Sue, thank you for reminding me that ER visits are often critically necessary. The man who came in just after my own personal Veteran was one such. I wanted to run across the lobby and help him myself.

My Veteran isn't particularly sick today with what he "presented" to the ER physician. Today he is much sicker, with something else altogether. We're contemplating another visit to the ER.

And Barbara reminded me of how lonely they are. At work I'm approachable and people use me as a sounding board and sympathetic ear all the time. Why not in the VA, too? Loneliness and despair aren't limited to one population. Thank you, Barbara.

Today's visit to the ER may be more problematic than last night's, since I seem to be coming down with the family's cough/cold/bronchitis/whatever myself and the VA is a freeway drive of 30-45 minutes or so.

Then find parking, and grope our way through the cavernous entry and hope to find the Triage Office. Maybe we can overwhelm the system as a group. I'm going to stagger out to buy masks, cough drops and cough syrup* now and then collapse back into bed. I'm SO glad I bought frozen dinners for future emergencies yesterday morning. Seems the emergency is upon us.

Later, and, I hope, better.

*I am wary of cough suppressants ever since I ended up with pneumonia, aggravated by heavy suppression of the natural coughing process. Stuff just lay there in my breathing apparatus, doing nasty cell division and putting out toxins like mad. I think a judicious amount of cough syrup is good so you can sleep, but coughing is good, too, to get rid of the bad guys.