Like a Training Camp (Artificial Hip Joint Diary Part 12)

As I have written before, I had requested a private room.
(Even though I was prepared for the extra bed fee...)


This was my first time being hospitalized, and I couldn't imagine what it would be like. By "not knowing what it would be like," I meant not just the hospital life itself, but also how to interact with other patients.

I was already nervous about my first hospitalization and surgery, and honestly, I was worried about whether I would have to be constantly considerate of those around me.
Moreover, even though the hospital brochure mentioned there were "two-person rooms" and "four-person rooms," it turned out to be a "six-person room" of all things.
I remember my heart sinking during the admission process.


Well, I entered that large room as a "new patient."
For the first few hours, I held my breath and stayed as still as possible to avoid making any noise.

Just as I was feeling a sense of resignation, thinking that I would just have to stay still for about 10 days, the person in the bed across from me called out, "You can see the sunset from here."

It had been raining quite hard around noon when I was admitted and arrived in this room.
I spent some time watching the rain, but by evening, it had stopped without me noticing.

I hadn't even noticed the sunset until they called out to me. When I stood up and looked out the window, I saw a beautiful orange sunset.

Watching that deep orange sunset, I felt my tension melting away.


I was happy that they had spoken to me.
I had thought I would just stay quiet, but I realized that talking to someone really does make you feel warm and calm.


As I thought about this, I realized that the idea of initiating a conversation or greeting someone hadn't even crossed my mind.


The next day, when I greeted someone in the same room who had just returned from surgery,
they gave me some mineral water, saying, "You can never have too much water during a hospital stay."

I had prepared my own water to take to the recovery room after surgery, but I decided to take the mineral water they had given me instead.

Even while suffering from pain and fever throughout my body after the surgery, every time I drank that mineral water, I felt the joy of having been encouraged by someone I had only just met, and it gave me the motivation to keep going.



After that, several new patients were admitted, and the room became quite lively.
Everyone was very kind, and it was fun to talk to them.

Since it was my first time being hospitalized and having surgery, it was also great to be able to learn various pieces of information.

There was someone who was having their second surgery, so I was truly grateful to be able to hear in detail about "how they went through rehabilitation after the first surgery and after being discharged, and how they were living their life (work, hobbies, etc.)" and "how they decided on the second surgery." Being able to visualize my future also brought me peace of mind.

It was also good to be able to ask about what kind of canes and shoes they were using.
It was the ultimate word-of-mouth, better than searching on the web.

We shared things like "I did this in rehab," encouraged each other when we were in pain or struggling, gave each other advice, and were stimulated by the things we could each do...


Someone said it was "like a training camp," and I really felt that was true.
To think I could have such a fun training camp life in my mid-50s!


The nurses asked me twice during my stay, "A private room has opened up, would you like to move?" but I asked to stay where I was.
Because I no longer had any reason to want a private room.

And besides, there was "no extra bed fee"!

I felt like my future was bleak when I was admitted, but thinking about it now, I told my husband later that I was incredibly lucky that a private room hadn't been available.