is hard, and most patients come and go, but the people who come to work every day, or visit sick loved ones, are having a hard time, and they need me too.
