Tag Archives: doctors

The Hospital From Hell

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Last week was one I’d like to never repeat. 

It all began with Dad’s blood pressure going up…and staying up. He was having a-fib episodes. He recorded his BP for 3 days and decided he needed to go to the ER. Off we went.

I expected to have to wait; it was the ER after all. They took Dad to triage right away. His BP sky-rocketed to 203 over something. I can’t even recall the numbers now. But that was too high and he should have been seen right away. 2 hours went by in the waiting room before someone came in and took Dad’s BP again. It had gone down to 188 over something. I was glad it went down but it was still too high. He could have a heart attack or stroke! I figured they’d be calling us back soon. 

Yeah right. There was virtually no one in the waiting room when we got there but quickly filled up. There were people puking in bags, a sick Mennonite baby, an ankle injury, a 7-year-old with a life-long issue with twisted intestines who was screaming at the top of his lungs in pain, an elderly woman who fell and broke her shoulder, and numerous others. (Dad and I were wearing masks, thankfully!) Everyone was being called back before us! I was getting pissed because high BP is a serious issue! With his readings being so high you’d think they’d put him on the priority list. They kept telling us that as soon as they had a room, we’d be called back. Geez. I wondered how they had a room for all of those others they took before us! Finally, after a 7-hour wait, they called us back.

The doctor came in right away, which was a surprise! He ordered an EKG right away and a drug to bring his BP down. The nurse came in sometime later and asked if anyone set Dad up with an IV. I asked, “Why does he need an IV?” She was a snot about answering. Not very pleasant at all. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to know why he needed an IV. She told me it was so they could give him the meds to lower his BP. I said, “Ok, that’s fine but don’t they have a shot for that?” She got snippy and said, “I’ll check.” She left and came back with a syringe and proceeded to bare Dad’s arm for the shot. 

I asked, “How long will it take for his BP to come down?” She told me she didn’t know. She said it would be slow and that the IV would have been quicker. I snapped at that point and said, “It would have been nice to know that beforehand!” I mean, fuck. I was worried that she had the wrong patient and about Dad being poked and prodded while they try to find a vein for the IV. He was shivering cold, for Christ’s sake! If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of this then you know it’s sometimes hard to get a vein right away when the patient is cold. And if you have a nurse that isn’t that competent, which you won’t know until she needs 20 minutes to find a vein, then it’s even worse! Anyway, she could have explained that the IV would have been quicker and then we could decide which way to go. The bitch acted like it was killing her to tell us what was going on!

After more time passed, the nurse came back in and untucked dad’s t-shirt. She just grabbed it and pulled it up. Now, I’m not a medical “professional” but I did work in a nursing home for several years as a Med Tech and CNA. My training included intensive coverage of patient rights, privacy, and dignity. You are supposed to tell the patient what you’re doing, as you’re doing it. Dad didn’t know what the hell was going on. The nurse started sticking little tabs/sensors all over his torso. He was agitated and asked, “What the hell’s going on?” She said she was getting him ready for the EKG. Why the hell couldn’t she tell him that before she started pulling on him? I was getting pissed. 

And regarding patient privacy…every damn time someone came in they left the door and the curtain open! So, they let the cold in again and every time someone walked by they had to look in! I was getting tired of closing the door and curtain. Oh, and that snotty nurse said she would bring dad a warm blanket but she never did! 

Dad’s BP was taken automatically every 30 minutes. It went down slowly but it did go down. But then the last BP reading was higher; it jumped from 168 over something to 179 over something…and about then the nurse came in and said they were letting him go. I asked, “What about that?” I was pointing to the machine that had his last reading on it. She acted like she had no clue what I was talking about. I told her, “His BP shot back up!” and I added, “These are dangerous readings!” So, she took his BP again while she said the drug will continue to work to bring it down. The doctor came in and suggested dad see his regular doctor….DUH. He said that he will need to see a cardiologist for the a-fib. Geez. So helpful they are. 

After 8 1/2 hours, we were on our way home…in the dark, which I am not used to. We’re talking an hour’s drive along country roads. My eyes play tricks on me in the dark. The lights and glare from other vehicles, and other lights, make it very hard to see, and to have to watch for deer, possums, and other critters is scary! At one point, I heard this loud dog barking. It scared the daylights out of me! I didn’t see anything at all but I imagine it was a stupid car-chasing dog that came awfully close to my car as I was passing! He got lucky. 

By the time we got home, it was after 2:00am. We were exhausted, especially Dad. We hadn’t eaten since lunch and we were too tired to worry about it at 2 in the morning! We both slept about 2 hours.

