Ever spent time in the hospital? I spent two weeks in the psychiatric ward trying to stabilize my

[applegrove]

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was a breeze. Staff was great. I didn't have enough books to read so I did get bored at times. The pills I got make me ravenous. Fortunately they gave us another meal at night. I gained a ton of weight but that was okay because I was not able to eat in the 3 weeks before so I had lost a lot of weight. I hung with the smokers; we had to go outside and smoke at the edge of the property because you were not allowed to smoke on hospital property. We played yatzie. We played Euchre. And I held hands with an old lady who was in emotional turmoil because she had to move into an old age home. I was able to tell her about my grandmother who lived in an old age home for 21 years and it seemed to calm her down. I got kicked out of art therapy class because I didn't need art therapy: I was too focused. All in all a pretty good experience. Not at all like you would imagine it to be. I think they have much better meds these days and that is probably why it was such a breeze.

[sakabatou]

1. 1 week or more for seizures

[struggle4progress]

2. Two weeks in the hospital about a decade ago: went in with blood sugar at 1000

[Lucinda]

3. I've spent more time in hospitals than any 10 people combined that I know

And overall I have had excellent care. There are negative exceptions, but they are rare. In my area, hospital nurses and other staff are way overworked and work hard for every dime they make.

[old mark]

4. I spent almost a year in a hospital when I was in the Army as a patient-

had a badly broken leg.

I spent many years in a mental hospital, too, but I was on the staff-retired going on 4 years ago.

I'm very glad you had a good experience with it, and that it was helpful to you.


mark

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. Over the last 3 years or so, 2-3x/yr for congestive heart failure (avg 4 days per stay).

.
.
.
The hospital I go to is EXCEPTIONAL (UMC in Tucson -- a teaching hospital)
and I've always been impressed with the staff (all the way from surgeons
to Housekeeping).
.
.
.
I think it's safe to say that, unless I'm given cause to be otherwise, I'm a
pretty nice guy. The nurses have to deal with MISERABLE people alla time
(some understandable -- they're suffering -- some just plain old miserable
assholes alla time anyway), so they LOVE a nice patient.
.
.
.
So I compare (and pretty fairly so) my hospital stays to stays at a good
spa -- pampered and no real responsibilities whatsoever (except to get
better) making for a nice emotional/physical/mental breather.
.
.
.
And when friends and acquaintances say, "You poor thing", I give 'em my
favorite "hospital mantra"...
.
.
.
.
.
...tag-team bedbaths... tag-team bedbaths... tag-team bedbaths... OMMMMMMMMMM.
.
.
.
.
.
Lack of a computer is cranial itch-making but, since I don't watch TV at
home, it's a great opportunity to dip my feet into the cultural icons that
I'm normally so unaware of.
.
.
.
And their "room service" is EXCEPTIONAL... even with all my dietary
restrictions. I would order some of their offerings (all offered a la
carte from a LARGE menu) in a restaurant.
.
.
.
When I was a young studly guy and had my BAD motorcycle accident, I
had to stay in the hospital pretty much bedridden for 10 days (high high
high on shots of Demerol for a week -- YUMMY). The ward had a LOT of
young, really cute nurses... and they seemed to hang out in my room
a lot. Hell YEAH, I liked it!!!!
.
I did finally ask why and the nurse laughed and told me not to get TOO
big a head about it -- I was in an Orthopedic Ward and I was close to
being the only man in there under 60.
.
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
.
.
.

With all these really, really positive experiences, I'm amazed that I don't
have Munchhausen's Syndrome (Wikipedia says that nurses refer to people
with that condition as "frequent flyers").
.
:rofl:
.
.
.

[pinboy3niner]

6. 18 months in an Army hospital

The food was pretty good, even when I spent several months on a liquid diet.

I'm glad your stay was a breeze, and helpful. But next time, bring more books! :)

[AsahinaKimi]

7. Funny you should ask...

I was in the ER last night for 12 hours. I accidentally ODed on the wrong pills, and called 911. They sent an ambulance within 20 minutes, where they took down the information, and calmed me down. I was told what I took, wasn't all that bad (I won't say which medication)and they hooked me up with all kinds of monitors and tubes and checked my vitals every hour. The ER bed was so uncomfortable I couldn't sleep at all, and I had virtually no sleep for many hours, until I was released and got home. (Kept worrying if my coffee pot was turned off, I couldn't recall if I had turned it off or not, and hoped the house didn't burn down killing my kitty.) It was quite an ordeal and I hope to stay the hell out of hospitals. Not fun.

[murielm99]

9. I did that one time with meds, too.

I went to the ER in an ambulance, and had to stay all night to have my vitals monitored. It was a miserable experience. I hated the ER. It was noisy and I was cold. The staff was noisier than the patients.

However, when I stayed in another hospital for six days with e.coli, my experience was very good. I received wonderful care. The food was good there, too. I hadn't been eating at home.

[Lucian]

8. I spent a mandatory 72 hours in one a couple of years ago.

It was the worst experience of my life. I was a mess. They wouldn't let me have any of my stuff. My life hit rock bottom at that time.

[Lasher]

10. I was in the hospital for 10 days this year.

Just a flesh wound on my foot, hardly worth mentioning. I didn't have any appetite, so I lost 10 pounds and five more after I got out. They put some kind of pain medicine in my IV that made me feel like I was flying around the room for about 20 seconds. Most of the staff was great but a couple were turds.

[Iggo]

11. About a week in the late '60s. Hernia op and recovery.

Imagine the 8 yr old kid walking around the ward wheeling that fluid-drip-coatrack-looking thingy.

That was me.