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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> *My Hospital Stay *small update end of thread
        
(Message started by: taraann on Apr 15^th, 2007, 6:26am)

Title: *My Hospital Stay *small update end of thread
Post by taraann on Apr 15^th, 2007, 6:26am

First off, here is why you can now call me crash... http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5022/img0703mh6.jpg don't I look gorgeous?

For those of you that don't know, I am a very very med resistant chronic ch'er with monthly migraines. The only thing that semi consitantly works for me is steroids. It seems I have tried almost every prevent and abort there is out there. My local ER knows my history very well and they usually give me IV solumedrol (steroids) phenergan, dilaudid, and then send me home with a steroid taper to hopefully give me a bit of a break for a little while and at the very least the blessing of sleep for a night. This was NOT the case this past week.

I have been struggling terribly with the CH and migraines these past couple weeks now, getting less and less sleep until I was lucky to be getting half hour power snoozes here and there (if that!) After over a week of this sleep deprivation I was just going through the everyday motions of housework and school meetings, and parenting stuff. Trying to go on like "normal" The first evening Sam packed me up to the ER I was trying to finishing laundry when I was getting slammed hard and fast by the beast. I had more or less ceased folding clothes and was then chucking clothes outta the dryer into the basket (lol just laying the scene) when my legs just decided they didn't want to hold me up any more and boom down I went. Sam came into the room just in time to see me practically crawling to the throne to pray to the porcelain god. Off we go the the ER.

I get there and they give me morphine, ativan, and phenergan. By the time I left I was still in pain (but not as slammed) and now totally doped up on top of it. When we finally got home I was able to sleep for about 2 hrs b4 I was awakened with a kip 9 woohoo so much for that wasted ER trip.

Continued.......

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by taraann on Apr 15^th, 2007, 6:43am

Continued.......

The next 24 hrs were hell on earth. I never got hit below a kip 9.5 and most were complete 10's with amazingly tiny misicule breaks in between AND complicated by a migraine! The second time Sam packed me up to the ER I was cleaned the porcelain god in between prayers. (I figured you all would appreciate that visual lol)

This time at the ER they gave me the steroids, phenergan, toradol, and then dilaudid. I was still writhing and crying in pain. At this point the doc suggests admitting me to try to force me into sleep with meds and break this wonderful hell up with some more IV steroids. Plus I was horribly dehydrated. Ok so I agree

When I got upstairs they added Ativan to the mix, cause that has helped knock me out in the past, and of course calms me down (I was so completely upset, not just cause of the pain, but cause friday the 13th was my mothers 6 yr "anniversary" of her deadly car crash, and cause my kids had to once again endure seeing their mother in such pain).

Let's see here, almost 2 weeks of only power snoozes, pure pain, exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally. Dehydrated. Then add Ativan, dilaudid, and phenergan, all IV My bed is in the total upright position. The hospital staff did not put my side rails up, I was really out of it and well the next thing I know I am face first on the concrete floor! I somehow managed to reach the nurse call button. The nurses come in yelling at me! "Why didnt' you put your side rail up?!" I slurred out, "That's not MY job!"

To be continued in a bit... kids to tend to!

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by barry_sword on Apr 15^th, 2007, 7:31am

How are you doing Tara? Hope you feel a little better, that was quite a knock you took to the eye in the hospital.

Barry

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by E-Double on Apr 15^th, 2007, 8:21am

Oh boy!
I so hope you get a break and some needed rest!
Hugs

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by lionsound on Apr 15^th, 2007, 8:37am

wow...
[smiley=hug.gif]
I hope that you can find some time to take care of you a little bit.

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by UN solved on Apr 15^th, 2007, 11:02am

Awe, sorry to hear you've been having a rough time lately. Sounds like your first trip to the ER didn't go too well. I've had that happen to me too and I learned that taking those kind of drugs would only help for a short time, if it helped at all.

SoluMedrol is a good choice ... but it doesn't last for too long either. I've had a 'regular' dose of 125mg many times, but I prefer getting the larger doses of 250, 500, or even 1000mg shots. ( The bigger the dose the longer it'll last )

Goodluck & hope you catch a break

UNsolved

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by kcopelin on Apr 15^th, 2007, 2:12pm

Tara,
Do you have anyone to help with the kids and laundry and cooking?
I hate that you are going through this. Prayers for you and your family!

