Super Bowl Spinal Tap

Probably won’t surprise my readers to find out that the Super Bowl isn’t a must see in my book.  I’m hanging with the fringe in that regard, but sometimes the game has it’s own vortex that draws you in unexpectedly.  So after three days of struggling with a variety of symptoms it became clear I needed to seek medical attention and that perhaps, something was seriously wrong.

At the Emergency Room at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, NY, I was run through a series of tests for strep and flu which came back negative, raising the concern that I might have spinal meningitis.   Two hours into my stay, re-hydrated and with some pain killers taking effect, I was feeling better as they moved me from a triage room into a main room in Emergency to preform a spinal tap.

The surprise was the room had a TV and it was the forth quarter of quite an exciting football game.  My Doctor and the support staff  all functioned with great focus while I leaned my head over a support table seated on the side of the bed.  I didn’t feel a thing as the procedure began and the Cardinals took the lead.  It was even more wonderful to hear the good news that the fluid was clear as the Steelers were storming down the field.  And I was laid back down in time to see the final score.

I get why the Super Bowl works for our culture.  The athleticism is inspiring and when you get a good game, the drama is tremendous.  For me, it didn’t outshine the play my Doctor completed like it was just another day at the office.