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Mom has spent weeks here at Cook County Hospital, or formally, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County. All told, I probably have too. During all that time, we learned a thing or two. Allow me to be your guide through the Emergency Room in this, the first in an occasional series of How to Navigate Cook County Hospital Without Losing Your Mind. On the County Hospital Emergency Room If your ailment is not life threatening, i.e. you haven't suffered a gunshot to an artery or having a heart attack, bunker down for the Long Wait. Six hours is not a Long Wait. Eight hours is not a Long Wait. A Long Wait involves two digits. Bring a book or magazine, unless you like Judge Judy, the People's Court, Judge Mathis, etc. Television judges are always yelling from the waiting room monitor. Forgive the people at the front counter, the staffers who first greet you. They typically prefer to talk to one another and are unconcerned with your condition. You would be cynical and unconcerned too if you have heard every medical complaint known to humankind, along with some that do not exist. However, if you are visibly ill and are accompanied by a daughter who bursts into tears at the prospect of what lies ahead, their hearts will melt. Read more at www.flickerdays.blogspot.com