Topic: AWOL

[Najemikon]

Sadly, in my experience this is typical of NHS standards. All the worse, your medical services are not necessarily public?

We get a lot of spiel about our 'wonderful' NHS and the doctors who are invariably 'heroes' and the nurses are always 'angels'. So I tend to upset people when I say that by and large I find them to be lazy, arrogant and uncaring. The average nurse these days seems there to do the minimum to get paid and then moan about it. The processes are archaic and labyrinthine to deal with. And the truth seems to be, turn up with a broken, burnt, sore, bleeding, about-to-drop-off and filled-with-green-stuff something and the service is quick, efficient and brilliant. As soon as you have anything that can't be tracked in a flowchart, you're quite frankly screwed. "We don't know what it is. So... go home and stop bothering us!"... not kidding. Perhaps not in so many words, but I've definitely had that.

Specialists on the other hand can be marvellous. Pay to go private and the care is wonderful. Get written off by the NHS as a lost cause and you'll find an astonishing level of attention in a hospice.

I should also say I do know a handful of doctors and nurses who are trapped in the middle of the paperwork fuelled chaos, and lament the good old days of matrons and do their very best to achieve a high standard. All power to them. For every two or three bad experiences, I can give at least one good. It's not all bad! Look up the name Claire Raynor; she died this week, but she is the perfect nurse, the perfect example of what the NHS can produce. And at the end of the day, I am proud of the ideal the system stands for. Free healthcare is a great privilege. I just wish some of its staff felt the same.

Anyway, before my rant, my reason for posting was that I used to back off from complaining about the poor attitude. I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt, I kept giving them leeway. And I just got ignored all the more, tutted at and given excuses like "we are very busy, you know". To be honest, for reasons I won't go into, I regret one or two occasions in particular.

So, Marie, complain. Do as Kathy suggested. Make the effort, god I know it can be tough when you have so much stress to deal with anyway, but make a nuisance of yourself. Earlier in the thread you mentioned walking away from a situation. Don't walk away (certainly don't make it worse for your mum by "making a scene" though) and don't back down. Your medical practitioners can't hide behind a wheezing public system so make them feel it.

And all the best to you and your mum, by the way.

[Dragonfire]

She did well last night and the staff that came in was super nice.  Though I was there.  I have to wonder if it would have been the same if I wasn't there.  And how long she would have had to wait for help to the bathroom.

She's doing pretty good.  Took a little walk in the hall today too.  The surgeon says the bloating has to go down before she can leave.

I'm home to sleep a bit and then I'm going back up.  They finally brought a recliner in  - something we first asked about like 24 hours ago.  That chair I was in last night felt like a torture device.  But she had a better night, so it was worth it.

I have a list of names.  Things have been reported and letters are going to be written once she is home.  I thought about looking up for the state licensing board yesterday.  I just haven't had a chance to do it yet.
I'm also sure that these nurses have done crap like this to other people who just didn't want to complain for whatever reason.  People that are that grumpy about doing their job are going to treat people rudely.  Many of these nurses, least the ones working nights here, shouldn't be nurses with how they treat people.
My mom and step dad have pretty much decided that they are going to a lawyer once she is out.  This is just unacceptable.

Today was ok for the most part, though the nurse was barely in.  She was nice..just never around.  I went out to get her more ice a few times and it was like a freaking zoo on that floor today.  At one point, her anitbiotic iv was done, and it started beeping, so she used the button.  She was told someone would be right in...and it was at least half an hour before she came in.  I realize they were busy around then - people getting out of surgery and new admissions, but still, it seems like they are horribly understaffed if it takes that long to be able to do something.  Half the time I go out to get her more ice, and the nurse and doing piles of paperwork.

[Dragonfire]

I'm home again.  Off for a nap soon.

The recliner they took in, while not that comfy, is way better than the chair I was in the night before.  I did manage to sleep a bit more, though still not a lot.  She's been able to sleep a bit more at a time.

