This last week our little girl was in the hospital with pneumonia. She's home and doing fine now, but we were cooped up for 5 days in an isolation room in the pediatric department at Saint Mary's hospital. Everyone keeps saying how hard it must have been, or how scary, so it's hard to admit what I'm going to say.
It wasn't that hard or scary.
She had a treatable infection, and we knew we'd be taking her home. She was actually pretty happy during her stay (though very excited for her jail break). We had machines that told us she was doing better because she was there. (Her oxygen dropped when she was sleeping.) While it was inconvenient, it didn't shake us too badly.
I think my comfort came because I had training. Training? Yeah, training. Many of you know that I have a sister who had cancer. She was a really sick girl and still has lingering effects. She was in hospitals for about 6 months when I was 10. I became very, very comfortable with hospitals. I also took a summer intensive class at a VA on Clinical Pastoral Care while in seminary. I know how much harder for some parents it is than it was for us. Our illness seemed very trivial in comparison.
What circumstances are easier for you to deal with because of your training? What unique experiences have you had that have helped you in traumatic times? Is this a case of good coming from bad?
It wasn't that hard or scary.
She had a treatable infection, and we knew we'd be taking her home. She was actually pretty happy during her stay (though very excited for her jail break). We had machines that told us she was doing better because she was there. (Her oxygen dropped when she was sleeping.) While it was inconvenient, it didn't shake us too badly.
I think my comfort came because I had training. Training? Yeah, training. Many of you know that I have a sister who had cancer. She was a really sick girl and still has lingering effects. She was in hospitals for about 6 months when I was 10. I became very, very comfortable with hospitals. I also took a summer intensive class at a VA on Clinical Pastoral Care while in seminary. I know how much harder for some parents it is than it was for us. Our illness seemed very trivial in comparison.
What circumstances are easier for you to deal with because of your training? What unique experiences have you had that have helped you in traumatic times? Is this a case of good coming from bad?
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