Dad got an appointment the next day to see his doctor and she didn’t do anything either. She just wanted him to record his BP readings for a week and then come back. Geez. He always keeps track of his BP. Why add another week? Why risk a damn stroke or heart attack with another week of high readings? His BP has been better this week but it’s still too high. I am ready to strangle these people! He will see her again on Wednesday and he will insist on seeing a cardiologist. He’s worried to death and that doesn’t help his BP. I’m worried and I’m afraid to take mine! 

I don’t know how much more of this either one of us can take! The next time we have to go to the hospital, we will go to the one on the Arkansas border. It’s the same distance and maybe, just maybe they will be quicker, more competent, and more respectful. Hopefully, we’ll get Dad’s BP down and I’ll have him with me for much longer. I’m just not ready to let go…and he isn’t either. 

 

 

“I Know!”

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This morning, I called the doctor’s office to make an appointment so I could get a new script for my meds. Normally, I would just call the pharmacy and they would take care of it BUT I haven’t had a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test in 2 years. It should be done every year to make sure my medication is keeping my thyroid on track but it just never got done last year and the doctor kept approving my refills. I didn’t squabble. But it’s been 2 years now so it needs to be done.

What I expected was a conversation like I had about 20 years ago with a different doctor’s office. I had called for the same reason as I called this morning. The receptionist said, “You need a doctor’s order for a TSH,” to which I replied, “I know. That’s why I’m making an appointment.” I think she decided to be difficult when she woke up that morning because she then said, “You need to just call the pharmacy and they will call the doctor, then the doctor will approve your meds.” I told her, “I’m quite aware of the procedure. I’m not doing that because I need a TSH and I would like all of my scripts ready to fill at the same time each month.” She was very quiet as if she was confused. I told her, “I don’t want to have to go to the pharmacy more than once to get my meds. One stop, all at once. Get it?” “She continued to be a bitch and said, “Yes, I get it but you need a doctor’s order for the TSH.” By then I was pissed. I think I yelled a little when I told her, “I know! That’s why I want to make an appointment!” She said, “The doctor will decide when you see her if you need a TSH.” I yelled again, “I know!! Will you just make the goddam appointment?!” I got my appointment and I hung up.

Not too long after that, I changed doctors. The next doctor was basically worthless but she had a standing order in my records to do a TSH every 6 months and that I need not make an appointment. All I had to do was walk in and they would get it done. Easy peasy. After not getting any help whatsoever when I started having pain and mobility issues, I changed doctors again.

The clinic I’m dealing with now utilizes Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants. They seem to be ok, but I haven’t dealt with them for too long so I figured they’re probably just as incompetent as the rest. That still remains to be seen, however, I had no trouble getting an appointment with a Nurse Practitioner and I’m sure she’ll do a TSH because it’s been so long since my last.

I cringe at the thought of dealing with doctors, making phone calls; trying to explain myself to people in general. It just never seems to fail. They will either talk to me like I’m stupid or they just don’t understand what I’m telling them…. I used to think I just wasn’t expressing myself correctly but my therapist assured me that I express myself quite well. So, I know it’s not me, it’s them! They’re the stupid ones! Ha!

Doctors and Chimps

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It’s been raining off and on for several days, mostly ON. The furbabies are sick of the rain too, as they can’t (or won’t is more accurate) go out on the catio like they normally do. The roof keeps springing leaks; Dad thinks he has the problem solved and then it starts dripping again with the next rainfall, although in a different spot. We just can’t win. Last night, I needed my trusty earplugs in order to get any sleep at all. The blasted drip, drip, drip outside my bedroom window seemed much louder than it should have.

Monday started out with a little rain but not too bad. I had to take Dad to the doctor for his 6-month check up so I was happy to not have to drive in pouring rain. There were large puddles on the road, but that wasn’t a problem. We left a little earlier than normal to compensate for driving a bit slower.

Dad’s doctor used to work in 3 different clinics of the same medical group in the area but then she started seeing patients in just one clinic. Just our luck, it was the clinic furthest from us which is approx. 45 minutes away. So, off we went. When we got to the clinic, Dad went to check in and he was told that his doctor had retired last month. The girl at the desk said that all of Dr. Harper’s patients were called. I said, “No one called us!” Dad sure wasn’t going to speak up, so I did. “We had to drive 45 minutes to get here,” I said. She said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know how his appointment got missed.” I do. Incompetence. But ok. I know shit sometimes happens, so I let it go. Naturally, there were no appointments open for that day with another provider so we had to make another appointment. This time for Wednesday and with a nurse practitioner because they don’t have a doctor there as of yet. Dad needed his scripts renewed so he had no choice.

