being pro-active x-post

[Guest guest]

Well, today I called Wood County Hospital to let them know my preferences.

By being on these lists, someone said you can ask for the bariatric bed and

that way you get a larger bed, so get a single room for the double room

price. I also saw a post on the DS Ohio list where someone got put on the

other floor, not the bariatric floor, so I wanted to ask for both.

So - I called admitting - asked above questions, they didn't know who to let

me talk to, so let me talk to the head nurse or something like that. Got

this guy, told him I was scheduled for surgery 12/18 with Dr. Hess and wanted

the bariatric bed. He said what kind of surgery was I getting - I told him

bariatric. Then he said the bed was " weight specific " so if someone weighed

250, they would not get the bed. So I said, ok, so you are saying it depends

on how many people are there and who is heaviest, the heavier person gets the

bed, right? and he said yes.

When I told him about wanting to be on the bariatric floor, he said that is

what is so good about Wood County Hospital, the nurses are all able to deal

with bariatric patients, those on the regular surgical floor and those on the

bariatric floor. I told him I was on lists on the internet and I had read

from someone who was on the other floor that they didn't feel they got the

caring compassionate treatment that others on the bariatric floor got. He

said I could let Dr. Hess know my wishes and he could make sure I got them

taken care of. He said he didn't know if a difference. I said " well, I DO,

and I am the patient, and I am trying to be pro-active here. " I told him Dr.

Hess is out of town and hard to get ahold of and couldn't he just put my

request in my records? ONLY then did he say that he was a " substitute head

nurse " for the day.

CHEESH. This really gets me mad. I am trying to cover all my bases and I am

dealing with this guy who is telling me I really don't know what I am talking

about and then he finally admits HE doesn't really know what he is talking

about. He finally said he would give my request to some other head nurse or

some such.

Now, I feel like I should make sure Dr. Hess' office knows, and face the

wrath of that office for being a " trouble maker " AGAIN or call back and try

to talk to someone at Wood County tomorrow or in a few days.

What should I do?

What would you do?

What did those of you who had Dr. Hess do?

Why am I looked upon as being a pain in the a** just cause I want to be sure

I am getting the care I want? I know that this is going to be traumatic for

me and I want to make it as easy on me as possible!!

Also - how should I handle notifying my boss of the time off I need? Should I

just tell him I need surgery? (I am not going to go into detail as to the

type) or ask for a letter from Dr. Hess' office (again being a pain in the

a** to them?)

Carole