A Different Side of Things

Friday, July-16-10

Today I had a new Mda/Israel experience. I spent the day at Ichilov (the main hospital here in TA) for a family friend with his family. In order to respect his privacy I’m not going to say why we were there but I want to comment on just how different it was. Since the beginning of my time volunteering in Tel Aviv I don’t think a shift hasn’t gone by where I haven’t been to Ichilov. Multiple times each day I pass through the emergency room doors, but today it was very different. Usually we bring a patient in, ignore most of what is going on around us and ask the head nurse which bed we should go to. We change the bed sheet, transfer the patient, head across the room for a blanket, and get out of there. Sometimes we have few words with a doctor exchanging any relevant information but that’s about it. We spend the rest of our time there outside, hanging out around the ambulances smoking/second hand smoking or drinking coffee in the מד''א-MD’’A break room. Today I was not in uniform and although I was in the same place things were much different. For the first time I noticed all the families and the patients, instead of just blowing right past them. Some were tears and others were frustrated waiting and waiting for treatment or news. Today I was one of those people. I experienced the frustration and time things took to get done. There was also a big difference in respect I got from the nurses and doctors. Instead of someone who they saw as helpful I was now in their way. Although it’s usually never a good thing to be in the emergency room/hospital I’m glad a got to see things from a different perspective. It was also nice to run into multiple Mda people throughout the day and have them recognize me without my uniform on—it really showed how far our relationships at the station have come over the last month or so. Perhaps this coming Sunday when I’m back on shift, I will walk through Ichilov with my eyes actually open to all that’s going on around me after today’s humbling experience. Shabbat shalom to everyone and enjoy your weekends!