.
.
(For the hospital staff who cared for my daughter)...
Good Morning;
I have a few questions for you.
On March 8th, 2008, in the very early morning, Casey was admitted to your hospital, experiencing yet another flare~up of pancreatitis.
She was discharged over a full week later, on March 16th.
During the course of these 8+ days, she was told to eat as tolerated.
She was then told not to eat.
She was then told to eat anything but fats.
She was then told to eat only a liquid diet, but then added starches.
She was treated for her #10 pain.
First by IV, then by pill.
(Not a problem until you take into consideration all of the nausea she was experiencing).
Her nausea was treated like her pain.
First by IV, then by pill.
Then by nothing. ?!?!?
She infiltrated ALL of her IV's.
No surprise there, as she is 21, so she MUST receive an adult sized IV, right? (These, even AFTER she requested pediatric IV's).
*Note to you all...
Over the course of the past two and a half+ years, she has had over a dozen surgeries, and literally 100's of IV's.
So too it should come as no surprise to anyone that SHE KNOWS WHAT WORKS, and what does not.
(But your nurses knew better)!
CaseyAnne is allergic to any tape, save for tagaderm.
(Here again, she actually KNOWS what works, and what does not).
Paper tape and plastic, hypo~allergenic, and all the others, only leave her covered with hives...
(Again, your nurses knew better)!
I watched, twice, as your nurses actually ARGUED with Casey, telling her that NOBODY was allergic to these tapes.
WTH?
Wrong.
(And THOSE were only the times that I was in attendance)...
Please do not even get me started on that suppository again.
(CLICK for that story).
You have once again treated her symptoms.
(Nothing special there, folks).
Should the truth must be known, what she really needs is for someone to actually treat her illness, her failing pancreas.
(And in this day and age, I do not feel this is too much to ask of our advanced medical profession)!
I do not believe it is too much to ask for a call back from Froedtert either.
- For your doctors... (Did they/he even call)?
- For my daughter. (She has called for the past few months).
- Or for myself. (I am almost positive they do NOT want MY call today). Trust me on that.
Furthermore, I do not believe that it was too much to ask for a DOCTOR to have signed her discharge papers yesterday?
How very odd that these were signed only by a nurse)?!?
I truly must get out from under my rock.
Oddly enough, she was released LESS THAN 24 HOURS after experiencing crushing chest pain, an inability to breathe, and we all watched as her entire body shook and trembled for the better part of an hour.
She was given lovenox for any possible blood clot, and also given atavan.
(Not sure of the atavan, as I have only heard of it on "House").
Will have to look it up. Probably was for the seizure and the tremors.
Thankfully, her chest CT was negative for clots.
So, what of this terrible pain in her chest?
Did she miraculously recover overnight?
(Because according to her, it still hurts on and off, and she told you this before she was discharged).
What of the FACT that her heart rate has been 110+bpm for the past three+ weeks, and soaring over 200bpm many times, even at rest???
And why do medical personnel, nurses and doctors alike, brush this off as "medically~insignificant" ?
And if you, as her first line of treatment, have NOT listened to her, how the effing hell can we expect someone else to?
- Yes, she is home.
Yes, she is in pain.
Yes, she is taking your meds as prescribed.
(And yes, I will be making those phone calls)...
________
On the bright side...
...Her homecoming made more than one person very happy...
.
.
It was he who spent each and every night in the chair at her side.
.
.
And Mister Sputty too!
.
.
Who was VERY happy to get her back scratched!
.
.
.
.
.
Love to all.
XOXO
Anne
Posted to my Y! 360 Monday March 17, 2008 - 06:50am (CDT) 5
I'm glad you opened your blog here at Multiply for comments. I spent way too long yesterday and the day before trying to get into your 360 page, and to comment. Comments took at least 3 tries, and then posted twice. GRRR!