Tuesday, was my appointment to see my therapist. Dad likes to come along because we go have lunch afterward. My therapist moved her practice further away and there are more restaurant choices, so we make a big day of it. It was raining when we left the house and it never let up. It rained all day long. My knees were in bad shape. I could barely walk – it was worse than normal and I’m pretty sure it was because of the rain. What they say about arthritis and joint problems is true. The weather dictates how bad the pain is! We managed to get to my therapist’s office without any problems. She gave me some helpful suggestions for the sleep problems I’ve been having.

When we left her office it was STILL raining! We decided to not drive too much further and just had Mexican food at El Patron. Great food, clean place, and very nice people! Can’t ask for much more than that when eating out! Problem is, we nearly didn’t make it.

I was in the right-hand lane of the highway because I knew I would be turning right. When I saw the intersection and traffic light I started to slow down. There was a vehicle in the left-hand lane, who decided he was going to move into the right-hand lane. He was going much too fast considering the rain and large puddles on the roads. Visibility was low and obviously, he didn’t see me there, directly on his right. If I hadn’t been already slowing, and paying close attention, he would have slammed right into us! I’m sure it would have been a disaster, knocking us completely off the road. I can honestly say, that I am an excellent driver. I have had no accidents. I have received no tickets, parking or traffic. I am an extremely good driver. I am always on top of things. I am constantly watching and anticipating a stupid move by another driver. ALWAYS. I was on top of my game that day and avoided a catastrophe. I hope that guy (or woman) knows just how lucky they were that they didn’t cause an accident.

I swear, driving in the rain is like driving with chimpanzees.

(Although truthfully, I’m pretty sure chimps could do a better job driving than the morons I encounter on the road these days.)

When we finished our lunch, we headed home. Talk about tired. This was the third day of dealing with other people. Not my forte.

So, today I’ve decided I’m not doing a damn thing. Well, that’s a lie. I did the laundry I didn’t have a chance to do for 3 days. I made a pot of Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup, which is always delish and warms the innards on a cold and rainy day. I took a 2-hour nap and slept like a baby! I never even got out of my pajamas! It was a calm and peaceful day.

That’s my kind of day.

 

Excitement, Obstacles & Why Can’t Anything Be Easy?

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I haven’t been writing much lately, for a few reasons. Just bummed mostly but excited for family to come. I had to get the house ready as best I could and get groceries so I’d have food to feed everyone. It was a good visit but not long enough. I lost a few hours with them too, because someone couldn’t bend a little. They’re gone now and I miss them tremendously!

I had to cancel my last appointment with my therapist because it was scheduled the day family would arrive. I emailed her later to explain why since I didn’t get to speak to her personally when I rescheduled the appointment. I told her about a few things that have happened in the last three weeks and when she responded she said, “Nothing is ever easy for you, is it?” She nailed it! I’ve been saying that for years! Here’s a rundown of the things that have happened in the past three weeks:

  1. My insurance covered the last round of injections I received but changed their policies since then. They won’t cover them anymore, so now I have to struggle not knowing if they would have helped with my pain.
  2. Ortho doc won’t reconsider knee replacement surgery because my weight/BMI isn’t where they want it to be and my legs are still weak. I think by the time she decides to move forward with surgery, my insurance will no longer cover it. That’s just my luck.
  3. My new doc (since January ’17) that I searched for over the last 10 years, has left the clinic and they won’t tell me where she went! Figures. I finally find a good doctor; one who listens and actually tries to help, and she’s gone. Now I have to find a new doctor or see another in that clinic.
  4. I tried to include my first-born grandson, (who was adopted by his other grandparents) in our little family get-together even though I knew what the outcome would be. The other grandmother wouldn’t hear of it, even though she too, was invited. Instead, she went behind my back and made other arrangements for D.M. to see my daughter (his mother) and his little brother. This took several hours away from us. I’m glad my daughter was able to see D.M. but it’s a shame that other grandmother couldn’t bend a little and come to our house so we could all spend time with D.M.
  5. D.M.’s birthday was Oct. 23. I made arrangements to meet after school to give him his gift in person. This is what we’ve been doing the last few years for Christmas and birthdays. I didn’t think this year would be any different. The night before we were supposed to meet, I find out D.M. is sick. Ok, so I mailed him his gift. It has now been 2 weeks and I’ve not heard one word about whether he liked his gift from me and his great-grandpa. Nice. What a way to teach a kid manners, right?

Anyway, nothing is ever easy for me. It seems that I run into an obstacle at every turn. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect life to be easy but sometimes it seems the universe hates me! Every month, there’s something new staring me down…as if to say, “Don’t get too comfy!” I wonder what’s in store for me in November…..

