Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My ordeal

Monday I was to report to the hospital at 5:45 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. surgery time. P had to wake up V, put her in the carseat with a blanket and drive me 25 minutes away. He dropped me off because we had no one to take care of Vi and I was then on my own. Bad idea. I was in a open surgery area which frankly, was a violation of HIPPA policy because I knew everyone's business being prepped for surgery. Everyone else had people with them and I began to cry. I could tell the other people waiting felt sorry for me too. All the other patients waiting had their IV's and stuff and I had no nurse or nothing. Finally, the Anesthesiologist Fellow came over and was super duper nice. The the Anesthesiologist showed up - this little Indian man, and he was a total jerk!! He tried to start my IV and wouldn't listen to my info about my IV's and gave me a huge hematoma on the 1st try. Then a nurse, and the fellow, and the OR nurse, and the Oral surgery Fellow all showed up as he was trying again. I got hot and cold and started majorly dry heaving. He just get on putting the IV in and someone stuck a alcohol swab under my nose and kept yelling at me to sniff it while I was busy dry heaving. I felt so alone and I was so damn scared. I never saw my surgeon at all and it would have helped, because I really like himn. The Anesthesiology Fellow came back and said he would give me something for nausea and to relax and I remember nothing after that.

WHen I woke up like at 1:30 I immediately felt very drugged and dizzy and my head felt thick and nauseous. It was a very different feeling than when I underwent twilight anesthesia all those times. The nurse started in saying "I kept waiting for you to wake up, I've been waiting a long time". I immediately grunted for my husband and she said no. I asked again and she said no, not in my condition. Everyone else had family back there. I conked out again and she kept trying to get me to sit up. I was so dizzy and sick and I asked her to please help me. She became all snotty and said "I just gave you medication in your IV. I am helping you> THe medication makes you dizzier. Aren't you ready to go home?" Finally P came back and agreed that this nurse was totally whacko!! She basically sat me up while I was dry heaving and could not stand up, pushed my clothes on me, and pushed me out the door. I was dizzy the entire way home and needed pain meds bad. P left me in the chair while he ran to Rite Aid and then made me a smoothie so I had something on my stomach. All last night, I've fought nausea off and on. I know it is the pain med Norco. I called the nurse today and she said she would talk to the fellow and have him call me in some liquid Tylenol with Codeine. I called the Pharmacy and they had nothing. I ended up taking half a dose which helped the pain and didn't make me as nauseous.

Great clinical care, don't you think? This happens to be the same institution where I work and I am mentally composing some letters.

4 comments:

MrsSpock said...

Wow- they really sucked. I can't believe how callus that nurse was. She ought to know a patient responds to anesthesia and pain meds in their own way, and she needs to deal with it.

Hope you feel better!

Swistle said...

That sounds dreadful. DREADFUL!

Searching for Serenity said...

Oh dear. What a terrible experience. I hope you are recovering in the comforts of your home and getting lots of love from P and V. Take Care.

Anonymous said...

oh my god, i can't believe some nurses, i had one after my c-section who was basically fighting with me, YELLING at me in the middle of the night because i was having a hard time getting up to go to the bathroom the daqy after surgery, what a bitch.