Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 bruce, i am glad that we are able to be a help and support to you rather adding to and fueling the fire of insecurity and pain. Today is better, and tomorrow will be even more so. take care of yourself and we will all be thinking (praying) for you. debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 Peach, Every family has a naughty one and that must be my calling in life....can't figure that out....I was such a sweet and loving child.......good looking and even tempered too.......now look at me.........Ha....I will get to work compiling names and addresses as soon as I can.....I have to get off this blasted addictive computer so I can rest....leg cramps and stomach pains are locked in with a vengence and I may hit the wrong keys and swear.... Love to all of you.... Bruce Re: Unexpected Support > YEAH BRUCE....seriously if you have names and addresses of people we can > write please let us know. I will write and complain...after all it was guys > like you that fought for people like me. We are all glad that you are here > and you will never complain too much. you have a right to be heard and made > to feel comfortable. Welcome home, you are with family on this list. > > Thank you. Lacey > > > > At 03:08 PM 07/28/2000 -0700, you wrote: > >To the very dear people who have responded to my message yesterday or today > > > > > > > PANCREATITIS SUPPORT NETWORK > Online e-mail group > > To reply to this message hit " reply " or send an e-mail to: Pancreatitisegroups > > To subscribe to this e-mail group, simply send an e-mail to: Pancreatitis-subscribeegroups > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 YEAH BRUCE....seriously if you have names and addresses of people we can write please let us know. I will write and complain...after all it was guys like you that fought for people like me. We are all glad that you are here and you will never complain too much. you have a right to be heard and made to feel comfortable. Welcome home, you are with family on this list. Thank you. Lacey At 03:08 PM 07/28/2000 -0700, you wrote: >To the very dear people who have responded to my message yesterday or today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2000 Report Share Posted July 28, 2000 -- >I am not as bad off as mosst of you....and this is so new that I haven't had the years of frustration so for me to be so upset this early in the game is really scary to me...... Hi Bruce. It doesn't pay to compare yourself to anyone else. You were feeling bad & needed help. You shouldn't have to be at death's door to be treated like a human being; you should have been treated the way the staff at the VA hosp would want to be treated. >I did call the hospital back today and spoke with the Advice Nurse.....that's who they hook you up with and it is often an hour wait on hold.....today it was not. She connected me to the Patient Advocate Office and I was told that a six hour waiting time in the ER was not unreasonable.....and that a sinus infection was not an emergency and that I should remember that they are taking care of patients who are dying of heart attacks, bleeding to death etc........so that just tells me what I have to do to get seen Bruce, the Patient Advocate was both right & wrong. A 6 hour wait for a nonemergency problem sometimes is necessary if there are extreme emergencies occuring at the time. But....upon your arrival or in a short time you should have been given an assessment by a registered nurse who is trained to do triage, followed by a re-assessment at least every 2 hours. You were entitled to a courteous update on expected wait time & reasons for this. You should have been made more comfortable while waiting - tylenol for fever, juice, etc. >.......first of all......I did not know the diagnosis of my condition when I went in to the ER......my throat was almost swollen shut and I had great difficulty swallowing and talking plus shortness of breath.....I have had severe reactions to medication that have put me in intensive care several times....I have gone into shock and been completely paralyzed for 24 hours from reactions to medications........ Bruce, you didn't know exactly what was wrong, but neither did the ER staff without an exam. The breathing problem alone, but especially with diabetes, should have gotten you in to see the doctor pronto. For a diabetic, throat pressure & difficulty breathing can be a heart attack. A worsening allergic reaction was certainly a possibility. >........I often have jokingly made comments about going to the Vets Hospital referring to the Drs as Vets as in veterinarians not veterans......and when I was treated as an >animal, I felt that my jokes were somewhat prophetic........ You weren't treated like an animal. My dogs are treated much better than you were. Actually, I have said many times, I wish the dogs' vet was my doctor; he is very knowlegable & cares about his patients. (In fact, one vet has sent me all kinds of info on pancreatitis.) >Now........why did I go to the ER room for a sinus infection......? >Well, as I said....I did not know for sure what was wrong with me........Secondly.......when you call the hospital to find out what you are to do (and only during office hours of course) the advice nurse almost always tells you to go to the ER....so the ER gets everybody regardless of their problem and then the nurses take it out on the patients for coming to the ER for treatment when they may or may not have an actual medical emergency....... Have you read or seen " Catch 22 " ? >and lastly, but perhaps just as importantly as the actual medical treatment is the concept that regardless of the status in life, the medical condition, the emergency or non-emergency nature of the visit......I believe that each should be treated with some measure of human decency and respect.......and when that is violated, I think that grave and serious wounds are inflicted on the already ill and injured....... Amen. >....so we need to stick together to be heard. .....stand together and support one another? we also need to be heard by the health care providers