Note: Last week's post was late. There is a reason. Read on.
Classic Film: From Here To Eternity
The film opens in Hawaii in 1941. The film stars Bur Lancaster, Mongomery Clift, Deborah Carr and Donna Reed. It is before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The only scene I remember is a scene many people who never watched the entire film have seen. It shows Bert Lancaster and Deborah Carr lying on a sandy beach, kissing as an incoming washed over them. Given the popularity of that scene, it was amazing to me that that iconic image is only seconds long in the film.
The story is about the innocence of army personnel with no idea what's coming. Lancaster literally runs the squad while his Captain lets him take charge so he can campaign for his promotion and cheat on his wife.
To make up for the disrespect he has for his commanding officer, Lancaster beds his Captain's officer's wife only to fall in love with her.
Clift's character suffers the humiliation of an officer determined to get him to fight for the base boxing team. He's determined not to fight because he blinded his friend when sparing. Clift is attracted to the character played by Donna Reed.
The story is cruising to a number of possible happier endings when The Japanese attack brings about the anticipated twist.
(All the films I'm rewatching are available on HBO Max.)
Art
On March 1st, I went to Columbia Saint Mary's for a CAT scan my Doctor ordered. After the scans were completed, the tech told me they had sent the images to my Doctor and that he would contact me. So my chauffeur from Easide Milwaukee Senior Services and I left the hospital and negotiated North avenue to Farwell; my phone rang. I said, 'If it's serious, they will leave a message."
I got home and saw that someone had left a voicemail. The short version of the voicemail is that I needed to immediately go directly to the Emergency Department. I returned to the hospital. I was immediately admitted to the ED, stripped down to my indies, donned one of the embarrassing gowns, and laid out on a gurney by 1:30pm. (Remember this)
The images showed two things of concern. First, I had a hiatal hernia. Second, they spotted two masses, one on my pancreas and the other on my bladder. That got my attention. The mild irritation I felt about the attention I was getting melted like a chocolate bar in my pocket on a hot day. The surgeon assigned to my case consulted me. My case was serious, and they wanted to operate the next day. There was a question about who would do the operation, including the possibility of sending me to another hospital. And then I waited.
I waited for a final decision. I waited to see if I would get off the gurney to a comfortable room and bed. I waited for food, which I discovered wasn't being offered because I would be operated on. Fast forward. They woke me up at 4:00am to take me to the 6th floor and a room. (Do you remember when I arrived?)
Why did it take so long? They didn't have enough nurses to cover my admission. I later discovered that some people have spent days in the ED waiting for admission. Make no mistake. There are plenty of beds, but there need to be more nurses.
Shortening the story.
My surgery was successful. I left the hospital on Saturday, March 4th. Because I choose to leave. I knew I could take care of myself. I thought some poor person was in the ED waiting for a bed. I have appointments to see specialists who will concern themselves with the "masses" seen in the images.
I must emphasize that everyone who worked on me, from Doctors to the lady who cleaned my room, were terrific. The problem is that hospital, like many hospitals in the country, is understaffed. If you don't think there is a community issue, I hope you or someone you love doesn't need medical care in the near future.
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