Health = Wealth

I was scheduled for two tours at the museum today - kindergarteners from a local daycare. Believe it or not, I was really looking forward to this one - I have yet to give a tour to such little museum-goers. I was also a little skeptical about my ability to get this particular show on the level of such little kids, but it has been my experience thus far as a docent that I tend to underestimate my audiences, and what they know. Each group I have facilitated so far has been exceptionally bright and engaged. I kinda feel like I have been spoiled, in getting groups from "overachieving" schools or "smart kid" groups. Who knows what I would have done with a group of "regular" kindergarteners...or how they would have behaved!

I spent about an hour up at the museum, waiting for the group to arrive. After waiting for an hour, someone called the school, and it was determined that there was an error in scheduling, and they were not coming today. Not sure who to blame for that one, but oh well.

While I was waiting (and before I understood that there would be no tour!), I realized that I was not feeling well at all - as in, wondering how I would lead this tour in an upright position, and away from a bathroom. I kinda fell into this woe-is-me-pity-party-for-one-please-bring-a-gift-and-your-condolences thing; why could I not have felt gross the previous day, or perhaps tomorrow. It was, in plain language, inconvenient for me to not be feeling well.

As if there is ever a convenient time to not feel well...

On my way home from the museum, I stopped off at my doctor's office (which happens to be in a hospital) to pick up a coupon for a prescription that she promised. Because the hospital has three wings, twelve entrances and more than enough long hallways to confuse even the most adroit maze-running mouse, I parked in the wrong place, and wound up becoming the mouse, looking for my doctor's office.

Not to be too "heady" about this, but I believe that I was meant to park in that crappy parking spot, and trek my way through that hospital. Not only did it give me positive reinforcement about my decision to go in to nursing (I fought the urge all the way through to chat up anyone wearing scrubs, or, even better, a white lab coat!), but it sort of made my lovely pity party come to a rather abrupt end.

Having parked on the south wing of the building meant that, before hitting my doctor's office, I would pass by a dialysis center, the intensive care unit, the surgical waiting area, a wound care center, a cardiology wing and the ER. I was also not oblivious to the fact that I was 1) much younger than most of the people I was seeing, 2) walking much faster than most of those people, and 3) moving on my own two feet, and not with the aide of a cane, walker or wheelchair.

By the time I found Dr. McNelis, it was not lost on me that, yes, I was not feeling well, but that I was HEALTHY. I was not in this hospital to receive care, or to take someone in for a procedure. I wondered how many of those people I passed by would have given anything to trade places with me, if only to have my health, instead of their own.

Perhaps I am being presumptious, but it really made me think. I spend more time than I would like being critical of my body: of its size, of its shape, of its shortcomings and, on occasion, its failings. But why? I have a body that is HEALTHY. I can breathe, I can walk, my circulation is good, I have my wits about me (though, that is debatable on some days), and while you might never see me on "American Gladiators," my body is strong.

Walking through the hospital today was a little like going to Body Worlds a few years ago - I left feeling inspired by my body and its abilities, and I also felt more inspired to take better care of myself. I want to know that, should I eventually need to be in that hospital to receive care, it's not for a reason that I could have easily prevented.

I also left feeling really good about the decision to be a nurse. It is very, very difficult to convince or incentivize people to take better care of themselves - it's often not a fun thing, there is not usually any kind of instant gratification (and oh, we love that here in this country!), and frankly, it's often hard to get motivated and stay with it. Being a nurse means that, while I won't always be able to make all my patients compliant, I can at least take care of them when they need me to.