A night at the ER

For 15 seasons ER entertained at one point 16.4 million viewers. Shows as ER give you a dramatization of what happens in emergency rooms in hospitals across the U.S and perhaps the world.

Television is one thing, being there is another.


Recently because of my father’s health issues I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Emergency Room (ER) quite a few times in the last couple of months. I think my dad may be on to setting a record for going from home to the ER to a convalescent home, to the ER, back to the convalescent home and back to ER.

Reminds me of what is recorded in the gospels regarding one of the Apostles: “…when you were younger, you used to prepare yourself and go wherever you wanted. But when you grow old you will extend out your hands and another man will restrain you and position you where you do not wish.” It’s true of most of us when young and independent and true when older and frail.

On the last occasion, I was in an intensive care unit, visiting a relative-in-law as he recovers from major trauma due to a freak accident. I was about 40 miles away from home in this other hospital. Around 8:30ish I received a call from my sister. The convalescent home where my father is residing had placed a 911 call because my father was experiencing severe breathing problems.

I left that hospital on a borrowed car as I was riding with my daughter and went to the ER back home in Whittier. I arrived there around 10:00PM and stayed with Dad until he was stable and admitted to the hospital and placed in a regular room.

It’s sad seeing your own dad in a helpless condition, unable to breath and additionally not being able to communicate as the oxygen mask muffled the sounds of his voice as he would try to talk to me. I reassured him that I would be there for the duration and that Mom and everyone else would be informed of the situation. My second goal was to soften the bad news to my mother as the stress of all these recurring trips to ER, have taken a toll on her. I brushed my hand against his bear shoulder and sort of massaged it to calm him down. He fell asleep for a few minutes.

I took the time to talk to the staff and asked them about their schedules, sleeping patterns, how they managed in their environment. I thanked them for just putting up with all the craziness that is part of the package of being in ER. 

The staff I’ve met has to deal with everyone wanting their immediate attention. Rude Doctors especially. I suppose, dealing with trauma day in and day out tends to change your demeanor.

I overheard a nurse talking to my Dad’s doctor. He was saying something about “let’s hurry this up!”; she looked frustrated and almost aghast at his response. It was past midnight so maybe that had something to do with it. Awoken by the phone in the middle of the night, apparently elicited a not to friendly response. Obviously a common occurrence that may have not been emphasized as part of a daily Dr’s life routine while still in school!

After some time, the ER was satisfied with his condition, a resident Doctor talked to me and Dad was admitted to the hospital and place in a hospital bed. I was almost out of juice; it was just about 2:00AM. My dad would get some rest, I would be going home but the ER would remain active all over the world.

Have you had a chance to thank this folks for the work they do? I made sure to express my gratitude. I may be seeing them again!

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Cardinals and Ordinals, do you know the difference?

It's 2010 C.E.

So far our calendar has recorded 2009 years and a few days as of this writing. When most people speak of the last 10 years, technically, they are really referring to the last 9 complete years and whatever amount of days within the 10th year since 10 complete years have not passed.

In 2001, December 31st for example, one complete year had passed. Actually on 2002, January 1st, one year had passed and the second year had begun (2002). As of midnight, January 1st, 2002, one whole day of 2002 was complete, 2002 would not be complete until 364 days later. That would be the very second that the clock turned to January 1st, 2003.

Birth date years are Cardinal. When you're 1, a complete year has passed. You start with milliseconds upon being born (literally 0) and end up being 1 year old on the same date of your birth, the next time around. Some cultures start counting upon conception. So when you are born you are now 9 months old or any variation of that depending on whether birth was premature or not.

This is not the case with Calendar years (at least not with the Gregorian and Julian Calendars). The Romans and Greeks had no year 0. Year 1 A.D. or C.E of our calendar was not a Cardinal number but an Ordinal number. One whole year had not passed, that would only happen on 2 A.D. or C.E. Anytime you see years marked in calendars, you have to subtract one to find out the real number or whole number (Cardinal).

So for 2010, the 10th year will be complete on 2011, January 1st on the first tick of the clock of that day be it a nanosecond after midnight of 2010, December 31st or what ever unit of measurement you want to use.

One easy way to understand the differences then is to think of Ordinal numbers as numbers that tell you a position, like in a race, 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Calendar years are positional.

Cardinal numbers tell you how many, in order words a quantity (whole numbers).  A basket of apples with a count of 10 apples uses a Cardinal number. You don't normally think of the apples in the basket as 1st or 3rd unless you want to know if you put a green or a red apple in the basket first.

One thing is for sure, time keeps on going forward (as we understand it) and we can't go back to change things done in the past.

When 10 whole years of this new century (which is Ordinal as well) have passed, where will you be in relation to your goals and aspirations?