hospital Archives • BOOMERPDX

THESE DAYS, BALANCE EACH ONE

These Days was a Jackson Browne song from years gone by. It’s a downer from a self-proclaimed loser with a CW beat. All these years later it still hits just right:

UROLOGY WARD FOR THE BASHFUL

Nurse: The urology ward is the last place you want to see in a VA hospital. Blogger: Why is that? Nurse: These are veterans committed to showing big balls and everything that goes along with it. Blogger: Everything that goes along with big balls? Like a tight jockstrap? Nurse: Virility and testosterone. Blogger: I don’t […]

RAW EMOTIONS: HELLO AND GOODBYE, AIRPORT VS HOSPITAL

Raw emotions, unrehearsed moments of reality, happen in two places: The airport and the hospital. That’s where hello and goodbye emotions live that no one plans for. A hospital visit turns into a gut wrenching ordeal. An airport drop-off turns into the saddest day ever. Is there anything to do to prepare for this? No, […]

FREEDOM MASK: WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?

What’s a freedom mask? Is it the expression on a prisoner’s face on the way out of jail? The look married people have after the final decree is signed? Or is it a blue four-ply square with pleats that comes with loops that fit behind your ears? Since I’ve never been to jail overnight, just […]

HEALING PROCESS SECRET? STAY OUT OF THE WAY

I learned about the healing process early. The first fourteen years included two brothers, then a sister. My dad used to tell us to “quiet down, there’s a sick man in the hospital.” In North Bend, Oregon, the hospital was about a mile and a half from our house. We weren’t that noisy. After a […]

EMPATHY SUPERPOWER: THE NURSING TOOL KIT

I know empathy superpower when I see it. Why? Because I’ve felt it. I had a headache when my brother got hit with a bat. If I could have, I would have donated my knees to Joe Namath for playing football in white shoes and long hair. I feel things with people and let it […]

CIGARETTE SMOKE ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM? DON’T DO IT

Tobacco and cigarette smoke, the stuff of dreams and nightmares. The dream part comes first. Light a stick and enjoy. All you’ve got to do is breath in, breath out, and watch the cigarette smoke curl into shapes. Later comes the nightmare part, the regret, the tubes, the hospital smell, the faces […]

WHAT PEOPLE NEED AND WHAT THEY DON’T SAY

What people need is a break from their trials. An old joke goes like this: How do you catch a unique rabbit? You ‘nique up on it. How do you catch a tame rabbit? The tame way, you ‘nique up on it. It’s pretty funny if it’s the only joke of the week. More […]

THESE DAYS, BALANCE EACH ONE

UROLOGY WARD FOR THE BASHFUL

RAW EMOTIONS: HELLO AND GOODBYE, AIRPORT VS HOSPITAL

FREEDOM MASK: WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?

HEALING PROCESS SECRET? STAY OUT OF THE WAY

EMPATHY SUPERPOWER: THE NURSING TOOL KIT

CIGARETTE SMOKE ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM? DON’T DO IT

WHAT PEOPLE NEED AND WHAT THEY DON’T SAY

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