Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Epilepsy Update

Scherie went into surgery  a week ago Friday. 
That night she went back in to fix a leak.
She was discharged on Tuesday and friends came to watch her while I went to work.
She appeared to be getting "not better" as opposed to "worse".
Friday night I took her temp and she was at 102.
I called the hospital three times and after two hours I was finally called by a doctor who said I could bring her in or not, my call.
Scherie felt like she didn't want to move.

That night, I got her out of bed and took her to the ER.
Every tar strip and manhole cover we drove over evinced a yelp of pain.
They did not find a temperature above 98.6, but admitted her.
After all night in that room, the next afternoon they got her a room.

A nurse brought her a sandwich and she had half.
When we went up to her new room, we took the half a sandwich.
While I was trying to help Scherie move in the bed slowly, two nurses came in and gently moved me aside as they said "We can do this."
That's when they each grabbed the sheet she was on and 1,2,3 jerked her higher up in the bed.
I did not hit them. I lost my "Christian" composure and told them in a very loud voice what I thought of them and the hospital. They both fled.
A short time later security came to talk to me.
I told them they weren't removing me until I talked to the ombudsman.
The young woman was pleasant enough and asked what the problem was.
I told her.

She said she'd notify the ombudsman.
I apologized to her for my outburst but that I still had a problem with the hospital. She said she understood and thanked me for the apology.
I later apologized to the nurses.

We kept asking when she could eat and were told "after the doctor saw her".
The doctor saw her at 9:10 pm, ten minutes after the kitchen closed.
She ate the other half.


Sunday, I did some stuff around the house to get the place ready for her sister coming to stay. 

When I got to the hospital room, the woman in the next bed had 6 adult and two (shreaking) toddler visitors. And they stayed past 10pm.

I complained to the staff, and although they kept saying they understood and would tell them they have to go, they didn't.
At 10pm a nurse went to tel them they had to leave, and a young "lady" said, "I'm spendin' the night wif my momma!".
She was told only one adult could stay.
She said, "My baby is staying with me an her grammy".


I said good night to Scherie and went down the hall.
I found the unit head and read her the riot act.
What were all these posters on the wall asking for quiet for recuperation when she knew exactly what was going on in the room?
This isn't a neighborhood dispute, this is a medical emergency.
I told her off and I left.
Scherie called a short while later and said she was in a private room.


I visited her there last night and she looked rough.
I talked to her and got her to sit up. Her dinner came, and I helped her to fix and eat it.
She started looking better but was in a lot of pain.


A doctor (one I liked) came in and explained that they didn't want to mask her symptoms with pain-killers so they could observe her faculties.
She was on Tylenol! With the occasional Vicodin.
He said that he was concerned and wanted to move her into ICU for more intense observation.
I told him my concerns about the staff and he looked appalled and suggested that I file a formal complaint.

They took her to ICU and I left her there around midnight.
Got up at 4:30 to be at work by 6am for a major product launch of which I was a key player.

Our friend Bonnie called me and offered to cook us dinner. I suggested that she call Scherie instead and give her some conversation.

Scherie's sister flew in to stay with us and I picked her up on my way home from work.
We drove to the hospital.
Our friend Bonnie was there, visiting.
Scherie has a bandage wrapped around her head like that guy playing the fife in the Revolutionary War painting.
Her scalp had been puffing out around her incision and she said this morning it was even larger. The doctors lanced it and a lot of fluid (not infection) was drawn. This relieved the pressure on her head and the pain tremendously.
She has 47 staples in a cross like pattern holding her scalp closed.

Bonnie had obviously worn her out visiting her and she wanted to sleep, so we left.
She looks a lot better.
And she was thrilled to see her sister.

8 comments:

  1. You had every right to blow up. The "sheet manuever" can be executed without some crazed throwing of a patient, these nurses obviously didn't know how to do it correctly.

    Nothing is like watching your loved one not being treated with respect and basic human decency in the hands of medical personnel. You should be filing the complaint.

    I'm hoping things get much better very soon. I'll keep you both in my prayers.

    God Bless.

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  2. I'll say some prayers. Pain sucks and constant pain sucks worse.

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  3. Thoughts and prayers will continue for both of you.

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  4. What NFO said.



    Fred / Rae Rae / whatever

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  6. Just letting you know that your updates have left me steaming on your behalf. The good news is that there are still some good health workers nearby to help Scherie get some relief from the ineptitude and callousness of the others. And there's you who knows the difference and can seek it.

    So the next time you feel an inkling to blow up, remember that Scherie can't afford to lose your oversight. ASAP blow off your angst here and we'll help you dissipate it.

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  7. Updates are appreciated and perhaps beneficial as a vent.

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  8. Gad, it's been this long since I've come to see what's up? For a while, I'd check and you'd not updated on Scherie and I'm so sorry I'd given up!
    WHAT A STORY and what a wonderful husband and support you are to her. My Mr. Z would have done the same thing and it almost brought tears to my eyes reading your story.

    So, it's been some days now, how is she doing??? I SO hope she's out of pain now! God bless you both.

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