Hospital Holidays II

The other thing about being in the hospital during the holidays is the isolation. For those of us whose families are not in the area, it is a tough time. We miss the comfort and constancy of family, the traditions of the holidays, the freedom from the burden and stress of work. And during a time when our co-residents and friends are flying home and opening presents and sleeping in, it's not easy to wake up before sunrise and drive to the hospital.

But it gives me a fascinating and critical insight into the lives of patients. They, too, would rather not be in the hospital. No one wants to be sick, but to be sick over the holidays is so much worse. And although family and friends may visit, it is simply not the same. So around this time of year, I try to spend a little more time chatting to patients about things that aren't medical - about where they grew up or their family or (at the VA) their stories of the military. That bond we create goes beyond the patient-doctor relationship to an understanding among people bound to the hospital when we'd rather be home.