Tag: hospital

Keeping Busy…. (busy enough to say that I am?)

Darren Long1 Comment

Thinking back… to just last week.

Ah! Wednesday, I went back to a Hospital for the Monthly Volunteer Meeting. Pretty cool. I learned quite a bit from as far as what has done in the past and what other events the volunteers have scheduled to do. Different things here and there.

I’ll remember better what they were when it happens. 😉

That’s it for LAST week.

~~ Now THIS week (so far).

Monday was busy traveling back home (after Mothers Day and a Wedding).

Tuesday, I went to volunteer at the hospital again from 8 to 12. Not quite as “busy” as last Monday, for some reason. Maybe because it was too much nice weather outside? Maybe. Who knows. None the less, I was a good sit and greet. I left the Hospital at noon after volunteering at the front door. Not a bad day at that. Not overly busy at all.

At the hospital, I DID happen to see someone who I hoped to speak with again another time. It was the Occupational Therapist! Ah! Hadn’t seen her for over a year. Love to just talk and show her how I am doing. She was entering quickly and leaving quickly when she came by and didn’t happen to see me to learn that I’m there now. Eh. Maybe next time.

Today? Today was a good day.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the day I moved my Psych appointment to from Monday. (Just because I was busy Monday this week.)

Next week, the Psych is back to Monday, the Hospital on Tuesday AND THEN (ta-da!) the Hospital is AGAIN on Friday (yeah!). It’s moved to Friday from then on. I’ll type you about all that later on…

Woo-Hoo!!

Darren Long1 Comment

This is what I’ve been waiting for! VOLUNTEERING AT THE HOSPITAL!!!

ok… ok… This is the hospital I’ve been typing about lately (not my surgery one). This is the close-to-my-house one. Learned all about my job: where the “sitting location” is & where the cafeteria is to get a FREE LUNCH. The second one is the most important. That is what I’m cheering about, right there. 😉

Oh, my badge! Have to type-ya about that… Has my “official picture” on it and my TITLE is…

Ambassador

That’s an important big word, eh? This job is the one where I sit right near the entrance and help people to know where to go. Lots of people are just looking towards me, smiling and walking by. I say, “Good Morning.” and such…

There are others that need some help as to where to go in this giant hospital. The lady who was there and showing me what to do, began by answering questions and letting people know where to go very easily. Later she told me she’d been there volunteering for quite a while. Ah…. She was saying that she had been there for years and years. One day, every week, in the morning hours. Sometimes she also fills in for people who have to be gone for some reason. Interesting…

She told me that some days it might get a busy, and other days it’s pretty slow. Back and forth. Just hard to tell what it’s going to be from day-to-day.

I learned quite a bit. She packed up at noon and said that she would see me next week. She told me where the cafeteria was (other half of the first floor) and left. I strolled over to the cafeteria to get my FREE FOOD. That’s all I am there for. Work several hours for food. 🙂 Met with some other volunteers there and sat to eat with them.

After eating, I packed up and came home. A good day of volunteering.

Mmmmm…. changes.

Darren Long1 Comment

So, I have learned from the local Hospital that even though my volunteer services are just getting to be highly looked upon, I need to NOT be around everyday. Hmmm… (ha ha)

Not a Friday afternoon to begin with, where to just stick around all weekend. No. (They want to “learn” my ways of my ideas first.) Now, I have an email stating that they have thoroughly thought about me. (Maybe they’ve spent time on here and read these important entries? Who knows.)

Now, we have “NEW scheduling” to begin with. Ta-Da! Training to work at an Information Desk at 8:30am on Tuesday!?!? Opening my eyes is going to be complicated for such an EARLY HOUR… BUT! This is 100% what I have been waiting for and I will GLADLY do it!!!

So, looking at this email after it is magically printed onto a sheet of paper in front of me, the training on May 5th will start at 8:30am, while the May 12th and May 19th (Tuesdays the next weeks) days will be at 8:00am. THEN I’m coming in on Friday, May 22nd to begin the “Official Friday Workings”…. mess makings…. staying there to wear me out?

We’ll see….

Wait… Wait… Wait…

Darren Long3 Comments

I can’t believe I had forgotten to put this on my “Monday” post. (Truthfully, it is still Monday while typing, I just don’t want to appear till Tuesday morning.)

Ah… That’s it…

Me and the local Hospital have connected! Ta-Da! Talked with them on Friday of last week…

“Mr. Long, we have things here for you to do!“

I think…. Woo Hoo! Hot Dang!

So I ask… “Seven days a week? Twenty-four hours a day?“

They say… “Uh, no. One day a week (Fridays). Only eat lunch and work (volunteer) the afternoon.“

Oh…. I say… “But, I could then spend the night! And volunteer ALL WEEKEND.“

Answer… “No.”

Hmmmm… Well, now I have to find stuff on other “nothing-to-do” days.

The Psych-Lady is “Set In Stone” for Mondays. Mondays at noon for an hour while we do lunch. Phew…. All-Day Monday is just GONE with that.

As a Hospital Volunteer, I am fed lunch and work in the afternoon on Fridays. Phew… All-Day Friday is GONE.

Where else can I do something to get a free lunch???  Hmmm…..

This is Darren blogging again before another surgery…

Darren Long2 Comments

Thanks for the prayers. Let me tell you I have some WiCkEd scars on the top and side of my head. Cuts going all over the place. These cuts and scars really leave me with quite the headache. The top/front of my head kills me at times, then I have the nurse give me some meds. I have a mesh-type beenie to cover my scarred head where the scan devices on the inside/outside of my brain. The mesh helps keep the my brain “leakage” under control.

Early Friday morning about 3 o’clock or so I woke up in a daze like state, pretty confused and my head hurt like crazy.  I knew I needed to go to the restroom. When I opened my eyes, it was hard to see and by this time in the week I had become aware enough to recognize that I had some kind of wires or something hanging – coming out of the top of my head. This- I also had a tremendous headache. Stood up out of bed and the cords from my skull yanked my head down. I grabbed the ones on the left side and pulled them straight out.  The next thing I know there is repeated drops of blood all over me and the floor. I felt them as they were being jerked out of my skull. I started screaming bloody murder.Four nurses came in after my wife yelled for help. They cleaned me up and prepped me for a CT scan.

Over the weekend, it seemed as though my brain was healing. Started to be more awake and could think better. But I have also had a tremendous headache that I am continually taking pain medication for.

Jaw is killing me because of the holes in the side of my head that are drilled are on  the jaw muscle. Chewing is difficult and painful. Opening my mouth is next to impossible, but the doctor is giving me directions on how to do exercises for my jaw when I leave the hospital.

Monday morning is the next surgery and that is to take out the leads including those that are frayed and broken inside my skull. After doing this I will blog about the options.

———

Monday morning now. The doc just came in and let me know I am #2. So, about 11:00 or 12:00 or 1:00 before they take me away and another hour before they chop me back open.