They have a similar situation here in what is called the Intensive Care Unit
(ICU) of the hospital. In this area patients can only receive visitors 15
minutes at a time a few times a day. In a regular hospital room visitors can
come and go as long as they want within certain hours and a spouse or parent
could even stay overnight. But in the unit I mentioned, where more serious
cases are, visitors are more restricted. When my father was in ICU after a
stroke, some of the nurses would let us stay longer if things were going well
on the floor -- no critical emergencies, etc. -- but some went very much by
the rules. We tried to take my children in to see my dad, their grandfather,
but a nurse stopped us, saying there were people with infectious diseases
there that children would be more susceptible to. I think we tried to explain
that the family was called in from out of town because he was in such serious
condition they didn't know if he would live, but by that time he had improved
somewhat so they didn't think he was that critical. Unfortunately, that little
peek my kids got of him then was all they got before he did pass away a few
months later.
I realize that sometimes a patient may need rest more than visitors, and
sometimes a patient needs to be protected from any further infection, and I
realize hospitals have rules for a reason that we may not understand, but I
think it would do them well to remember that a human touch from a loved one
does a patient a world of good. A hospital is not most people's favorite place
to be, and some people find that just being there is most distressing, and
just having someone familiar nearby has a calming effect. I remember feeling
so sorry for my dad having to be in that area all day with nothing to do but
stare at the ceiling and wait for the few minutes visitors could come.
Well, here is hoping for a good recovery for your friend. Keep sending her our
best wishes!
Barbara H.
In a message dated 2/14/99 8:45:54 AM EST, ferrix(AT)net-one.it writes:
> Hi Barbara,
> the problem is that the place where she's recovered is very peculiar: I
> don't know the exact word in English, but there are recovered people who
> cannot breathe, so there are very strict rules: for example, only one
person
> per hour can enter the room and in the last weeks, her parents were allowed
> to enter only with a particular permission.
> I think that some paresnts of other patients, maybe someone recovered there
> for a car accident, asked to be permitted too. This isn't possible, so
> doctors told them not ot do it again.
> This is the only reasonable explanation that I can think of.
> Roberta
-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: JHarper33(AT)aol.com [mailto:JHarper33(AT)aol.com]
Inviato: sabato 13 febbraio 1999 17.34
A: ferrix(AT)net-one.it
Cc: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com
Oggetto: Re: please
In a message dated 2/13/99 6:50:46 AM EST, ferrix(AT)net-one.it writes:
> doctors told her sister she
> can't anymore stay with Roberta the whole day: she can go there only
twice
> in the day.
> Now I go
> Take care
> Roberta
>
>
>Why did the drs. tell her sister she couldn't stay? Seems like that would
>help
>her general well-being to have someone there she knows and loves..
>
>Barbara H.
>
>Dear friends,
>in the last days your words of reassurance were one of the best things
>Roberta2 received, she said thanks to me through the glass of her room
>in
>the hospital and I was nearly crying for that.
>If you have some more to tell her, please don't hesitate: a story, a
>signal
>that you felt before the recovery of some function, something like
>that...
>if anyone of you was in the situation that couldn't breathe and he or
>she
>recovered, please tell her that this is possible.
>Your words are necessary to her.
>She doesn't have fever anymore (since wed or thur, I believe), but
>sometime
>she feels depressed, because in the last week doctors told her sister
>she
>can't anymore stay with Roberta the whole day: she can go there only
>twice
>in the day.
>Now I go
>Take care
>Roberta