ouch

[rootofnewt]

last night, around 11pm, i sat up (was trying to figure out how i wanted to sleep. i felt some twinges... then grabbed my full water pitcher (about one liter size).

suddenly, it felt like a millinos claws were slicing through my intestines, back, and chest... i dove for my pump button... the machine started shrieking (turns out it was OUT)... and it was a shft change, so i sat there, in progressively more pain, for over 20 minutes. we're talking 20-30 on a scale of 1-10... i couldn't breathe, i was hyperventilating... the pain was searing... horrible. and every couple minutes, the whole side would cramp.

i kept hitting my call button and the vitals nurse (she does endless rounds, taking vitals) kept coming in and turning it off. i couldn't even talk. she was getting annoyed when i finally gasped out something about my pump jerking out. that's what it felt like... as if the pump which goes directly into my rib cage from my back had unthreaded itself through most of my right torso.

turns out the pump was fine, but the nurses were all annoyed. i'm sorry. i was in pain... severe, excruciating pain. and i have a high pain tolerance (i live without fibro meds and i've broken toes and found those to be less than my fibro pain). this pain was off the scale. it honestly felt like that whole side was getting ready to secede from my body.

my pump should not have been allowed to be empty. that's probably one reason the pain got worse--that might be what i'm actually dealing with under the pain meds. and the nurse waited over 45 min (from schedule) to dose me with toradol, which i take for the anti-inflammatory properties (never worked when i was young, but works now).

ugh. it was horrid. apparently, i did pull something or other... i can't lift things now with my right side and my left side isn't too happy about compensating. must talk to a surgeon today or tomorrow.

i scrubbed/scratched/soaked/peeled betadine out of my armpits,hips, etc. and got rid of some electrode rings, too. now i just have red raw spots where all of that was. joy. ah, well. if i'd left the betadine on longer (likeit is on my back), i'd have blisters.

i'm up, letting my room cool down. the AC only works well with the door closed. i can't sleep with the door open (flourescent light, high pitched nurse call signals, people talking/moaning/crying). i have earplugs, but they aren't a whole lotta help. one of the nurses bought me a baggie of ice... that's cozying up in my lap a bit.

amazing how fentanyl makes it so hard for me to type. button button, who's got the button?

i just realized that i only have my allergy bracelets on... no ID bracelet. guess it was in the way of the A-line during pre-op.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Are you allowed to give me the vitals nurse's home phone number?

[krasota.livejournal.com]

ah, if only i had it.

i'll let mom call the administrators and raise hell later this morning.

the vitals nurse does feel sorry for me, though. she's chinese-american and can't imagine being allergic to soy *and* vegetarian. here i am, gasping for air and she's commenting on my diet.

sheesh.

[rubylou.livejournal.com]

Oh, Sweetie...

Jeliza, Sean and I are thinking about you!

[dahliablue.livejournal.com]

oh my god...i'm so sorry you had to go through that! i'm still thinking of you, sweetie..hang in there.. {{{gentle hugs}}}

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

absolutely

((((hugs))))

hopefully they'll let you out of those evil places that go under the name of "hospital" soon.

[cassidyrose.livejournal.com]

I am far too well acquainted with the inability of hospital staff to deal with any sort of emergency during a shift change. Goddess forbid someone arrest during a shift change. I am also far too well acquainted with some nurses' habit of ignoring the call button.

Grrrrr....The poor staffing at hospitals is why we had to monitor catzen's dad while he was in the hospital.

I am sooooooooo sorry you are dealing with this. Can you get someone to stay with you there?

Sending healing and pain-free vibes your way.

[absinthea.livejournal.com]

*speaking as a RN*
Yes, the situation of health care is atrocious. Its annoying for me when the other shift (just leaving or just coming on) stands there and WATCHES you code a baby and they don't lift a friggin' finger to do squat. :( And then theres the issue of several RNs working 10 12-hour shifts in a row because of the staffing shortage. Gar...methinks we need to be writing to congresspeople and higher-ups in the healthcare food chain.

[leduck.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry this happened. If you can remember it (or someone who's helping you at the hospital), you should let your doctor know about this. Your PCA cartridge shouldn't be allowed to be empty, and your doc should know about it so he can address it with the nurses.

You're in my thoughts.

[queensheba.livejournal.com]

That sounds absolutely terrifying. I do hope that you can address it with the people in charge when you feel better, or that someone you're close to can. It shouldn't be allowed to happen to you ever again, or to anyone else. I'm so sorry, and I'll be thinking about you.

[needlegrrl]

i agree with everyone else - that shouldn't have happened - but I'm glad that you are okay. (hugs)

[xiane.livejournal.com]

And people wonder why I'm afraid of hospitals. I'm sorry, lovely... do you want me to come down there and make heads roll?
When all this is said and done, we shall have to have an grand outing... something to celebrate the amazingness of Krassie :)

[krasota.livejournal.com]

if you're up to it (and aren't on vacation then), i'd love to have you hang out at our place for a day or so next week/end :) stu is welcome, of course.



ù

[absinthea.livejournal.com]

#1) I am livid for you that they would let your PCA run out, but not necessarily surprised. Grrrr! Poor knowledge and attention to pain control is one of my biggest pet peeves in the hospital
#2) Keep note of things like that, let them know that YOU ARE AWARE that they are falling sadly short of the basic standards of patient care. PLEASE make certain to notify JCHAO about this. They **NEED** to know stuff like that is going on. Those lasses and lads will help make it so nobody else has to endure that kind of crap treatment.
#3) Get a lawyer. Seriously.
#4) Keep doing cute things to freak the hell out of them (ie "ET phone home!")
*hug* I wish I could be there and kick their butts for you. Im sure your mom will do a fine job (I think I get my talent from that side of the family).

Shift change is a hectic time, yes. BUT first and foremost on their minds should always be patient care. If that means delaying report for a half hour, then so be it.

[stmaybe.livejournal.com]

oh god! how awful

*ultra gentle not wanting to cause any more pain hugs*

[vurtsnake.livejournal.com]

Okay, Ygg..

I'll admit I don't necessarily know what's going on..
but you most definitely are in my most pleasant of thoughts.
*gentle hug*

TW

[ismene.livejournal.com]

How horrible. There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for a nurse coming in to turn off your call button repeatedly and not doing a thing for your pain. And there's no excuse for them letting your pump go empty. You (or your family) should definitely raise hell with administration, the surgeon, anyone you can. I don't know if you have any legal recourse, but if they keep doing this sort of thing you should definitely talk to a lawyer.

[chorus-of-chaos.livejournal.com]

geez...I probably would have grabbed that twit around the throat and choked the shite out of her. I've done it before, it does tend to get their attention.

Ask for the Patient Advocate, and tell them about your experience. I think all hospitals are required to have a patient advocacy service. Basically you are filing the paperwork trail that your care was not satisfactory, if there are more problems on down the line then this is a legal document that you can use as evidence in court, god forbid that you have to do that. However, I have found that if you say the words "patient advocate" generally you suddenly have every member of staff in the hospital kissing your ass, because they don't want to file that paperwork that there was a problem.

Hope you get to feeling better and get out of that damned place soon.

[d00k.livejournal.com]

love ya, jos!

um...yuck.

[circumspectly.livejournal.com]

that's just WRONG. having worked in hospitals before, i know it's a reality though. i don't care how busy they are...a pain management pump (pca?) should never run empty. there are some awesome nurses out there...unfortunately they aren't all that way. ooh, hope you get the betadine off your back soon too... ~*^*~hoping you get out of there soon vibes~*^*~