My dad's in the hospital with an infection and leaky heart valve. This, after originally being diagnosed over a month ago with pneumonia.

I went to visit him yesterday and today, and boy, do hospitals suck.

Not only are they the most depressing places on earth, but they stink. Ammonia, cleaning products, sickness, and bad food. Yuck. I think people would get better much quicker if hospitals smelled just halfway decent. Light some scented candles, spray some fake-pine smell, something! I feel like that hospital stank is stuck on my clothing and up my sinuses. Feh.

I feel bad for the patients. I mean, not only are they not well, and having to live with "hospital smell" the whole time, but they're forced to wear the worst things ever. Hospital gowns shouldn't be so flimsy or revealing. They should be sturdy garments that cover a person all over, since they will probably have visitors or want to at least take a few steps out of their room now and then. Who designed these gauzy monstrosoties?

And the chairs they give visitors are really uncomfortable. Poor planning. People are there with family members all day. They shouldn't need back surgery afterwards.

And don't even get me started on the food. I wouldn't even let my cat gnaw on the "chicken" they gave my dad tonight.

Of course, hospitals are important, and the medical community is making great strides every day. But goddamn, how much longer do we have to wait for tricorders and hyposprays to fix everything? Come on!