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The Thanksgiving meal was catered by Famous Dave's BBQ in Mountainside... |
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...Inside was a delicious hot Thanksgiving dinner with perfect portion sizes (note absence of carbs)... |
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...And Dan was a member of the "clean plate club." |
I felt the excitement in the air the moment I arrived at dialysis on Tuesday. It was like kids on Christmas Eve.
I had learned a while back from the center's director, Betsy, that there would be a special treat for Thanksgiving on this day.
Since most patients receive treatments three times a week, scheduling an event like a meal takes a lot of coordination, at which Betsy and the crew excel.
In order to guarantee patients and staff a day off to celebrate with family, everyone's schedule needed to be shifted for the week.
So my Mon-Wed-Fri slot became Sun-Tue-Fri and the Tue-Thu-Sat folks got Mon-Wed-Sat for the week. This meant everyone has no more than two days off between treatments -- and all get Thanksgiving off. Neat trick!
After everyone got settled in, the fun began with bingo. "Cards" were distributed to patients and Betsy called the numbers over the intercom. Tension grew as we began to circle more and more numbers on our 5x5 grids until someone finally shouted Bingo! Prizes were DaVita branded merchandise -- umbrellas, lunch bags, pill organizers, etc.
(I have to admit the last time I played bingo was at a firemen's carnival when I was sixteen. We marked our cards with popcorn kernels. I was so excited at getting a bingo that I hit the edge of the card overhanging the table and my corn flew in all directions. No kewpie doll for Dan that day!)
After a short break a hot meal catered by Famous Dave's BBQ in Mountainside was served to all.
The meal -- and the portions -- were perfect (remember that ya'll on Turkey Day).
Included were a helping of turkey (both light and dark) with a packet of BBQ sauce, an excellent creamy cole slaw, collard greens with a touch of cayenne, and a cornbread muffin.
The meal was topped off with a tasty peach cobbler. Not only was the meal great, the hot food was hot and the crunchy slaw cold. And bear in mind we have three shifts a day here (I'm in the middle one). Talk about logistics! What more could one ask for?
Actually, there WAS more.
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This pic does no justice to their talents -- click on the short video link here to see the dance action. |
After we ate, Betsy and a number of the staff formed a chorus line and danced to music from a boom box. (Watch the short video here.)
They called it "the Plainfield dance," but I suggested "Hamilton, the Plainfield version." Next stop, Broadway!
This is just one of the activities the staff put on which help reinforce the sense that we -- patients and staff -- are all one healthcare team, and that we can have fun while taking care of serious business.
What will we do next? Stay tuned.
(Local businesses that would be interested in donating treats or useful small articles -- toiletries, grooming supplies, branded giveaways, etc.-- can reach out to Betsy at (908) 757-6030.)
Meanwhile, a Happy Thanksgiving to all. Enjoy time with your families and remember not to discuss politics, sports or religion. That should make it simple, right?
-- Dan Damon [ follow ]
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