La Penultima

[estherchaya]

So when we were living in Spain, my parents were fond of a tradtional toast. Every new drink was toasted as "!La Penultima!" (the second to last). I'm kind of feeling that way about the hospital. I came in on Wednesday for "a few hours of monitoring" and ended up being admitted "for 24 hours". Then all hell broke loose and I landed myself on

Comments

[childlight]

OH my goodness. You would think they would realize you have been doing this on you own at home long enough to know what you are talking about.

[estherchaya]

You *would* think that, wouldn't you? And yet, no one seems to get that I've had the PICC line since October, so obviously I know what I'm talking about and can manage my own infusions. They also don't get that my husband is a pharmacist who keeps me well informed of current medical standards and hospital protocols.

[magid]

O. M. G.
*waves hands in frustration*

You know your body! I hate it when that's ignored. (I mean, you really know what you need, you can talk about specifics that go right by me, and I'd've thought that would be enough, talking the talk, to get appropriate care.)

[estherchaya]

Yeah, it was... frustrating to say the least.

[marag]

::headdesk:: Oh good grief. You have a much more complicated case than I had, so apparently you've taxed some very small brains past their capacity.

And I hate to tell you this, but the antepartum nurses are (mostly) *smarter* than the postpartum nurses!

[estherchaya]

Postpartum nurses are notoriously awful at most hospitals. I think at Shady Grove, though, they don't have dedicated nurses to Antepartum, L&D, or Postpartum - they mostly rotate in and out of each unit. There was at least one nurse who I had that was specifically antepartum (that's what her badge said). Shockingly (not), she was the best nurse I had.

[mortuus]

Ugh! I'd be strangling people!

But I'm glad you finally get to go home.

[estherchaya]

I was really frustrated, that's for sure. The thing is that every time a stupid mistake got made, it was sort of, "Okay, that wasn't good, but it's just human nature - no one is perfect." But by the end of the day yesterday when there had been nothing but "excusable mistakes" (and a few inexcusable ones) - totaling it all up made it clear that the care I got was not only inadequate, it wasn't safe.

[real_bethy]

How frustrating to not be heard - especially when you feel so sick. I'm glad that you finally get to go home.

[estherchaya]

I'm glad I got to go home also - though I feel dreadful, it's good to see my kids and have my own bed.