Re: Greetings from the other side.....

[Guest guest]

Hospitals, hospitals! I just wish everyone could have the good and

helpful care that I received in mine.

I hope that you will write a letter, with a copy to your surgeon, to

the superintendent of nursing, telling them exactly what happened

about the nurses and the loudspeaker, and the guy with the telephone

call. There is just no excuse for that -- especially with what

hospitals charge these days. The nursing staff should know, I think,

when they have a patient with problems speaking, and respond

accordingly.

I have heard tales before about these problems -- and even nurses who

showed up all ready and eager to take an oral temperature for a wired

patient! The worst I ever heard was about the nurse who somehow

became confused, and used heat when she was supposed to use ice packs.

of course, I have also had some strange encounters with the nursing

profession. Just after a friend had a feeding tube installed, the

young nurse who was explaining how to care for it kept twiddling and

fiddling with it. Clearly the patient was in pain, every time the

nurse jiggled it.

Finally I said, " Can't you see that's painful? Why are you moving the

tube about so? "

" Oh, I just like to have something to do with my hands while I'm

talking, " was the incredible reply.

Most nurses, thank heavens, are better than that -- but I'm sorry

yours weren't.

Cammie

>

> I just got back from the hospital from my upper and lower surgery.

> Ouch!!!!

> I'm swallen and drooly, and eating is much harder than I thought.

But

> percocet helps .

> The surgery went very well according to the surgeons, everything

went

> right in place, and it also took shorter than 6 hours that they were

> planning (4.5 instead). I'm neither wired no banded though - the

> surgeon said he'll band me couple of days later. Eating is more

> difficult than what I thought it was going to be - I feel a lot of

> pressure when I try to swallow. I slept pretty well at night thanks

> to the drugs, but turns out I had to ask for pain meds - they were

not

> automatically given. Also, every time I ran up a nurse, they kept

> coming over the loudspeaker asking me what I wanted - I just had jaw

> surgery and couldn't really speak! The phone call from a guy trying

> to verify my patient information wasn't very helpful either. I'm

numb

> in my chin, but in other areas I'm having " pins and needles "

feeling -

> which is a good sign.

> I'm going to go rest, but feel free to ask me any questions.

>

> Irene.

[Guest guest]

Hi Cammie,

Yes, it was even kinda funny every time. I called them approximately

every 3-4 hours to get new ice packs, and every time it went something

like this:

" Yes, hon? "

" MMMMMMMMMMM "

" What is it, hon? "

" MMMMMMMM "

" yes, your nurse is coming "

AAAAA!!!!

BTW, is it normal to feel so much pressure when swallowing? It feels

so weird to eat.

> >

> > I just got back from the hospital from my upper and lower surgery.

> > Ouch!!!!

> > I'm swallen and drooly, and eating is much harder than I thought.

> But

> > percocet helps .

> > The surgery went very well according to the surgeons, everything

> went

> > right in place, and it also took shorter than 6 hours that they were

> > planning (4.5 instead). I'm neither wired no banded though - the

> > surgeon said he'll band me couple of days later. Eating is more

> > difficult than what I thought it was going to be - I feel a lot of

> > pressure when I try to swallow. I slept pretty well at night thanks

> > to the drugs, but turns out I had to ask for pain meds - they were

> not

> > automatically given. Also, every time I ran up a nurse, they kept

> > coming over the loudspeaker asking me what I wanted - I just had jaw

> > surgery and couldn't really speak! The phone call from a guy trying

> > to verify my patient information wasn't very helpful either. I'm

> numb

> > in my chin, but in other areas I'm having " pins and needles "

> feeling -

> > which is a good sign.

> > I'm going to go rest, but feel free to ask me any questions.

> >

> > Irene.