What I've Learned About Being A Patient In The Hospital

The last few days have not been fun.  As a matter of fact it's been one of the most scary times of my life.  I had a pain in my leg.  I went to the doctor to get it checked out.  The doctor thought it was nothing but I asked her to humour me and do an ultrasound on it.  The next day my husband and I went for the ultrasound on my leg and when they were done the tech asked me to wait in the waiting room instead of sending me home while she called my doctor's office.  As soon as she said that I knew something was wrong.  I didn't let on to my husband what I suspected, so as not to scare him.  Within minutes the tech came back to me and said you must go to the hospital right away and handed me a CD with the results for the ER doctor to see.  They had found a clot in my lower leg.  I was freaking out inside but didn't let my husband know exactly how serious this actually was.  He still had to get me safely to the hospital and he is about as non-medical as can be.  We got to the hospital and reported to the triage nurse.  She took me in right away bypassing the busy waiting room right to the critical care area.  I think by this time my husband was starting to understand how serious this was.  They got me into a hospital gown and sent me for a CT scan of my lungs to make sure there was no clot there.  Thankfully the lungs were clear.  I passed out while they were trying to start an IV since my veins were so bad.  It hurt.  A lot!  Male nurse #1 was warned that he was working on someone with bad veins.  No problem he said.  I can find something.  He tried....no luck.  I started saying it's a little warm I need to lay down.  Male nurse # 2 got the IV started but as he was getting it secured nurse # 1 was actually keeping me from pitching forward in the chair onto the floor.  I'm sure it looked rather comical to anyone watching.  They finally got me onto a stretcher and a passing EMT dropping off another patent got me a pillow.

I lay on that stretcher for hours while they processed the blood results and did the CT scan and got results.  It just went on and on.  Finally they sent me home.  They gave me very little instructions on how to administer the drugs that we had to go and buy just as many of the pharmacies were closing.  Thankfully one pharmacist was kind enough to call around to other pharmacies to find the drugs I need in stock.

This brings me to something I learned....sometimes people will actually go out of their way to help you out when in need.

Something else I learned....while in the hospital the patient needs an advocate.  As time went on with nothing to eat or drink since breakfast and all of the stress, I lost the ability to remember all of the medical knowledge I learned in school.  It's helpful if the patient advocate actually has some medical  knowledge and is calm.

I also learned that being a patient is extremely stressful.  You know the saying that God gives us only as much as we can handle.  Well I am here to tell you that is 100% false.  I was totally overwhelmed. Even though I spent 18 years of my life working in the ER.  Not only did I have a clot in my leg, but my family doctor called my husband looking for me urgently.....one of the test results for my thyroid was dangerously high.  So here are two life threatening things going on in one body at the same time.  I was freaking out.

So when they sent me home with my medications and little to no instruction I had to figure out how to inject myself with the needle at 7 am. into my stomach no less.  It's one thing to give an injection to someone else, but try giving one to yourself.  You know it's going to hurt but you also know you have no choice.  Ya I have to admit I balled like a baby the first time and then got down to business.  I did a much better job at injecting myself than nurse #2 did.  He left a bruise the side of Texas on half my stomach.  Mine was the size of a penny.  Blood thinners make you bruise but his was just plain sloppy.

The next morning the relief came.....first off, right out of the gate, was home care.  It was the most welcome phone call I got all day.  Someone to help and plan how I would handle things.  This woman got me alcohol wipes and a sharps container and a nurse to come to the house for my next injection.  I was never so relieved to have help in my life.  I'm not one to ask for help.  This woman was gentle and kind and just what I needed when I needed it.  She taught me what I needed to know about giving myself the injections but offered to come back if I felt that I needed her.  They made a plan of attack and took charge.  I had started to feel very unwell while this nurse was at the house just after my injection....it turned out I was having an allergic reaction to my meds.  I was given an antihistamine and the doctor was called right away.  I had an appointment to see the outpatient clinic the very next morning.

The new doctor was amazing.  He and his resident actually listened to me and paid attention.  I wasn't rushed.  The doctor gave me new medications and actually told me what to do and how to take them.  It is now 7 hours after the appointment and I am just starting to feel somewhat better.  Thank goodness.  I still have a long road to recovery but I'm alive to tell my story.  Which brings me to the something else I learned......you know your own body.  If you disagree with your doctor speak up.  Insist on a test even if the doctor doesn't agree with you.  The thyroid test would never have been done if the doctor had gotten her way.  She told me that there is no need for a thyroid test.  Oh really?  My symptoms disagree.  Listen to your body. Speak up for yourself or let your patient advocate speak up for you if you need it.  Sometimes the doctor is wrong!