ReplyDeleteI had a prescription for Atavan years ago. It is an anti-anxiety medication that is supposed to be non addicting. I stopped taking it after about three months as I had to keep taking more and more to achieve the same results. Yes, I felt I was becoming addicted at that point. What did my doctor's office do? They kept renewing the Rx twice as fast as what it was written for. At least I had enough common sense to just quit taking it.
The letter is great! Do you think it will do any good? Hospital administrators need to know about this or it will keep happening over and over. I think it's a good thing Casey is out of there, but she still needs care somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSweet RT
I do not even know if I will send it on.
Just had to get it all off my damned shoulders for now.
I am just so disheartened.
And I want to scream... But to do so would wake the kid, the dogs and piss off the neighbors (well, if I did it loud enough)...
Love to you
XOXO
Me
Wrong about the addictive part too:
ReplyDelete"Lorazepam (also known by its brand name Ativan or Temesta) is a benzodiazepine drug with short to medium duration of action.
It has all five intrinsic benzodiazepine effects: anxiolytic, sedative/hypnotic, amnesic, anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant, to different extents.[5]
It is a unique benzodiazepine insofar as it has also found use as an adjunct antiemetic in chemotherapy.
Since its introduction in 1971, lorazepam's principal use has been in treating the symptom of anxiety.
Among benzodiazepines, lorazepam has a relatively high addictive potential."
end quote
(Stolen from wikipedia)
More...
ReplyDelete"Clinical Example: Diazepam has long been a drug of choice for status epilepticus: its high lipid solubility means it gets absorbed with equal speed whether given intravenously, orally or rectally (non-intravenous routes being convenient in non-hospital settings).
But diazepam's high lipid solubility also means it does not remain in the vascular space but soon redistributes into other body tissues, and so it may be necessary to repeat diazepam doses to maintain anticonvulsant effects, resulting in excess body accumulation.
Lorazepam is the opposite case: its low lipid solubility makes it relatively slowly absorbed by any route other than intravenously, but once given it does not get significantly redistributed beyond the vascular space.
Therefore, lorazepam's anticonvulsant effects are more durable, reducing the need for repeated doses.
If a patient is known to usually stop convulsing after only one or two diazepam doses, diazepam may be preferable because sedative aftereffects will be less than if a single dose of lorazepam is given (diazepam anticonvulsant/sedative effects wear off after 15-30 minutes, but lorazepam effects last 12-24 hours).[31]
Prolonged sedative effects from lorazepam may however be an acceptable trade-off for its reliable duration of effects, particularly if the patient needs to be transferred to another facility.
Although lorazepam is not necessarily better than diazepam at initially terminating seizures,[32], lorazepam is replacing diazepam as the intravenous agent of choice in status epilepticus.[33][34] "
end quote...
I am so sorry you guys are going through this. Is there a different hospital she can go to?
ReplyDeleteSend that effin letter to the hospital administrator! Also do your best to make sure he/she is the first person to read it.
ReplyDeleteThere's no excuse for the treatment Casey has/hasn't been receiving.
I'm glad she's home, however she does need quality care and sooner rather than later.
OXOXOXOXOX
Donna
you go!
ReplyDeletehmmmm...thought I commented here....
ReplyDeletethe news that Casey was well enough to come home was one of the best gifts I got this weekend.
I sent you an e-mail on a related note....
Love
pea
I second or third the thought of sending this email to the hospital. They deserve an earful & if all you do is send this and not call they are damned lucky.
ReplyDeleteRemember the days long gone of the GP who actually knew something. So much for these so called "specialists". They can all go jump in the lake...And I'm being polite !
Love to you & Casey ! oxoxoxox
I too am glad you opened up here for comments.. I work so hard to comment on Yahoo.. and then half the time it doesnt take. Really frustrating...
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at the ineptness of that hospital staff. Luckily I do not have to go to the hospital often.. but when I do.. and when I am sick.. I have tiny veins that have to have a pediactric needle for the IV's, not to mention they go underground and are extremely difficult to find.
