Bob, I did cover up that loudspeaker -- I created a thickish square of
surgical tape, and stuck it over the aperture. It reduced the shrillness but
it did not eliminate the messages, which even if muted have no place, if you
ask me, in a patient's ear.
The marvel to me is that people could actually design what I believe is
supposed to be the most modern facility in the world and think it appropriate
to wire the patient in to the medical staff's paging system. They have all the
modern equipment in the world and yet they haven't heard of a switch? And by
the way no, there is no volume control, no way for patient or nurse to modify
the noise other than, apparently, having an electrician disconnect it entirely
-- which, as I told those assembled in a previous note, did happen at the
equally huge and modern hospital next door when a couple of infuriated
patients sallied forth to hurl their opinions at what must have been startled
duty-persons. Why shouldn't there be a switch just inside the door that a
nurse can turn on as she enters and turn off as she leaves? Or why shouldn't
they have little paging devices?
By the way, as for your suggestion that I muffle the speaker with towels, I
would have had to have some nails handy to attach them to the wall so that
they could drape over the speaker, and I don't think the action would have
been appreciated by those who are so proud of their drop-dead (pardon me)
quarters with views of the East River.
I begin to feel that we shall all soon be obliged to live our entire lives
within speaker range, surrounded by electronic voices and beeps and burps
coming from all directions. At times I feel tempted to take a revolver, or
perhaps a bow with some arrows, into my supermarket so that I can knock out
each and every paging speaker. So I admit I come with a prejudice against
loudspeakers, though I am a composer of electronic music and rely upon
tweeters and woofers. But I don't see why we should be pursued by them even
into our hospital rooms, where, as Diana has so aptly said, we have every
right to be made as comfortable as possible.
There. That's off my chest.
So, incidentally, is my broviac, which they removed because they were certain
it was causing bacteria infections -- apparently a frequent occurrence with
ports. So, Diana, I have joined your brother inasmuch as from now on I will
take things into the arm and give things out from the arm. My last two days of
consolidation were spent like that, and while the broviac did make a huge
difference -- well, the risk of infection and the experience of broviac
removal make me feel I have suffered no great loss. And the daily cleanings
and flushings with syringes are not missed either.
Did anyone find inspiration here?
God bless you all.
-- Ron
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