My LIVING NIGHTMARE at the hospital on October 29, 2008
I have written here in DETAIL, to the best of my memory and knowledge, what happened to me yesterday. I ask you to please tell me what you would have done, had you been in my shoes yesterday.
Norma had me at the hospital by 10:30 A.M. yesterday for the operation. The date was for Nov. 1 at 5 A.M., but they later changed it to Oct. 29 at 10 A.M, then it was changed to Oct. 29 at 7 A.M., then it was changed to Oct. 29 at 11 A.M.
Let me explain that I started of with Doctor Joe Blow, but somehow ended up with Doctor Do Little, who I suppose is Doctor Joe Blow's associate or whatever. I don't understand why these doctors had me go to their office two times to have me leave a urine sample and to state a couple of words. I do know that my insurance was charged for these two visits, and for the urine samples. I feel that one appointment and NO urine sample would have sufficed, since I had already been given all the tests at this other place that I was sent to a week before.
This is NOT me, but this is exactly the way my arm looked like yesterday.
Norma had me at the hospital promptly at 10:30 A.M. Then at 11 A.M. I was taken into this room full of nurses, and little hard beds with different patients being prepared for surgery by their own doctor. Each little compartment had a curtain that was connected to the ceiling with tiny chains so they could be opened and closed. I was lead to the far corner and told to take off all my clothes and put on the little robe with the back part opened. A nurse then came and she put IV into my veins, and a bag of (suero) I don't know what you call it in English, but it's a liquid that is slowly dripped into your body through the IV.
First let me say that all the nurses behaved in a most professional manner, and were very nice to me and everyone else. I have nothing but good things to say about the hospital itself.
After the IV, I was left to wait for the doctor to have me wheeled in for surgery. I was wheeled to another room for some more x-rays. I have no idea why this would be done again, since I had already been x-rayed at this other place a few days before. I was then taken back to my little compartment where Norma was waiting for me. We chit chatted a little while, then I told her to go back to work, and I'd have them call her when I was ready to be taken home. She said no, that she would wait in the waiting room for me. I tell you, I am so blessed to have 3 great girl friends, and a great boss!
I lay there in a hard bed with a sheet and a blanket and waited. I waited one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, and five hours. On the 6th hour, I ask a nurse if I had been forgotten. Note: by this time, all the nurses were different nurses since so many hours had passed, except for one elderly nurse who was still there since I had first arrived. When I asked if I had been forgotten, the nurse rushed to check my file and I suppose she went to my Doctor Do Little, because he came to me immediately and started saying some cock and bull about what was going to be done to me. I listened patiently and like a little lady. He then left. Norma was with me by this time in the little compartment. Let me say that since the moment I was taken into this room, I can't count the many different times I saw BRAND NEW patient faces, since all were being promptly rolled into the surgery room so their own doctor could perform surgery.
It was now the SEVENTH hour of waiting. Norma started making little small talk to calm me down, because I was now SERIOUSLY going insane. I hadn't had anything to drink or eat since before midnight. I started hallucinating when I saw this little hospital bowl that is used for medication and in my eyes it looked like a bowl of Egg Drop Soup, which is what I always order when I go to my favorite Chinese Restaurant.
Suddenly and without warning, I EXPLODED!!! I started yelling at the top of my lungs that I was going to get the hell out of there. I grabbed the needle concoction stuck to my arm and started pulling. The nurses ran to me and started taking it off, and telling me that they TOTALLY understood. I pulled the damn nightgown with the rear end opened, and put on my dress. I didn't bother putting on my bra and DRAWERS. The elderly nurse whispered to me to wait because she was going to give me some papers, but to please not ever say she had given them to me. I started yelling that that doctor had ABUSED me by having me wait for SEVEN damn hours that it was IN HUMANE!! I also yelled that my insurance company BETTER not be charged one penny, and that I was going to call them and tell them exactly what had happened to me. Norma and I walked out towards the elevator, when Doctor DO LITTLE ran up to me, and tried to hold me back, by telling me to calm down; to talk to him. I yelled at him to stay the hell away from me, because I was a hairline from INSANITY because of the INHUMANE shit he had made me go through. I saw FEAR in this doctor’s face, and he still had the audacity to tell me to call him. I told him to go to HELL, and then Norma and I got into the elevator. She took me to Furr's Cafeteria where I grabbed a salad, roll and a huge glass of water, and a glass of diet soda. I gobbled and drank like an animal. Since I'm a diabetic, I have no idea how I was doing.