I can totally relate to the fact that they do like to admit that even adults may not have veins large enough to handle the needles that they use.
I really think you should copy that letter and send it to the Hospital Administrator. I dont know if he/she would read or even respond.. but I think it needs to be sent.. and please add the incident of the suppository. Stupid nurse.
I hope all went well today.. and maybe you were able to contact that other place.. Although I really think I would try someplace like the Mayo or as good.. if finances would allow it all. Maybe even a Shriner Hospital.. age might be an issue there but maybe not.. and they are free if they accept you. JT tells me that the Shriners also support a portion of the Mayo clinic.. Might be worth a shot anyways.
Sweet Tonya!
ReplyDeleteI have been trying, UNSUCCESSFULLY, to get her back to Froedtert.
(Hell, I cannot even get them to call me back)!!!!
And to be met today with Dr. Knox' voice message announcing he will be on vacation until the 24th.
I was ready to spit nails...
Then I recharged and made 4 more calls. Even got to speak with a "live" person a few times...
And of course I was promised a return call by the end of the day to get her in to see the surgeon, Dr. Dua...
I stayed off the phone, and off the computer.
The phone did not ring.
Sweet Donna!
I probably should send it on... But am more afraid then of the worse treatment she might receive if I need to bring her back in...
Quality care AND "fixing", this is what she needs.
Sweet Becca.
Maybe you should come up here and make a few calls too...
Sweet Pea;
I did get your note. (See my comment above to Tonya). He is off now til the 24th.
Will someone else get it now?
Sweet Nancy;
Tons of thanks for your love and support too.
I believe it is very common practice to treat the pain.
As I had responded in one of my other blogs:
"I believe that most doctors are actually afraid of pancreatic patients because of the vulnerabilities of the gland/organ itself. And how quickly it can be rendered completely useless.
They treat the pain until the current attack goes away.
And then hope to God it does not recur.
(Just that my little Casey surely is a stubborn one, isn't she)?
Sweet ConnieBeep!
Inept is a good and decent word.
(These 'good' words desert me when I get so angry and frustrated)...
I will have to go to the Shriners website... But it sure doesn't seem as though anyone will be going out of their way to help her out either.
But like you said, it is definitely worth a shot.
PS What, exactly are these "finances" you have spoken of???
Love to all!
XOXO
Me
ReplyDeleteAgain my apologies for being a bit terse.
I am overtired and upset.
Will try to nap for a while now.
XOXO
me
I dont think you were being terse. I didnt notice a growl or anything.. yet..
ReplyDeleteHows that head of yours?
Maybe it's just the way I feel...
ReplyDeleteI got a phone call from Froedtert today, but form an associate fo a medical assitant to a doctors assisant.
Not holding my breath.
So I did go to the Mayo site.
I typed up a long thing about this all, and when I finally pressed send I got a "Request Page Error". There was no way to back track or to have saved it first anyway. I tried just in case (360 taught me that much).
And my left hands finger and thumb have now stopped working.
eff Eff EFF
I just want to cry...
Donna is here with her shoulders and several boxes of tissues.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's NOT just the way you feel...it's the way Casey and you both have been treated.
OXOXOXOXOX
Finally, a smidgeon of good news....
ReplyDeleteCasey has an appointment on Friday...
Of next week.
With Duas Physician Assistant.
But better than no appointment at all.
I asked the man what she is to do in the meanwhile with no prescription etc.
His reply?
"I don't know."
>Insert HUGE sigh here<
Love to all!
XOXO
Me
Now insert lots of hugs back at ALL of you...
And a heart full of gratitude for all of your prayers too.
;-)
;-)
''I don't know?'' [insert profanity] A none answer but at least he was being honest.
ReplyDeleteThose who go into any part of the medical profession should NOT major in ''DUH!''
hugs
Donna
Gosh, I wish there was some other alternative for her for medical treatment to actually heal her instead of cover it up for a bit. I hope it all works out! Hugs and miss you!
ReplyDelete