Hospitals

I hate hospitals.

I hate them even more when someone I love is in one.

But I can't even begin to describe how much I hate them while my daughter is in one.

My daughter has a rare disorder called Infantile Spasms. It is one of the most rare and devastating types of epilepsy anyone can have. She was diagnosed with this disorder back in December and we've been battling it ever since. My wife does a much better job blogging about our journey with I.S. so please visit her blog here for more about that. I want to talk about hospitals.

Who in their right mind would actually like a hospital? Maybe you like that there is healing and help in a hospital but I'm not talking about the good things about a hospital. I'm talking about all the bad things that a hospital represents.

But does facing all the bad things a hospital represents turn into good things?

Does being FORCED into staying in a hospital for weeks at a time make you think about things you never would have thought about before?

Like how lucky we truly have it here in America and how awesome it is to know that proper help is being provided to you when you need it most. And what about all the other people you encounter in the hallways of a hospital? You can't help it when you pass by a stranger but to wonder what their issue is, what their reason for being in the hospital could be.

One of the crazy things about being in a hospital is the fact that you tend to run into unselfish instances.

For example, I was on the elevator going back to our room yesterday when an army vet (revealed by his hat) jumped on with me. He was an emotional wreck and cursing about his car breaking down on the way to see his baby. He didn't know his way around, perhaps it was because he was so distraught, so I asked him where his room was and what room number he was trying to find. He appreciated my help and it turns out that he was only two doors away from our room. Maybe he's going through the same thing. His child is on the neuro unit like mine. But for a few minutes I wasn't thinking about what my family was going through, instead I was focused on helping the army vet find his way to his precious family whom I'm sure cares about just as much as I care about mine.

Unselfish moments like these help you deal with the pain you are facing when you are in the hospital.

Why is it that it seems to help the most to pour out to someone else when we are so emotionally "empty"  ourselves? I get that it would make sense if we were at our strongest but how does it make sense when we are at our weakest??

It's like saying, "empty yourself so you can give more!"

It baffles the mind.

I hate hospitals. Probably because I am forced to face the facts. And the fact of the matter is that LIFE IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN I REALIZE AND IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!!!!!!

Hospitals are the perfect place to learn all about "unselfish moments". It's crazy how that works isn't it??