It takes a village...

I started thinking about why am I still just as tired, if not more so than I was at the hospital. I am sure that many factors apply. I am still not sleeping in my own bed, although my mattress on the floor is much more comfortable than the fold out couch with a bar in it from the hospital. And we have not yet made it through the night with out some interruption, although it is getting better each night. And there is something to be said for all the stress finally catching up to me.

But then I started thinking about all the people who were taking care of Jared in the hospital. Here is a list of all I could think of:

At least 1, and often 3 or 4 doctors watching test results and ordering medications.
2 nurses each day, 12 hours each, the first three days he had two nurses each shift
echo gram technician
chest x-ray technician
CT scan technician
MRI technician
Respiratory specialist, making sure his breathing was going as it should
A housekeeper, who would sanitize everything
One person to take the dirty laundry away
A person washing all the dirty laundry
A person delivering the clean laundry
A person delivering the food to the hospital so it could be cooked
A cook, preparing all his meals
A person delivering those meals to his bedside, and taking his order for the next meal
A nutritionist keeping track of what he ate and how much weight he lost
2 child life specialists who made sure he was entertained as possible, with movies and games
2 physical therapists, who came each day and made him exercise, even when he didn't want to.
A pharmacist who would have his medicine delivered to his room, each day.
A person who would take his vitals, every fours hours, once he was off the machines.
3 people in surgery pre and post opp, for his five surgeries.
1 ER doctor, that helped with the appendix surgery
1 Orthopedic Surgeon
1 Infectious Disease Doctor
Lab technicians to run blood reports
A Mechanic, to scare the daylights out of you at two in the morning when your bed is broken.
An accounting office to pay the bills, so you can enjoy the luxury of A/C, electrical lights, and running water.

Perhaps the fact that I have taken over for all of these people might explain my fatigue. Although I am not performing any surgeries, most of those other duties listed up there are now up to me to get them done. A bit daunting, when you think of it like that. Thank heavens for the meals that have been brought in, they have been priceless.

No wonder the insurance companies are so anxious to get people out of the hospital. They are paying all these people a very large amount of money, compared to me who is getting, let's see....NOTHING. That would be less wouldn't it.

The nurses in the hospital kept telling me that I was so good at helping them, they would ask did I have some sort of medical training. I would say, "No, just as a mother" Which let's face it is extensive experience, and basically nursing is just mothering, with a little bit more technical knowledge.

So here's hoping I am up to the challenge of imitating a village. I think I have the village idiot job down pat.