Back In The Saddle Once Again
Life has a bad habit of getting in the way of good intentions. Medical flair-ups always seem to slip up at the most inopportune time. My wife underwent a planned knee replacement the Monday before Thanksgiving. She did wonderfully, and we were getting back on track. April, I got involved breaking up a dog fight in front of the house and popped the right hip out of joint. I slipped it back in and made my way into the house and hobbled around on it for the next two weeks. On a Monday morning, I tripped in the living room, thrust my right leg forward to catch my balance, and she blew. I had probably etched a hairline fracture the first fall, and this finished it off. Next day I went through a replacement.
I have some observations on the health care system as a result, at least in El Paso. The hospital personnel, with only one exception, were extremely caring and proficient. The problem seemed to be with hospital management. The folks were so thinly scheduled, service took a big hit. There was one registered nurse for the entire floor, so that person was often out of pocket when pain meds were needed. On one occasion, a nurse from another floor had to run up and take up the slack. I waited almost two hours for medications.
It is a shame when competent professionals work in an environment that obstructs their ability to perform at a high level. I found that on a one-to-one basis, they were quite good. The trick is pinning them down to get that one-to-one attention–an unfortunate and inaccurate reflection on their desire to provide good care.
More Later
ACS
