PICU’s (Pediatric Intensive Care Units) are scary places to be at the hospital.  If something goes horribly wrong with your child, it is far more likely to happen while you are in the PICU.  After Ben’s surgery, he was admitted to the PICU at Montreal Children’s.  While we waited for them to finish his surgery, we were told to wait in a place called the Family Room outside the PICU.  This is a place for families to eat or make some coffee or tea.  Sometimes in the middle of the night you will find family members sprawled across chairs catching a few hours sleep here and there.  It was in this family waiting room that I looked up and (once again) said “My God – who are these people”?

At this point I want to mention that I was in a brand new hospital – about two years old.  This room is supposed to be the foundation for parents to regroup and (if possible) relax.  These rooms are usually designed to reflect peace and evoke calm emotions, but these particular walls were decorated with (wait for it)….different  portraits of Colonel Sanders – some normal looking – some technicolor…as if he is a beacon of light saying “it’s ok…you’ve always got chicken”.  

Who in their right mind thought that this was a good idea?  What about fluffy clouds, sand castles, ocean scenes, palm trees, even an ocean storm….or that lighthouse one with all the water crashing into it?  Any of those would have slipped by my mind unnoticed.  I find myself pondering this question more than a person should, but it intrigues me. 

My only question is what committee thought this was a good idea?  What were the conversations like?  Were they emotionally exhausted at the end of a night where they had made 175 decisions and someone just said – “fine – who cares?  Put Colonel Sanders on the walls – you win this one Dennis”.  Or was it a group that thought – “this is an awesome idea – it will remind family members to eat in crisis”.  Were there heated arguments about this?  Did someone say “our healthcare is Finger Licking Good!”? Were these the same people who decided to stock the gift shop with three different flavours of sardines?  … sigh….I just don’t know.

I’m no stranger to bad decorating decisions being thrust upon me.  I remember my father decorating ivy plants all over his living room wall and braiding peacock feathers through it because they ‘looked nice’.  People were terrified!  It looked like carnivorous plants had half digested a peacock.  It was startling!  Brownies fled from our door, tossing their cookies behind them.   

Fast forward to married life and me going to visit my mother when she was ill.  Jesse ‘surprised me’ by putting up a beautiful picture wall in our bedroom that he thought I would enjoy.    I’m not sure what it is, but it confuses me and makes me think that I should never leave home again.  It’s the chaos theory arranged on my wall.  People walk in and go…oh???

Of course my kitchen too has been recently redecorated while I was away too.  Yeah….my country kitchen that overlooks the fields behind us…

So, I guess I’ll never know who decided the Colonol should show his many colors in the Family Room, but it’s interesting to think about!

Ben is doing well.  We are still dealing with hand and neck issues, but we are working hard.  He always works harder than I ask.  I’ll say “can you do 10 head lifts for me” and he does 10 then extra for good luck.  We have another physio appointment in the morning, so I hope they say we’ve been making progress.  I’m still worried about neuro stuff, but we’ll see what we can figure out over the next little while.  Thanks everyone!  It’s nice to be back!