5

After today’s treatment, we are down to the final 5.  We’ll be done a week from today.  Today’s treatment was a little more interesting than normal.  I’ve been getting a little irritated that the nurses keep waking Jude up before he’s done sleeping that a few treatments ago, I asked why they do that.  The nurse said they needed the bed for the patient who was scheduled 2 patients behind Jude.  In other words, they only have 2 beds and they need to get it cleaned up and ready for the next patient.  Seemed ridiculous to me that they would wake up a kid who needs his rest while undergoing radiation treatments.  So, when I saw the CFO in the hallway today while waiting for Jude to wake up, I pulled him aside and said, “I have a suggestion for you.”  I went on to describe how they should consider investing in another bed so the kids can get the rest they need without getting rushed out the door.  I didn’t get the impression that they were very sympathetic to the circumstances.  It was inadequate explanation after inadequate explanation, but I pretended to be satisfied with the response since I really didn’t want to make waves.  I then saw and heard the CFO and our nurse in the next recovery room over talking about me.  There is a glass wall and glass door separating the 2 recovery rooms and the door was cracked open an inch or so.  The nurse said, “If it were my child or nephew, I wouldn’t want him to sleep more than 10 or 15 minutes.”  But, they didn’t wake him up this time.  Jude kept sleeping and sleeping (and I kept working and working at his bedside).  Then the CFO came in after Jude had been sleeping for about 1-1/2 hours.    Of course I was tempted to tell him in only half jest that while he was at it  to go ahead and order a thicker door to go along with new bed because I just heard what he and the nurse had been saying.  But, I exercised restraint and didn’t.  He said that they had never had a patient like Jude before.  He said that the patients normally wake right up and that they would schedule Jude for a longer appointment so that they don’t have to rush us out the door.  Not that it really matters for us at this point since all appointments have been scheduled for this week and we only have 2 appointments next week.  But, maybe it will help some kid down the road who is like Jude and wants to roll back over and go to bed after the nurse checks him over after getting out of treatment.