My wife had a procedure done today, which will hopefully make her chemotherapy infusions go smoother.
The nurses have been having a terrible time lately getting an I.V. started on her. They have been sticking her 6,7,8 times without success before they get one going. And this last time, they got the i.v. going but then it must have popped because the fluid starting going in under her skin. There was a bubble about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall on her skin. Kinda looked like Mount Vesuvius.
So the doctor had some sort of a port placed. Went successfully, all is well, we just got home a few minutes ago. Main thing is she is cold, even in this weather. So she is in her chair wrapped up in a blanket.
My rant for today is about communication, or really the lack of it. Or maybe just about training, I don't know.
My thing for today is that the information dispensed by about 4 or 5 people was all different. And it is a really minor thing, but it still bothers me a little bit.
When the lady called her yesterday to go over do's and don'ts and stuff, she told my wife I had to have a vaccination or covid test or I couldn't come into the hospital with her, couldn't go thru the door. And since I am not jabbed, and it was really too late to get a covid test, we said okay I will just stay in the car and wait.
Well, this morning we got there and the lady at the reception desk said "Go on in." Okay.
Get to the check in desk and the lady said, "You can go up to the area with your wife and wait, but when she goes into the back to get ready for the procedure you have to leave the hospital, you can't stay in the waiting room." Okay.
Get to the third floor waiting room and the nurse says, You can come back to stay with her when she gets her gown on and we get the i.v. started." Okay.
Go back and sit with her, and then they take her into the o.r. and the nurse says "you can wait in the waiting room."
So I'm confused. I can't go in, but then I can, but then they want me to leave, but then I can stay.
Confusing, at least to me.
And on a side note about lack of communication, there was a guy in the bed next to her, all separated by those curtains they have on the rails. Anyway, I can hear the nurse talking to him about his medical history and meds and stuff,and i'm thinking "so much for privacy." And then she goes away and then she comes back and says, we have a problem. You have to reschedule your procedure. You were supposed to quit taking your meds 3 days prior to this and you did not. He said, the nurse from the hospital didn't say that, she told me i had to stop 24 hours prior. So now this guys all dressed out for the party, and he's got noplace to go party.
Talk about lack of communication.
And then the thing with the phone numbers. Yesterday the lady on the phone asked my wife for phone numbers for her and for me. I listened to my wife give her the numbers, and they were, in fact, the correct phone numbers. While sitting with my wife waiting for the docs and nurses to do their thing, I am perusing the paperwork. Hold on what is this I see? Incorrect phone number for my wife. Okay they can fix that. Looking further I see they also have MY phone number incorrect.
That would be a shock for someone when they call that number and say Hey you can come pick up your wife, and he says what she drunk again??
And another thing. I forget where in the course of events this happened, but I was told "when your wife is in recovery I will call you 10 minutes before you need to pick her up." Okay, sounds good.
At 8:45 I receive a call from the hospital, "hi we want you to come pick up your wife at 9:30." A full 45 minutes later, not 10 minutes. So, I'm thinkin dam, they really trying to be efficient I guess.
Anyway, i'm just being grouchy i guess cause i got up really early and only had about 3 good hours of sleep.
But I think those people really need to get together and all be on the same page when they pass out information.
They got us by the balls, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteIf you carried around a body cam, and recorded everything you just witnessed, you might be able to watch some heads roll...
The nurse that told the guy to stop his meds 24 hours prior may be getting a rip for sure. The o.r. nurse wasn't real happy with that one.
DeleteWhen you have herd induced sheeple that have no clue and are in my opinion are poor trained nurses and support staff, this is the cluster fuck you get and it gets people dead. The left foot doesn't know what the right ear lobe doing and is orchestrated by accountants, business managers and insurance companies hiring the below 25 % percentile of college grads.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The left and right hands were not in concert on this one.
DeleteClassic example of the blind leading the blind. And they wonder why we do not trust them.
ReplyDeleteExactly right.
DeleteMy wife also has a port. Just finished chemo and radiation. There is some cream from AKORN in a tube that is 2.5% Lidocaine and 2.5% Prilocaine. By prescription only. You put a dab on the port and put a piece of saran wrap or part of a baggie over it, and tape over that, about an hour before her appointment. That way it won't hurt when the needle goes in.
ReplyDeleteMy wife's port is a couple of inches above her right breast. They showed us the type of port and the tube to the jugular before they installed it. At the cancer center there were some people with the port in their belly. Chemo absolutely destroys your body and weakens your immune system. You don't want sick people around the patients.
So far she has been able to resist any communication of disease. I will tell her about the cream, and we will ask the doc about it. Thank you.
DeleteIt's standard here, known as Emla cream (also used for children and needle-phobes for injections). You used to be able to buy it OTC, I can't say for sure now.
DeleteI went with the Power Port myself, just so they didn't have to poke a vein every time. Mines on the right just below the collar bone. I wish your wife and yourself all the best.
ReplyDeleteThank you Michael. They called hers a metaport. Our hope is this cures the iv problem they've been having.
DeleteYou are not alone. The medical system has gone to the dogs. Corporate medical leaves a lot to be desired. My wife had been trying to get a referral (because the specialist doctors won't see you without one) for 6 weeks from her primary care physician. One dropped ball after another. Finally after 7 weeks the referral goes through. Mid June. Referred specialist's office calls; we will see you in November. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYep. Looks like obama care has dug in deep.
DeleteMost of the problems you experienced sound as if they're the usual conflict between 'the protocols' and 'that particular member of staffs beliefs' (usually a hundred mile difference), ditto hospital policies.
ReplyDeleteSo many substitute what 'they think' for 'what is' it's not funny.
Consider though, whilst the wrong phone numbers could cause difficulties, imagine what her obvious lack of care (to even bother listening) and accuracy might do if the symptoms and past history were recorded incorrectly. That nurse needs firing.
The lack of listening is always problematic. Maybe that should be a class of its own in the med school.
DeleteTo aid location of serviceable veins, have your lovely drink as much water as she can hold in the hour before being jabbed. There should be a noticeable improvement in targeting. Best to you both.
ReplyDeleteMississloppigarro
I'm truly sorry about the lack of communication as well as the contradictory and mismatch 'information' coming from different people, depending on who you ask.
ReplyDeleteIf you have time, I would recommend skimming over a book called "How to Survive Your Doctor's Care" by Pamela Gallin MD. I found the book by accident while I was looking for information to help my dad with a medical thing he was going through but finding this book was fortuitous.
Long story short it explains how hospitals, doctor's offices etc work and how to get things cleared up if you think something isn't right or it might not be right. I.e. it includes things like what you're experiencing- if two people at the hopsital are telling you that you can't come in but that you can stay, at least one of those people has to be wrong. Knowing they heirarchy and who you could ask what (and what their responsibilities are) is really helpful.
I hope your better half gets through all of her therapy as smoothly and as well as possible!
Tom from East Tennesee