She's doing pretty good I think.  The bloating is down.  The surgeon said she can start food again..liquids for now.  Depending on how things go with the food, he said that maybe, and he stressed maybe, she could go home tomorrow.  I so hope so.  The surgeon got the diet order changed in time for her to have lunch.  Though the soup she got was the consistency of wallpaper paste.. lol  But she did get this little lemon ice thing that she really likes.  It looks sort of like a little sherbert type of thing.  But she really likes them.  They are trying pain pills to control the pain now instead of the medicine with the button she pushes every so often.

[Dragonfire]

If I wasn't so tired, I'd be doing a happy dance.  She is home.

She got out this afternoon.  After she started eating a little yesterday - if you can call that stuff food - she did bloat some again.  She was worried about that this morning.  But it went down a lot.  She is still a little bloated, but it is definitely not as bad. 

She's still really weak and gets tired easy, but she's home.  I'm just glad she is out of there.  The really nice nurse was back in today..and part of yesterday.  For the morning, she had the other really nice nurse.  She has pain meds and the surgeon already setup the followup appointment.

Ohhh...I forgot to mention before, there was another issue that came up.  Wednesday night she got moved to another room because sewer started backing up in the bathtub in her bathroom.  That was because the toilet got clogged.  On Tuesday, while trying to get a urine specimen, the first little cup thing fell in the toilet.  The one really nice nurse was trying to help, and she got another one in and got the sample.  She said not to flush the toilet till she had a chance to get the cup out.  Well soon after that, someone from housekeeping came in.  She went straight in the bathroom and flushed the toilet before I could say anything.  When I told her about the cup, she didn't care and said oh well they can unclog it.  She also said that she always just flushes the toilets without looking to see if they need.  So on Wednesday it clogged..the toilet had to be replaced and then the entire room had to be sanitized since sewer water had been in the bathroom. 
The housekeeper was in again yesterday..sort of apologized, but she blamed us and the nurse for not telling her before she flushed the toilet.  Like we had time.  She got nasty with us too, saying she would have to ask permission to flush a toilet now.  She got reported and today someone different from housekeeping was in.  Much nicer woman who did a better job.

So anyway.  She's home and I feel like I could sleep for a week. 

[Achim]

I have been following the story and am appalled about the things your mom had to endure in that hospital.

I am happy to see she finally got out of there and is back home. I hope the remaining recovery will go quickly now.

[RossRoy]

I have been following the story and am appalled about the things your mom had to endure in that hospital.

I am happy to see she finally got out of there and is back home. I hope the remaining recovery will go quickly now.

Seconded. I haven't commented before, but I am so glad to hear she out of that place and back home.

[Dragonfire]

She slept a lot better.  She's taking a nap now.  The pain seems to be more under control for her now too.  She has a prescription for Perocet, but so far today, Tylenol has been all she's needed.

We are all so glad she's out of there.  I just kept waiting for something else to happen. Especially after the bathroom in the other room flooded.  Though that wasn't as bad as the attempts at drawing blood or when some of the night staff just left her waiting so long.  Once I started staying in the room at night with her, she started doing better.  Then she wasn't worried about how the night staff was going to treat her and she knew I'd be there to help her to the bathroom.

[hal9g]

Glad to hear your mom's home.  Hope she's back to herself real soon!   

[Dragonfire]

She already seems a bit stronger than she was last night.
She's sleeping better..and eating more than just ice chips and broth.  Well she did attempt the soups the hospital had..both were nasty. 

[Achim]

I will be going away for a few days next week, most likely not log in at all during that time (I am on vacation, so why should I )


Me and a whole bunch of friends are going to Sabah, MY. Still need to pick up some mosquito repellent, they are potential carriers of malaria or Dengue fever

[Critter]

Have fun Achim! Try steer clear of those mozzies! We currently have a plague of them in my town and I have been covered in extremely itchy bites all weeks. And that's as well as the locust plague which is apparently heading our way  .

[Dragonfire]

Have fun Achim...and try to avoid the bugs.

[Kathy]

Have a wonderful time on your vacation. Take some pictures to share if you get the chance.

[addicted2dvd]

have a great time Achim!

[karmesinrot]

Have fun Achim!! Just steer clear of those female Anopheles mosquitoes and you should be fine