The moment Norma and I stepped outside to get to her car, I raised my arms out with joy at being FREE again, after spending SEVEN hours of my life as a prisoner!! Another thing, Norma found out that I was still going to wait another TWO hours, which would have made the entire time of WAITING - NINE HOURS until I finally had my surgery.
I'm going to have to start all over again, and find another doctor to operate on me!!
Please "MY FRIENDS" (I'm starting to sound like McCain, huh?! I ask whoever is reading this, did I over-react? Again I ask you: Had this happened to you, how would you have reacted? Have you ever heard of anyone waiting so many hours before being rolled into surgery? Why did this doctor do this to me? I have an insurance the pays 100% for everything. Was it to make more money for the hospital and him? I honestly don’t understand.
Let me also say, that I NEVER saw Dr. Do Little until I started my little nervous breakdown!
What I have written here is EXACTLY what happened to me yesterday! I couldn't go to sleep last night from the rage I was still feeling! Right now, I'm at home, feeling worse (mentally) than if I'd had actually had the operation I was SUPPOSED to have had yesterday RECOUPERATING.
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Comments
I've waited in many hospitals and ER's, but never that long. Hospitals all have "Patient Advocates" that are on staff...but don't work for the hospital. They're supposed to keep things like this from happeninmg.
It all comes down to $$$$$$.
I suggest shopping for a doctor before going into any surgery. Do some research on them.
If you do not have an atty. contact the local BAR they should have a referral service. Talk to an atty and see what your options are. You should be compensated for their fuck-up. Give then a copy of the papers the nurse gave you, but NOT the originals.
You might also want to contact the local media and let them know what happened also. There are always hotdogs that want to do stories like yours.
And yes definately let your Insurance Compant in on whatthey did, ALSO tell them about the duplication of tests and Xrays that were done. Hopefully they will refuse to pay them.
You did GOOD! Dont think that you didn't!~!
Truly, I hate to hear stories like this, in particular when it's someone I know. I've had it happen to me as well. It's a sad statement on healthcare when they're so "busy" they can't get patients efficiently through a procedure but are happy to bill insurance ten times what they did a decade ago.
One more justification for nationalized healthcare.
I can't help but think he tried to screw my insurance by having me go to his office two more times after times, plus getting samples for the lab again. I told my insurance company not to pay him because he gave me zero service.
Thank you Sweet Pie!
*love and hugs*
*sob*
I would certainly write a letter to the hospital and demand an explanation, and copy the doctor (or vice versa).
It is unbelieveable to be kept waiting that long with out an explanation and without being given some choices.
By all means, change doctors and explain to your new doctor why you are changing doctors.
Personally, I would have left after 2 hours if not given an explanation that satisfied me.
I'd rather die than go to him again!
Thank you!
Thank you Sweet Pie!
And now let me throw this in here, some food for thought: if Barack Obama gets his way with universal health coverage, how much longer do you suppose the wait will be?
For Obama, I'll either wait an eternity for medical attention, or study to be a brain surgeon! :o)
Seriously, I grow to love that man more and more. He's everything I've always wanted in a man since I was a little girl. He's a loving husband and father, not to mention brilliant and as cool as a cucumber.
Your case is perfectly in line with that; you hadn't had food or drink in quite some time, and that had everything to do with the degree of your reaction. I have a feeling that had you been permitted to eat and drink, you'd have merely been angry and asked a nurse to remove the IV instead of the more hands on approach that you wound up taking. Perhaps modesty would have also entered into play with respect to your undergarments?
I like the quote: "Civilization is three meals away from revolution."
Then there are the horror stories about the NHS. People in England tend to accept some of the poor performance, mostly because they have to. Under the current US system, there's a way to remedy the situation, whether through litigation or by finding another provider. In the UK, your options are far more limited.
