My parents are fine. Bruised, battered, injured, sure, but fine. Walking. Mobile. Fine.
I'm having trouble falling asleep, the video of my parents being taken to emergency in ambulances after the firemen break them out of their car plays in my head once the lights to out, and all the "what ifs" I thought about after my own accident are back with a vengeance. And now with a second story.
But they're ok.
It's ok.
It's so easy to judge when you don't understand the situation. It's easy to tell people how to parent their children when you're single and child-less yourself. It's easy to tell single people to just get out there and find their soul mate when you're happily married to yours. It's easy to know better when you only know a little. So I try not to.
I'm not a political person, and I don't understand or know the details of the situation with health care in this province, buut I'm pretty sure that everyone there was doing their best. I just wish they'd been able to do more. Sooner. While the building and room seemed very nicely designed, where was the staff? Why was it hours before my Mom was seen and hours after that before my Dad was seen? (And, yes, I understand triage and priorities.)
Maybe that's just how it is in Emergency.
What do I know anyway? I know we're lucky to have the health care system we do and I'm grateful for that. I know it was stressful for all of us and I know the doctors and nurses all care about what's best for their patients and I'm grateful for their efforts. It's an important, difficult job. I just hope they're getting the support they deserve, and I suspect they're not.
At the end of it all, I'm thankful my parents are ok. I'm glad things weren't worse. I'm glad I was able to be there for them. I hope their recovery is quick.
Go hug your loved ones.
7 comments:
I took my dad to the E.R. one Sunday night after he got bitten by the dog (long story).
I'd had to practice my first aid prior to taking him there because the gash wash about 4 inches long and impressively deep. Plus dog bites aren't known for being particularly clean, so it had to be washed and bandaged et al.
It was *late* Sunday night - nearing midnight - and there was *nobody* else in the ER. Not one single person ahead of us in the 'queue'
He got triaged by the nurse after a half-hour or so - why they needed a triage system when there was no queue is a question best left unasked - and then we sat there.
And sat there.
And sat there.
Several hours later, both of us being a little unhappy because we had work the next day and every minute in the ER was one more minute not getting some sleep, my dad removed his bandages, checked that the bleeding had stopped, and we gave up and went home.
So I can understand the whole "Where were the staff?" thing, and it's not a nice feeling.
Glad everything was okay. Speaking from my own experience (four crashes, three of which I was driving) car accidents are never nice things!
Really glad they are ok. That's the most important thing.
Dominic, I'm glad things worked out eventually, and no, car accidents are no fun.
Thanks Laura, it is.
Yeah that really bites. But glad to hear you're all okay. I can't even imagine living in a country where people don't go to the ER because they can't afford it. Isn't our healthcare system supposed to be one of the best? That's why my family moved to Canadia. Gah.
I know what you mean. I'm so grateful it wasn't a matter of "oh gee, we're injured but can't afford to get checked out." So grateful.
Oh honey! {hugs} Wow, thank goodness they are okay.
I don't have the energy to rant about our health services but suffice it to say that I witnessed a LOT of incompetence during my mom's hospitalization in the summer of 2008. Understaffing is just one of the problems. ;(
I would say less than 20% of the staff we dealt with (over a course of 3 weeks) were competent and reliable. ;(
I was terrified going into my day surgery last year!
Not to mention that my best friend is a nurse and I hear a lot of scary things from her about how things are done and decisions that are made!
Thanks Y.
And, yeah, I have a friend who's a nurse locally here too. :/
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