PFDAN
kathy

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by Shedz on Apr 15^th, 2007, 2:36pm

Sincerely hope things change for the better for you soon [smiley=hug.gif] from across the pond ;)

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by BarbaraD on Apr 15^th, 2007, 3:45pm

Hope you kept a "chart" to send to the BOD of the hospital. That's a good way NOT to pay the deductible that your insurance doesn't pay. The LAST time I went to the hospital that's what I did. They never sent me a bill after I explained to them how grosley inept their staff was in detail. My doctor was totally appalled and made sure it got brought up at the board meeting. They really thought I was going to sue.

Sorry for the bad experience.

Hugs BD

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by Rosybabe on Apr 15^th, 2007, 6:18pm

I am so sorry to hear what you had to go through. Hope the Dear Lord shows some mercy for you, I know what it means to have to take care of the little ones when you are enduring a hit...I had several times to get up clean the toilet right after I puck on it because my little girl wants to go potty in that same moment...My best wishes for PFDN for you.

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by Maffumatt on Apr 16^th, 2007, 11:52am

I pray that you catch the break you desperately deserve Tarann, wishing you some PF time.......

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by alchemy on Apr 16^th, 2007, 12:04pm

sorry to hear the news. hope you get relief soon

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by sldrswyfe on Apr 16^th, 2007, 4:09pm

Tara,

You poor thing...absolute nightmare. The anxiety from the guilt, the exhaustion....I hate it. But you cannot help it...try your hardest not to blame yourself.

I pray you are resting and getting hydrated. Those nurses are complete idiots leaving you like that. Even if you werent on meds. In the state of exhaustion and pain...it is a given...and it's protocal to always put the rails up to ensure no accidents...so screw them. Feel better and unguilty. Thoughtfully, Sherri

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by taraann on Apr 16^th, 2007, 8:07pm

Hey all ... first off thanks for all the kind words and sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I'm still having a rough time, hardly any sleep, etc etc. Then we got a lovely spring nor'easter last night into today and didn't have internet service (dsl) for most of it.
Another thing that really sucked about those nurses was when I had an order to get dilaudid prn every 3 or 4 hrs (I can't remember which) and I was told to buzz the nurses station if I wanted it then my nurse would come and administer it asap, etc etc. Well I buzzed the nurses station and they told me they'd send my nurse in a few minutes.10 min, 15 min, + go by, no nurse. So I buzzed again, they nurse at the desk was so snotty and I was bawling like a friggin baby (i was such a wreck!) and I could see the desk from my door way so I peeked as I was talking on the intercom and I hear her say listen to this girl (in amean mocking type voice) and holds up her speaker so the other nurses can hear. A male nurse just shakes his head and says that I'm just ridiculous!
OOOOH I flew outta my bed dragging my IV pole behind me then my nurse came out of another patients room where she must have overheard all of this (the nurse I had assigned at this time was pretty decent) stopped me halfway to the nurses station and told me she'd take care of it and be right in to try to make me more comfortable, and to please go back to my bed.

THis visit was really so many hellish moments all strung together! I can only begin to tell you all half of it all!

I have bruises from my eyebrow to my cheekbone (a possible fracture that I never got the results from cause they told me if it wasn't anything they could fix they wouldn't bother calling me with the results!) My arms and legs all bruised. All from a 3 day hospital stay!

Phew crazy daze round here! ::)

I am following up with my GP to check into my possible cheek or jaw fracture (it can't be all too bad cause I can eat and talk but it hurts to do either) but just to be sure. My sis and I were commenting on how if I did really break it would I get my jaw wired... what an ultimate diet that would be huh? Gotta look to the brighter side right? hehe

My kids really are troopers and to all you other parents/ guardians/grandparents/ aunties and uncles etc ... they sure do give us strength to be tougher don't they?! Just when I think I can't stand up or even talk, when I think all I can do is cry and curse I see one of my little one's and I geta bit more strength in me to reassure them!

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by cynjeep89 on Apr 16^th, 2007, 8:33pm

When you have a chance, document everything that you just mentioned along with dates, times and any staff names that you may remember. When you are feeling better, write a letter documenting all of the above information including a picture of you with your black eye and possible facial fracture. I would also take pictures of any other injuries that you have such as bruises, scrapes, etc.

