Tuesday, March 11, 2008

High Priced Accomodations and a Priceless Network of Friends

No more Red Roof Inns or Econo Lodges for me and my wife! Not after the weekend we just had. We spent three nights in a $12,000 a night room in suburban Allentown. Let me tell you about our room.

The room was finely appointed, with laminated wood floors, a beautiful mosaic art piece on the wall, and many high-tech amenities. The bed was very comfortable. The staff was quite attentive. At the push of a button, staff members were prompt in meeting all our needs. Room service was available from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Despite the quality of the room and service, I do have a few complaints. For some reason, the staff insisted on interrupting us several times each night. We found that to be annoying at times. Also, the management insisted that my wife sleep on the sofa bed in the room rather than with me in the comfortable, high-tech bed that I enjoyed each night.

On Saturday night, we enjoyed a fireworks display from our sixth floor window. Well, actually it turned out to be a series of electrical transformers exploding on a nearby street.

You probably know that I am not actually talking about a hotel room, but about my room at Lehigh Valley Hospital. In all seriousness, the room was quite nice and the nursing staff was excellent! We are very pleased with the care I have received at the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital on Friday night, my white blood count was almost zero and my hemoglobin level was half the normal. Apparently, I felt much better than I actually was. Over the weekend, I received IV antibiotics and two units of blood. By Sunday, my blood counts were rising and I was feeling much better. It is true. The life is in the blood.

One funny story. If you have my warped sense of humor. On Sunday, Merrily went out to get me lunch. She called me when she was out, but reversed the numbers and got the morgue. When she told me what happened, I told her that I did not realize that my condition was so bad.

I was released early Monday afternoon. Instead of driving home, we went to Lancaster, spent the night at a motel, and went to my doctor’s appointment this morning. We met with the surgeon’s assistant to finalize plans for my surgery on the 19th. Then we went to Lancaster Regional Hospital for pre-op work. By noon, we were on our way home.

After an unexpected hospital stay and a re-arrangement of the family’s weekend plans, we are back together at home. That is always a good thing. We are thankful for God’s care and provision. We are thankful for the prayers of many, from Pennsylvania, to Michigan and Ohio, to South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, to Kentucky, and to Brazil. God’s people are lifting us up! We are thankful for close friends who are willing to re-arrange their schedules and make sacrifices in order to care for our children, help us with transportation, and do whatever they can to help lighten our load.

Each time I enter the hospital, the admitting nurse asks what kind of support system I have. I tell her I have the best!

Cost per night at a Red Roof Inn: $72
Cost per night at Lehigh Valley Hospital: $12,000
Cost of a strong network of praying friends: Priceless

2 comments:

David Oblas said...

did you stay in the new Kasych building??
http://www.lvh.org/cedarcrest|3157

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