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Sally44

JUST GOT OUT OF HOSPITAL TODAY

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I didn't post to say I was going into hospital, because although it was quite extensive surgery, I wasn't expecting to be in for so long. They told me typically it would be a 3-4 day stay.

However 14 days later, after a urine infection, and bacterial infection due to a 'collection of blood'. I have spent the last 9 days on an IV giving me antibiotics directly into my blood. It has been hell. I have had needles stuck into me on a daily basis. I have found the hospital staff to be 'deaf' to anything you tell them. Everything takes so long to resolve. A query from the doctor to the microbiologist regularly takes 20 hours for an answer. Canulas (IV needles) could not be 'secured' in place due to infection control. This meant that every morning they were bent which required the doctor to attempt to find another vein. I don't have accessible veins. The only vein they could use was the one in the elbow indent of my right arm. They made 6 different holes in that one area. They tried to find veins in my arms, hands, wrists, and legs to no avail on a daily basis.

There was no consistent care plan and nurses refused to carry out doctors instructions on a regular basis. Eventually I insisted that a nurse bandaged my arm to stop the canulas coming out. Thankfully that one lasted for 3 days.

I also developed severe diahorrea due to the powerful antibiotics they gave me.

It was a horrendous experience. It was all so frustrating.

On top of all that my husband has had to work, do everything at home, come and visit me every day and find someone to sit with our children (one with an ASD). Things have not gone well.

I definately will not be returning to a hospital in the near future. Infact the only time I would agree to go 'inside' would be for them to carry out an autopsy.

Thank God i'm back home. I actually cried leaving the hospital.

What made the difference today was that my consultant returned to the hospital after being on holiday for 10 days. He was mortified that I was still there and discharged me that afternoon with a course of oral antibiotics to take for the next 5 days.

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I also forgot to add that the operation was carried out using a spinal block with something to also put me under a light sleep. I was warned that I might become 'aware' during the operation. Well I did, twice. Thankfully I felt no pain. But it was strange to wake up and see so many people around me only to be sent back to sleep again.

All in all one of my worst life experiences.

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OMG Sally, poor you :tearful:

 

Thank goodness your consultant got you home - I hope you make a very speedy recovery >:D<<'> >:D< >:D<<'>

 

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>:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

 

I hope you're feeling better soon. Make sure (I know it's easier said than done) that you rest as much as possible. It's odd coming out of hospital after being in for a while as you don't realise how little you've been doing with meals etc. brought to you. Don't be surprised if you get exhausted easily.

 

Canulas (IV needles) could not be 'secured' in place due to infection control. This meant that every morning they were bent which required the doctor to attempt to find another vein. I don't have accessible veins. The only vein they could use was the one in the elbow indent of my right arm. They made 6 different holes in that one area. They tried to find veins in my arms, hands, wrists, and legs to no avail on a daily basis.

There was no consistent care plan and nurses refused to carry out doctors instructions on a regular basis. Eventually I insisted that a nurse bandaged my arm to stop the canulas coming out. Thankfully that one lasted for 3 days.

You have my complete sympathy with this one. I have the same problem with my veins and then because they can't/won't secure them they keep having to replace them with fewer and fewer veins to choose from. It's only recently that this new rule seems to have come in, and they need to find a way to secure them. I had a matron who has basically said, stuff this, and bandaged them to keep them in. Whatever you do, never, ever, ever, allow them to try and put one in your foot because your other suitable veins have blown. :tearful:

 

Take care of yourself. :)

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Wow Sally - I thought you'd gone quiet for a while but I had no idea! Hope you are over the worst now - take it easy and look after yourself. It sounds like a horrible experience.

 

K x

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Unfortunately hospitals and me don't seem to agree.

I also lost alot of blood and will be on iron pills for the forseeable future.

When my daughter was born I had to have two blood tranfusions.

When my son was born I also acquired an infection and was in IV antibiotics with a temp of 39+ whilst still breast feeding and changing nappies.

I would like to add that I have had operations on both my hands for CTS and my foot without event.

But wild horses would not get me in there again.

 

I've got to go back next Thursday for my son to have a scan because one of his testes has not descended. I just hope that it resolves itself. Because I cannot see that they will be at all 'understanding' or 'flexible' about his diagnosis and the idea of him having to endure needles and even an operation is something I can't even dwell on right now.

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So sorry to hear that you have not been well. I hate hospitals in this country and had such a traumatic experience when my son was born that I still have nightmares about it. Shall I tell you the gross details? Ok...This was Mayday Hospital (Croydon). Fish and chips under the bed and in time spent there not one single cleaner around. Toilets full of blood, dirty, dirty dirty. Because my son was late, delivery was started with a pessary and was told that it would take hours and to take a sleeping tablet, except I went in full labour two hours later and was so drowsy I could not keep my eyes open. I got up fainted in the toilets and when I rang alarm no one had a key to get me out!

Eventually I had to have an emergency C section and went home three days later after being absolutely bullied constantly on the ward. Finished? no no no....

Home on the Sunday, Monday comes and I am not feeling well and scar all red, two days later and I can't get out of bed anymore. Midwives looking more and more worried, doctors called but I am still at home in awful pain. Fifth day and I wake up soaked because scar opened and infection fluid everywhere. Absolute panic, rushed to ER and put on antibiotic IV and sent back on ward. Again more bullying, medicine never given on time, staff not washing hands before touching me. Second operation to stitch everything back together. Alltogether three weeks in hospital and the worst pain ever. Three years later I had my daughter by C section as I could not feel contractions. Had to have a blood transfusion because I bled and bled and bled during the operation. Staff there (Kings Hospital) were fantastic so that was a relief. I hate hospitals, I dread taking my son there. He had to have an MRI scan when he was a baby and be sedated and I cried terribly even though it only lasted 10 minutes! Because of all this trouble I have to have a hysterectomy and I keep postponing it because I am convinced something is going to happen to me, so I prefer the current discomfort. Mad isn't i? People say I should have sued but then it is public money that pays compensations and when you are in the middle of a crisis it is the last thing on your mind. I did get an apology though and I must say that helped.