Call the hospital and ask for the name, address and phone number of the president/CEO of the hospital and the name of the administrator of nursing. Send copies of your letter and pictures to them and to your physician. If you don't hear anything within a week, call them. If you are not up to this, send me the phone number and I will call. This kind of treatment is not acceptable by any means (damn, I am ticked off!!!)

We went thru crap like this when my Step-Dad was in CICU after a myocardial infarction. Long story short, administration and the head of nursing soon knew me by my first name and my Step-Dad was treated like a king for the remainder of his stay.

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by Charlie on Apr 16^th, 2007, 9:21pm

Damned good idea.

So sorry about this and keep after them.

All my best, http://www.clusterheadaches.com/public_html/yabbimages/smileys/hug.gif

Charlie

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by nani on Apr 16^th, 2007, 10:47pm

[smiley=hug.gif] Stay strong, TA.
hugs, nani

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by Yorky on Apr 17^th, 2007, 3:10am

i can mirror your last fortnight taraan.

(apart from the clothes..folding :) )

i hope things improve ...and soon love.

yorky/tracy

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by taraann on Apr 17^th, 2007, 4:41am

Yeah as I replay the week and read what everyone has written me I get angrier and angrier (and a bit humiliated too) I do need to follow through with this, and make this "caring" staff HAVE to behave more compassionate and responsibly to their next patient with a "headache" (I have NEVER ever felt right calling them head "aches" unless they were a tension HA or less... Or imagine being a person that was suicidal being in the care of one of those nurses? OMG that is a scary thougth!

Title: Re: My Hospital Stay
Post by sldrswyfe on Apr 17^th, 2007, 12:49pm

Tara,

I hope you realize the way you were treated is unacceptable. Inhumane. Unprofessional at BEST.

And they're trying to give you some bullhshit explanation about "if nothing is wrong, they won't call"???? F that.

A response, that gives a slacker no way out is "That's unacceptable". Don' t go into an explanation...don't try and justify...YOU are right...and the injured party here.

It brought tears to my eyes that you watched a bitch of a nurse mock you...as you felt so horrible, helpless...going through hell. Good nurses don't do that Tara. They should not be in that profession if they are not capable of having compassion...even when they don't understand...ESPECIALLLY when they don't understand.

You believe the patient...everyone has different pain tolerance, and often pain cannot be seen. That embarrassment of a nurse took out her miserable existence on you...so sorry honey. Now it's time to do something about it...

Cyndi is right on target...document, document, document. Get names...all of it. The way you were cared for (if you could even call it that) IS UNACCEPTABLE. Dont accept that Tara. All the pain, guilt...being delusional from lack of sleep...and you were mocked and ignored??? I know exactly what you went through and accepted it far too many times...never again. I vow that. To myself and to all of you. It's these steps that is going to change our treatment and respsect level....You Go Tara!!! Sherri

Title: * My Hospital Stay (small update)
Post by taraann on Apr 19^th, 2007, 9:16am

Small update.......
My general doctor prescribed my a sleeping medication cause I still was barely sleeping. So I'm getting about 4 hrs of sleep a night now (instead of 1/2 hr power snoozes) and that's a bit of a blessing to say the least. I'm still struggling with the headpains terribly but I see my gp tomorrow and he is hopefully going to prescribe me something to get me through more comfortably until my neurologist appt next Thurs. The GP is aware somewhat of what happened at the hopsital and he'll be getting my records before my appt. Then he's going to look at my xrays and my jaw.

The meds I am on right now are.... 25 mg topamax @ bedtime, the last 2 days of my prednisone taper, phenergan as needed (which is needed alot!),4mg dilaudid as needed.

I'll let you all know how my appt tommorrow afternoon goes.

Title: Re: *My Hospital Stay *small update end of thread
Post by Mac_Muz on Apr 19^th, 2007, 1:11pm

geeze tarraann, thats brutal treatments...
You should be looking at a large sum of $$$ for a long time I should think. $$ helps care for what you can't too..

Just what place was this so I never go there ever!

My guess is laconia, but it might be anywhere..

We got indoor flooding too, and lost some nice books, but can save some for reading even if they are kinda lumpy. I am still mopping up water incoming today...

I hope you can atleast get some rest... mac :-[

Title: Re: *My Hospital Stay *small update end of thread
Post by LadyElaine1 on Apr 19^th, 2007, 3:09pm

Keep us updated and hope they give you something that works. Bless your heart, lack of sleep is the so bad on us.
Know we are here for you any time.