Press-Republican

Columns

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
comments powered by Disqus
October 13, 2009

Good staffers ease stress of hospital stay

By LORRAINE LILJA, Innocent Bystander

I just got home from another short hospital stay. That's another experience of the passing years. The staff keeps getting better with each visit. They ask how you are feeling and scare up snacks when you need them.

I've led a very healthy life, and hospital stays were few. Tonsils at age 10 and babies at 29 and 31.

Sixty-five years of smoking have taken their toll on my breathing and lessened my oxygen intake. One of the results of oxygen deprivation is confusion, I'm told. It must be so, for I've come up with some pretty zany things, which is why my son decided I needed to go to the hospital one recent Saturday.

On the way home, we stopped at the pharmacy for two prescriptions. As we arrived at the drug store, I meant to ask him if he needed cash. But it came out asking if he needed an ash tray! It shows you where my head was.

NO GARAGE SALES
While inpatient, I met a nice nurse. We got into a conversation, and she said she is living in an empty nest and misses cooking. All her pots, pans and utensils are gone. I said I still have mine and never use them. So we will get together and solve each other's problems. It is opportune, because the senior home I live in doesn't allow us to hold garage sales. That's pretty dumb when you consider it. Folks who have had to downsize living quarters, sometimes repeatedly, need to have a way to dispose of the overage — and could use the money. What harm could it do to have one day set aside for a garage sale?

Another great improvement at CVPH Medical Center is the speed with which they send you on your way. I remember sitting for hours waiting to be discharged in the past, and that ranks up there with the longest hours ever spent. My whiz of a nurse had everything in order within an hour, complete with detailed instructions on how and when to take meds.

Now that I've buttered up the CVPH staff, I'll bet my future stays will be as pleasant.

Lorraine Lilja is a retired Press-Republican reporter. A collection of her columns, "Lilja's World," is for sale at local bookstores. Lilja can be reached at llilja17@hotmail.com.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Columns
Peter Black: Canadian Dispatch

Lois Clermont, Editor

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Richard Gast: Cornell Ag Extension

Bob Grady

Guest Columns

Peter Hagar: Cornell Ag Connection

Health Advice

Ray Johnson: Climate Science

Gordie Little: Small Talk

Terry Mattingly: On Religion

Steve Ouellette: You Had To Ask

Colin Read: Everybody's Business

Senior Thoughts