I hope that you get better soon and that you can put your nightmare behind you. I wish I could do something to get over the trauma because no doubt one day I will have to go to hospital to deal with this problem but I seriously hyperventilate at the idea!

 

In the meantime I send you a bag of virtual oranges and a hug >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

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So sorry to hear that you have not been well. I hate hospitals in this country and had such a traumatic experience when my son was born that I still have nightmares about it. Shall I tell you the gross details? Ok...This was Mayday Hospital (Croydon). Fish and chips under the bed and in time spent there not one single cleaner around. Toilets full of blood, dirty, dirty dirty. Because my son was late, delivery was started with a pessary and was told that it would take hours and to take a sleeping tablet, except I went in full labour two hours later and was so drowsy I could not keep my eyes open. I got up fainted in the toilets and when I rang alarm no one had a key to get me out!

 

My daughter was born in Mayday too, frogslegs - 20 years ago. :unsure: They ran out of cotton wool on the second day I was there- we had to provide our own. I remember the bathroom being a bit grubby back then. The worst memory though was cutting into fish to find it completely transparent and undercooked. :sick: It takes real talent to undercook a piece of cod don't you think?? :rolleyes:

 

Sorry to hijack your thread Sally!

 

K x

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Have you ever seen this program about the NHS presented by this entrepreneur called Jeremy something where he spent a few weeks in a hospital and was shocked at the poor management despite the huge amount of money given by the government. Too many chiefs and not enough indians as they say. They need more cleaners, more carers to make beds and keep wards tidy, not always the top professor who makes the biggest difference!

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The worst memory though was cutting into fish to find it completely transparent and undercooked. :sick: It takes real talent to undercook a piece of cod don't you think?? :rolleyes:

So it was you who put the fish under Frogslegs bed then? :P:devil::lol:

 

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Hello Sally

 

Im pleased your ordeal is over but im also upset that you had to go through this.

 

i would seriously consider making a complaint via PALS http://www.pals.nhs.uk/officemapsearch.aspx if necessary this shouldn't happen in todays NHS!

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Have you ever seen this program about the NHS presented by this entrepreneur called Jeremy something where he spent a few weeks in a hospital and was shocked at the poor management despite the huge amount of money given by the government. Too many chiefs and not enough indians as they say. They need more cleaners, more carers to make beds and keep wards tidy, not always the top professor who makes the biggest difference!

 

I remember that program and I doubt much has improved since. Although I didn't experience near death, one of my mates was sectioned and sent to prison because they had no mental health wards at the time to take him! Being beaten up every day for at least 9 months just because he reacted badly to an antidepressant medication. If that wasn't enough when he ended up in casualty on a sunday he was in so much pain from glass in his eye that he had to take it out himself! That's Sunday A&E for you.

 

Oh and mental health services for autistics in my area? You have got to be kidding me, i keep being told "your autistic we don't treat that" when I present myself with obvious mental health difficulties.

 

Alexis

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Oh dear. It isn't good is it.

Some of the posts made me laugh and cry.

Maybe we should start a national award named 'the undercooked cod award' for 'failing' NHS hospitals.

 

But seriously, it is very scary once you are 'in the hospital system' because your opinion is no longer heard. I can imagine that is even worse if you are in hospital because of mental health issues. On two occasions I sent doctors away who were trying, again, to get a canula into me and causing me intolerable pain - but they seemed unable to acknowledge their own failure and get someone else to do it. So they would just go away and wait until my medication was nearly 24 hours late and I was asking them to 'try again' because my temperature was going through the roof.

 

I don't know if others felt this way, but as soon as I put on my own clothes I felt as if I began to 'own' myself again. Stripped of your clothes and possessions you just become a 'thing'.

 

Even one of the nurses told me about a different hospital she had been admitted to during labour, where she acquired an infection because they dropped the instruments on the floor and just picked them up and continued. She was on IV antibiotics for 6 weeks and became infertile as a direct result of the infection.

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I wondered where you'd been.

 

Sorry to hear you have had such a terrible time. I hope your opperation went well anyway after all the rest of the stuff dies down, what a nightmare for you all!

 

Best wishes and I hope you have a speedy recovery now you are at home.

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Sally, I am really sorry you had to go through all this. >:D<<'> >:D< >:D<<'>

I had a very similar experiance like that nurse when I gave birth to my son.

All the best.

 

Danaxxx

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Sending lots of these >:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

 

Wish I could come over and cook you some soup to build your strength up. Mumble's right-you must look after yourself, and take it very easy. You need to make a full recovery!

 

>:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

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I think i'll only feel okay when my temperature has gone down. The fact that I still have a temperature every day and have to take tablets to control it whilst also taking two different sets of antibiotics is worrying. But at least I am home. I have got an appointment to go back and see the consultant next Thursday.

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I think i'll only feel okay when my temperature has gone down. The fact that I still have a temperature every day and have to take tablets to control it whilst also taking two different sets of antibiotics is worrying. But at least I am home. I have got an appointment to go back and see the consultant next Thursday.

 

Thinking of you and wishing you well >:D<<'> >:D<<'> >:D<<'>

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