Alright. So Justin left Sacred Heart after our argument - not my first choice of action....but we're rolling with the punches. He's done a lot of research on small bowel resections, and he's talked A LOT with the folks on the Crohn's forum and it seems to be a general consensus that he didn't really need to stay over night. He's in pain, and he's going to continue to be in pain for a long time. The running trend with small bowel resections was about 6-8 months on pain pills. In fact, some folks even exceeded a year. So that's something we want to work on.
In the mean time, he was feeling really bad and wanted to see if he could explain the situation to the local ER (Sacred Heart is 45 min away) and see if they would give him 3 days worth of pills, and then on Monday we can see our PCP. (FINALLY HAVE ONE!)
So we go to the local ER - Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. WORST EXPERIENCE OF OUR LIVES.
We were there for 5 hours, he got two shots of pain meds that did NOTHING for him, they could not get an IV done to save their damn lives, and their attitudes were DISGUSTING. I heard the doctor tell a patient next to us everything short of "shut up" when the patient complained that he was in a lot of pain. The one IV they got in him was not dated or signed, and was such a terrible jab that the two shots they gave him blew the vein.
So they poked him again (in total I think he was stuck 5 times. That's once an hour!) but this time, they did it by the outer bone of his elbow, and hit a nerve. His arm went CRAZY and they left it hanging in there. He hit the nurse call button after about 10 minutes of arm flailing, and told them something was wrong with it.
An hour and a half later (oh, I sh*t you not!) NO ONE. HE PULLED IT OUT HIMSELF. >.< Then he clicks the button again, to ask for something for pain. It dings for a solid 5 minutes before anyone answers, and we wait another 45 minutes....
At this point, he's pissed. We've been nothing but compliant and nice, and we've been completely ignored. He's done with it, and says "lets go" *I* disconnected the IV, and he put on his coat and we walked out the 3 doors it takes to get outside. Guess how many people sat at the nurses station and watched us walk out!
FIVE! ONE OF THEM WAS ONE OF THE DOCTORS.
Was the ER busy? No. Not at all. Matter of fact, when we got there we were with 3 other people. That's it! When we left, there was maybe 5. Two of whom were asleep! There were more nurses than I could count!
I am absolutely LIVID. Everyone spoke to us in an incredibly condescending manner, as if we were children. I thought maybe it was because of our age, but then I listened to them talk to *every* other patient that came through in the same exact way.
I don't know if I should write to the hospital, or the newspaper. I can't even see straight right now.
oh honey, I am so very sorry. They should have never treated you like that. I would call the patient advocates office in Florida, and report all...even report what you overheard.
I am so very sorry and hope Justin will be ok. I hope you can call your GP on call and get the pain meds. Gosh, what a disgrace.
Take care of each other. Watch him for infection. Get a good themometer.
Yeah, he's on antibiotics too. I mean, this is essentially what Sacred Heart told him, but they wanted to keep him. He just wasn't up for yet ANOTHER night in the hospital. Plus everything we were going through. I must admit I feel guilty about that part now. He probably could have used 24hrs of pain meds and fluids. What's it going to hurt, right? My other thought is to take him to the urgent care clinic tomorrow. We'll see. I mean, he's functional, he's just in pain. And with all he's been through, he shouldn't have to be in any pain right now. It's not going to help his healing process.Well Katie, I know from personal experiences how horrifying it is to go through something like that, so I decided to complain finally.
I went to Tallahassee to file my complaint in person against a hospital and about 5 doctors in SWFL, with all my backup paperwork and guess what? The Dept of Public Health is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC since 9/11! I had to call an 800#. Which I did, and was told an investigator would call me.
Three days later I got a form letter in the mail saying they would not look into the claim for lack of evidence AND a voice mail saying that they wouldn't investigate X Hospital, but I had mentioned Y Hospital (which was the good hospital), and to please call and they would do that one. Flor-e-duh, corrupt, worthless. I am so sorry you and Justin went through that experience - I did too, let's see, about five times now. Morons. Cathy
Wow, Katie, Cathy too. That's shocking. Wonder who the unfortunate soul is who will be seriously damaged by their lack of care.
I like the idea of writing to the paper. Bad publicity is often the catalyist for change.
Katie, Call the local television station! People need to hear about this. Damnit, damnit, damnit. I'm mad. And you know this has got to have happened to lots of people before you. Lots of people. We have someone on our local news station, some kind of advocate, who looks into all kinds of complaints. Maybe there is someone up there who does the same?
I feel so bad for Justin. I just don't know what's happened to people anymore. Where's the compassion? Too many people are getting into the wrong line of work, that's for sure.
So sorry about the way you guys where treated, But Justin did the wrong thing by leaving the hospital, one more night wouldn't have hurt him. He most likely would have gotten the pain meds he needed. I know because my husband has done it in the pass. and he was in a lot of pain. I have gotten upset and throw fits as my husband puts it. We need to do as we're told when we go to the hospital unless we are sure. The Er don't like to hand out pain meds at least around here, because they have drugie that will cut or hit them selves and then go to ER for pills. and if you have already disagree with another health place about pain, they don't want to treat you. The way they treated you is disgusting no matter what. When it happens to me I get so mad I cry, look out, I have no control, the hole place hears about it, They bring who ever I want to talk to just to shut me up.......then I an the one that looks like a fool. I sure hope Justin fines relieve soon.((((((((((((KATIE)))))))))))))))
That was your big mama's hug
Sorry things were terrible at the other er, unfortunately that happens, just make Justin take it easy and you too xoxoxox meme
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