10 Years Coming….

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It’s been months (and months and months) since I’ve updated my blog! The last time was just after being fat-shamed by a so-called specialist last year that my doctor finally sent me to. At that point I was pretty much done with doctors, especially the one I had been seeing since 2005. I had tried numerous times to find a new doctor….one was just as bad or worse than the one I was seeing so I just gave up. Tired of being knocked down time and time again.

Instead I focused on losing weight. I had tried for years to lose weight, never getting any help from my doctor, naturally. I tried every diet in existence, so it seemed….except for the diets you have to pay for. I couldn’t afford to to do that. I still can’t but I had to do something. I was at the heaviest I had ever been and it wasn’t getting any better. With doctors saying things like, “eat less calories,” and “you’re not getting enough exercise,” and “eat smaller portions,” and not even asking any questions about my diet or exercise, it became blatantly clear that I was not going to get anywhere with them! So, I signed up with Nutrisystem.

I started Nutrisystem on April 24, 2016. I lost 8 lbs. the first month. I am currently teetering between a 50 – 60 lb loss. I’m quite proud of myself! Nutrisystem does work but you have to stick to it. I followed the plan exactly as they instructed and by Thanksgiving I felt that I could relax a little. After the holidays I got back to it and I will continue to stay on it until I am at a weight that I’m happy with. I digress here, this post is not about my weight loss….but it WAS the start of a new, more confident me.

After the holidays were over, I realized that as much as I despise doctors, I still need one. I realized that it must be a new doctor because my current doctor was not acceptable. Tired of her constantly sweeping my concerns under the rug and giving me stupid answers. For 6 years I heard, “You’re too young for knee replacement surgery.” She never once sent me to a specialist to make that assessment. Last March, when she finally did send me to a specialist, the specialist said, “You’re not too young for knee replacement surgery. You’re just too fat.” So, if my doctor would have sent me to him 6 years and 60 lbs ago, then maybe I would have had some kind of treatment or the surgery and regained my life by now! Thanks a lot, Doc.

So, in Jan. 2017. I started researching doctors in neighboring counties/towns. Of course, I had done this before a few times and ended up not making any progress towards finding a new doctor. This time was different. It had to be different! I made an appointment with a local doctor. I was prepared to get knocked down yet again, because that’s what always happens. This time was different. This new doctor spent an entire hour with me! She sent me for xrays and she lined up an appointment with a specialist in March. She told me that she didn’t think my current weight would be an issue with knee replacement surgery. I was so relieved to have found this woman! She was kind and sympathetic, informative and thorough. This was the first time in 10 years I had felt hopeful. 10 freakin’ years I had been trying to get help. In the very beginning it wasn’t even pain, but I knew something was wrong. Year after year, no special blood tests, no imaging, no help, no information. Now I finally had some hope!

When I saw the specialist, she was also very nice, sympathetic, informative and thorough. Instead of telling me I was too young for knee replacement surgery, she explained to me WHY age was a factor. Instead of telling me I was too fat, she explained to me WHY weight/BMI is an important factor. She even offered a referral to a weight loss specialist. Instead of telling me to do squats to strengthen my leg muscles, she sent her in-office Physical Therapist in to talk to me and he gave me specific exercises to do at home. (My insurance won’t pay for pre-surgery PT.)

This doctor, asked me many questions about what I have tried and offered injections (other than the normal cortisone shots that didn’t help me at all) and told me it was entirely my decision as to which injections I wanted to try and she gave me informational pamphlets to help me decide. In April, I went back to her with a decision. I decided on Synvisc-One injections. This injection was suppose to create cushion in my knees where I was bone on bone. I was very nervous. I’m already in tremendous pain so I was apprehensive about the pain of a needle being jabbed into my knees! It really turned out to be ok. It wasn’t that bad. Afterward, I was walking with little pain and faster than I had in years! Of course, it didn’t last long. A few short hours later it was right back to the way it was before. My knees are just too far gone.

In an effort to help with pain management, my primary doctor prescribed a medication that helps nerve pain and nerve pain caused from inflammation. It can cause depression so I have to be careful. It has helped with some of the odd pains I was having…..and therefore helping me sleep at night. Not perfect sleep, but better sleep. I’ll take it.

So, it’s June now and I am still working on my weight and building the muscles in my legs to support my knees. I can’t get the injections again for 6 months, but they won’t help anyway. I just have to keep trying different things to manage my pain.

Slowly but surely, I am moving forward. I had been stuck for 10 years trying to get help with no success. I was sinking deeper and deeper into depression and hopelessness. I am finally getting help and guidance, information and treatment!