1983: Mom's voice and the nice respiratory therapist

The highlight of any of my stays in the hospital was when my mom came to visit. Usually she would come early in the morning and stay until after the notice rang over head, "Visiting hours are over." During the day mom would read to me. One time, as there was nothing else to read, she read a story from reader's digest. The story was too complex for me to understand (or maybe I was too hyped up from all the medicines I was on to treat my asthma) and had trouble paying attention to the story. However, I loved to hear my mom's voice. Hearing mom's voice was therapeutic. It was almost as therapeutic as Sus-Phrine. There is just something soothing about hearing your mom's voice as she is reading a story. It is so relaxing. I loved it when she did it, and wish she would have more often. However, in our busy household, about the only times I remember her reading to me was in the doctor's waiting room or when I was in a hospital be. That's fine. I will take those memories wherever I can get them.

So mom left one day when i was eleven. A respiratory therapist name Star came into my room. She was a young therapist. She was really nice. I liked her probably because she would actually pay attention to me. She would sit on the edge of the bed and watch TV with me. One time I was flipping through the stations and came to a channel with some naked Aborigines. I started to turn the channel, but Star told me to keep it on this station. I wasn't interested in learning about them, but she was. I was too busy laughing. She kind of scolded me for laughing at them. I didn't do it intentionally, i was just giddy. It was probably from all the medicines I was strung on.

The next day mom brought my brothers to visit me. Mom had to take them home. When mom left I went to look out the window. This was when Star entered my room. She gave me my treatment, and then said "Let's play some cards." Of course, there was a deck of cards that mom brought me on my table. I don't remember what game we played, but she stayed in my room for quite some time. It was nice to have the company. I was so happy to have a therapist who paid attention to me like this. But, there was a page overhead, and she had to rush out of the room. Still, it was nice that she helped me pass the time.

Sixteen year's later, when I was hired at Memorial Medical Center in Ludington as a respiratory therapy, Star became my co-worker. Star would later tell me I was a very excitable kid.