1st hospital dinner date

This morning at 5:30 I got a call from Carey explaining that he had left his phone at the house. I tried to listen to his directions to the hospital, but realized later in the afternoon that I had slept since then. Twice actually. But AGW and I loaded up in hopes of making it to the hospital and somehow magically wondering into the place only to find Carey available for dinner. I had hope, but it wasn't very high. I didn't actually mention any of this to AGW. I was afraid of getting her hopes up too and there is no reasoning with a 2 year old missing her daddy. Thankfully, OnStar got us to the hospital with no problems at all. Finding Carey's truck was a little more difficult, but after several loops through the parking garage we found the physician's parking. There it was in his very own "RESERVED for Physicians Only" spot. How exciting!

When we arrived I explained that we are going to the hospital to put Daddy's phone in his truck. AGW said "Oooh, yah. Cash.. Is.. Sick." She thought this because Cash had to go to the hospital last week when he was sick. I'm proud that she made that connection. When I told her that Cash isn't sick, she thought out loud "Momma... ok. Aizey... ok." Then stated "Ooohh, Daddy sick." Again, I was proud that she was thinking through it all. When I mentioned that Daddy works at the hospital, it all clicked!

After we parked and placed the phone in the truck I wondered how the heck we go about finding a new resident without a cell phone in an unknown hospital. I tend to be a little shy but found the courage to call the medical student who had let Carey borrow his phone earlier in the morning. Richard was very friendly and laughed "Well of course you're Carey's wife!". He was referring to the heavy accent :)He was no longer at the hospital but suggested that Carey would probably be found on 5-South. Great. What is 5-south and how do I get there? If I just show up, will I get Carey in trouble? This was my biggest fear.

Still, I didn't drive all of that way to just turn around and go home. With a tiny hand in mine, we ventured into the first elevator we could find and wondered around the hospital until we found ourselves in the south wing and on the 5th floor. As AGW and I stepped out of the elevator we passed Carey's chief resident. I felt so guilty for being there and so fortunate that he didn't recognize me. That chance encounter was enough to scare me out of really searching for him. I just refused to get him in trouble! I looked down the two halls nearest to the elevator and thought about sitting in the waiting area for a few minutes to see if he walked by. That's when I remembered that children aren't welcome in all areas of the hospital. Another reason to not risk getting him in trouble. I quickly turned around and headed back to the elevator. Just before the doors opened, a familiar face rounded the corner. Magically, there he was! He was just as surprised to see us as we were to see him! It turns out that he was in the restroom that we had just walked by and when he exited, he heard a little "yep! yep!". Out of curiosity, Carey thought he'd check to see who that little voice belonged to.Luckily the elevators were slow and we didn't miss him!

We were able to walk down and grab dinner in the cafeteria. It was such a priviledge to steal some of his time. After dinner in a courtyard, Carey showed us the surgery call room. It's nothing like what you see on Grey's Anatomy. I wasn't impressed by any means, but at least he has his own room to rest. The bed wasn't made, there was a a pair of slacks and a shirt thrown over the back of a chair, 2 pairs of shoes, (belonging to 2 different people) and other belongs that weren't Careys. He explained that usually housekeeping has made rounds and the bed is fresh, but the belongings have always been there and just stay. After about 5 minutes his pager went off. That was at exactly 7 p.m., the typical time when nurses start pages. This time it was the E.R. paging and Carey need to go consult with someone who had come in. On the way down to our car we stopped in the Surgery Lounge. It had a refridgerator, kitchenett, nice couch, big screen T.V., and cubical to finish paperwork. The cabinet was covered in Cambell's Soup To Go, oatmeal, cookies, and other free snacks. There was also a big beverage cooler filled with all kinds of juices and pepsi products. The surgeons also have a fance machine that makes all kinds of lattes, mochas, and flavored tea. This made me feel like he wasn't so deprived when he was stuck up there for a 36 hour shift!