“What is wrong with this table”, I asked myself. “Are we having an earthquake?” I’d experienced several of those while living at the coast as a girl.
I glanced at my friends sitting having coffee with me. “What’s wrong?” one asked. I hated to tell her that I felt dizzy but suddenly the food in front of me was no longer appealing and I recalled I’d had a headache the night before.
“I think maybe, I’d best go to Emergency and check”. Unobtrusively my neighbor took my arm and we headed for the exit.
“Let’s take your car, I can walk home from there if you have to stay for a bit” she advised.
So off we went. It was a short drive and after Triage I found myself on a cot with my vitals being recorded. You might have to wait if you break and arm or a leg but “stroke” or “heart attack” gets attention right now.
The doctor was thorough but there didn’t seem to be any results from the EKG to be concerned about and I had to wait for the blood work, so there I laid for an hour or two.
I have this reverse-concern about doctors and hospitals. When my doctor takes my blood pressure it drops. I feel complete trust that he will look after me and any anxiety slips away.
Similarly, I wasn’t really worried about my little dizzy spell and after all I was in a Hospital wasn’t I? So I put my head back and had a short nap.
I woke up to a rather sweet-faced nurse gazing at me. I couldn’t resist smiling. I miss my grown up girls and she had such a nice way about her.
“You will have to wait a bit and I would get you a magazine, but with the H1N1 scare they have been removed”, she informed me.
“Yes, I know all about that”, I said “I was a Hospital Volunteer for years and used to look after the Book Cart but my bad hip doesn’t allow it anymore.”
A few more questions and answers and I explained what was going on in my new life as a widow.
“You’re a Christian, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Am I wearing a big sign I don’t know about?” I asked.
“No,” she said “but you recall that scripture about not hiding your light under a bushel…well, the light in here is blinding.”
Then she laughed at the expression on my face, gently touched my hand and went her way.
Yes, my blood work was good and I even got permission to drive my car the five blocks to my home but the most rewarding thing was hearing that young lady’s comment.
I left the hospital that day, full of thanks for good health and singing all the way to my car…”This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I’m goona let it shine.”