and institutions who may need to be reminded of why they are there.........without us , they would be nothing......the people they treat pay for the food on their table and the roof over their head The civilian hospitals are very aware of this. There is a lot of competition & emphasis on " customer satisfaction " . The VA hospital you went to seems like it is stuck in a time warp. Is there a law against suing the VA hosp for medical malpractice? I can't imagine why else they ignore what the private sector considers standards of care. Hope you are feeling at least a little better tonight. jang --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2000 Report Share Posted July 29, 2000 In a message dated 7/28/00 6:29:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, orvus@... writes: << ...you can always delete me.......but the abuses and the rudeness will continue unless we can be strong enough to fight back........that is the choice. Bruce >> Hi Bruce, I know that you are at the bottom right now emotionally. I have been there many times and expect to be there again. Please don't give up Bruce. We all have been there not only with this disease but with other diseases and life itself. I had a bad childhood, abandoned by my father. Abused by grown men while I was a child. Gone through diseases that doctors didn't believe me. Been treated terribly by them. I have chronic hepatitis B, Chronic Pancreatitis, I had ovarian cancer. I am still fighting and I hope I will continue to fight. Please continue to fight. You sound like an intelligent, kind man. You certainly deserve better. There are nights when I go to bed and think that it cannot get any worse and have very little hope. Then the morning comes and things look a little brighter. Maybe not all the time but I do know that I am still here on this earth because of God and my determination to keep on fighting. A doctor once said to me that I should have been dead a long time ago. Sometimes I feel like letting go because I am so tired of this pain and suffering. But I make myself turn those thoughts around and make myself determined to fight. Sometimes my determination feels phony but I know I must be strong and keep fighting. That's the only way I can get through this. I am afraid that when I have surgery on my pancreas that I will not be cognizant enough to remember to fight. Boy, I am really revealing my inner self. This pain goes deep. I know that you all know that. This disease can break your spirit. But we have to fight back. Bruce talk to me anytime you feel like it. I know your pain and nothing you say will be anything shocking to me. Take care of yourself and know that we all care for you desperately. Shirley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2000 Report Share Posted July 29, 2000 Hi Shirley, Thanks for the support.......actually the support from people on this list are what got me through yesterday....I was really down from the trip to the ER and emotionally drained and when I expressed that, the messages started coming in to support me and encourage me........and I heard them loud and clear. It can make a difference. We have a wonderful support system in this list and Karyn is right on top of the needs and directions for getting the message of this disease out to others. We all can give you advise and suggestions on what you should do, but ultimately, you are the one who will deal with it in the manner that suits your style and nature........not everyone is comfortable with certain styles of dealing with problems........so if we make mistakes in telling you what to do, it is out of concern and just do what you can deal with in your way and time....just don't forget that we are here and that we do care. Bruce Re: Unexpected Support > In a message dated 7/28/00 6:29:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, orvus@... > writes: > > << ...you can always delete > me.......but the abuses and the rudeness will continue unless we can be > strong enough to fight back........that is the choice. > Bruce >> > > Hi Bruce, I know that you are at the bottom right now emotionally. I have > been there many times and expect to be there again. Please don't give up > Bruce. We all have been there not only with this disease but with other > diseases and life itself. I had a bad childhood, abandoned by my father. > Abused by grown men while I was a child. Gone through diseases that doctors > didn't believe me. Been treated terribly by them. I have chronic hepatitis > B, Chronic Pancreatitis, I had ovarian cancer. I am still fighting and I > hope I will continue to fight. Please continue to fight. You sound like an > intelligent, kind man. You certainly deserve better. There are nights when > I go to bed and think that it cannot get any worse and have very little hope. > Then the morning comes and things look a little brighter. Maybe not all the > time but I do know that I am still here on this earth because of God and my > determination to keep on fighting. A doctor once said to me that I should > have been dead a long time ago. Sometimes I feel like letting go because I > am so tired of this pain and suffering. But I make myself turn those > thoughts around and make myself determined to fight. Sometimes my > determination feels phony but I know I must be strong and keep fighting. > That's the only way I can get through this. I am afraid that when I have > surgery on my pancreas that I will not be cognizant enough to remember to > fight. Boy, I am really revealing my inner self. This pain goes deep. I > know that you all know that. This disease can break your spirit. But we > have to fight back. Bruce talk to me anytime you feel like it. I know your > pain and nothing you say will be anything shocking to me. Take care of > yourself and know that we all care for you desperately. Shirley > > > > PANCREATITIS SUPPORT NETWORK > Online e-mail group > > To reply to this message hit " reply " or send an e-mail to: Pancreatitisegroups > > To subscribe to this e-mail group, simply send an e-mail to: Pancreatitis-subscribeegroups > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.