It's a lot of give-and-take with whichever system you go with. I prefer the current system because the wait time for a procedure (one not requiring particular parts that may or may not be available) is, at most, several months. Under a universal system, procedures may take years to happen.
I also spoke at length with a friend's wife, who is a Canadian doctor who worked in a US hospital, before going up to . The personal stories she told make me both angry, and wary of ever setting foot in a US hospital.
As for the waiting times - that's a matter of how well the system is funded. Yes, it's an issue, especially for "elective" surgery (i.e. not regarded as a life-threatening) but it mostly works well.
From what I've heard of NHS, it's proof that there is no such absolute truth as "universal health care is always good" - but I don't claim to know much about NHS.
EDIT: Southeast? Crap. Southwest. I really should get some rest.
Edited at 2008-11-07 05:53 am (UTC)
There are better models.
So for you to have to wait that long, you had a right to be angry. After hour one or two, I'd start asking questions and demanding to speak to someone who could confirm the time my surgery would be, and to hold them to it, lest I get belligerent, and no, you're not going to sedate me without checking into the hospital yourself. It's also surprising that the nurses were confused or didn't offer you water/food/whatever (then again, pre surgery food/water is often a no-no) but I've found that yelling at hospital staff was the only way to get action and get things corrected. Sad but true.
Additionally, I'd watch and work with the insurance co. closely to ensure they don't screw you on this visit. Also, if you go back, demand up front the time that you'll wait, surgery, discharge, etc. and hold them to it.
I pray all is now well with your kidneys Sweet Pie!
During the early part of that he had to leave work for an appointment. He left at 10:00. He came back at 13:00. That was earlier than planned so I asked him about it. He said that his appointment was at 10:30. At 12:30 he got up to leave and the receptionist asked him where he was going. He said, "Back to work. I don't have time to sit around here wasting time doing nothing."
So I think you were VERY patient and in fact you should have left earlier than you did.
I don't understand why these doctors feel they have the right to have you waiting for their help for hours.
My dad also has prostrate cancer. The doctor who performed the surgery is the rudest egotistical man I've ever encountered. Every 6 months that I take him to that man, dad begs me wait outside in front of the building, because he's afraid I'll tell the horrible man off.
Thank you!
It may be that these doctors get this way as a defense mechanism. A way to deal with their failures, considering the stakes.
That or it just takes egotistical asshole control-freaks to get all the way through medical school and out into practice.
Hope you get better
Thank you!
How happy are you that Obama won?
May the Lord give him the strength and wisdom to bring this country back to health!
I once had a DR who was going to cut my leg off because there was "no other option"......obviously there was another option because another DR saved my leg....
Fuck doctors....
I've shared some stuff about this doctor in a recent post. I suddenly feel I should cancel. I don't think I trust doctors anymore.
Gracias amigo querido!
I probably would not have waited as long as you did. "A" type that I am I would have started to raise hell much sooner. I think you did the right thing. Make sure your ins does not pay. Next find a doctor that is worth a shit and I guess start over.
Your hospital situation sounds deplorable, but you are stuck with it.
I will continue to pray for you.
I'm really all confused now. Read my new entry about this doctor.
Thank you Ron!
Take a nurse with you. They know how to play the angles in the hospital.
That and the doctor who ordered it was the Head of Medicine, not another doctor by the same name, so that got some strings pulling.
I know that somewhere there is a site where you can look up a doctor's credentials and see how good/reliable/attractive they are (depending on why you're looking them up). I can't remember what it was, but I know my wife has used it several times in the past. If I can get her to tell me what it is, I'll let you know. That way, you can find a more reliable surgeon at that hospital to cure what ails ye.
I've made a new post about this situation with that doctor. Is he really concerned about my well-being, or is he afraid of something. I'm starting to wonder.
I hope you can get get that thing about doctor's credentials. It's a bit too late for me now, because I have to get this surgery as soon as possible, but I'm sure I can share it with friends and family members, should they need to find a good doctor.
Thank you so much!
I'll be interested to hear whether they charge your insurance.