littlek on 29/3/2006 at 01:11
It is unfortunate that you had to deal with such poor health care. My father retired early as a M.D. stating that he could not practice medicine because of the interference of health insurance companies. He was rather defiant towards them and would get in trouble with the administrators all the time.
My husband's father died because of inept nurses. He had to go to the bathroom and kept calling the nurse to help him. They never would show up so he just got up to go and so he ripped out all the needles he was hooked up to. The nurse just reinserted them rather than replace them with sterilized needles and so he developed a severe bacterial infection. He was a WWII vet and in his delirious state, died fighting Japanese.
When I had to undergo abdominal surgery 3 years ago, my father hand picked the surgeon, hospital and the anesthesiologist. He also double checked everything the nurses did. So I had great care. But I had a vigilant doctor dad on my side.
You have to do just what you did - a family member must be there 24/7 if possible, they have to ask what the nurses are doing, learn the dosage, and just be very observant and insistent. My husband's father would still be alive had someone been there that final night of his hospital stay. But he was to be released the next morning. The nurse had given him too much morphine and so he was not in his right mind when he got out of bed.
kingofthenet on 29/3/2006 at 02:52
My sympathities Fett,
Unfortantely you are not alone, more and more people are having these problems, and as the baby boomers age, we are all going to have to become personal Nurse-practisioners to take care of our aging parents, because the quality of care/cost is getting crazy. I had the same problem caring for my dad, I don't know where you live but here in the U.S, things are outta control, The family was paying 250.00 dollars a day for rehab work, and of course when the insurance runs out, they become "magically cured" my dad couldn't walk and had problems swallowing, but they were like, take him home, we will arrange for a nurse a couple times a week, oh thanks alot...
As far as being younger, I have seen abuse there too, A friend of mine who is a top flight mechanic, and uses his hands to work, well he had an accident at work and amputated one of his fingers, the doc at the emergency room takes one look at his dirty coveralls and says, oh "expendiable digit" Now my friend is no pushover and he starts to scream at this Asshole to get a Fucking Microsurgeon, long story short because of his complaining we don't have to call him "stubby", but that shouldn't be allowed, no matter what amount of money something costs they should give all patients an option as to what "LEVEL" of care they want, not only the one they think you can afford.
As another example, I was involved in an auto accident,(in the truck with a drunk friend, but believe it or not it wasn't his fault) and we were hit by another car head on, well our truck didn't have air bags, and neither of us were wearing seatbelts, so I wound up kissing a metal bar across the dash, obviously some of my teeth didn't like this so they decided to move away, I didn't have any insurance because I was self employed, but I have a little cash, so I go to a Good dentist and started talking abount some expensive implant work, I said doc, I don't have insurance but if you can give me a good deal, I would seriously appreciate it, I can pay cash, you don't have any crazy forms to fill out and you don't have to wait...I was just looking for like 20-30% off of a 15,000 dollar deal, the doc looks at me like i'm a pant's crapping drunk, meanwhile he would do the same procedure for a person with insurance for a total of 7,000...WTF
I really think in the U.S. the insurance industry fucked up the entire system.
Jennie&Tim on 29/3/2006 at 03:55
fett, I'm sorry to hear things are so bad for your family. It's hard to see people so helpless, and no-one caring.
fett on 29/3/2006 at 05:00
Well, it appears that my mom raised such a stink that the CEO of the facility actually came down to my dad's room to discuss the problems with them. A nurse was written up (oh teh nos!) and they promised (4th time and counting) that things would change. I'd move him to a different rehab but his insurance is very picky (U.S. Mailhandlers...you can imagine...). I guess it's back to taking shifts so they don't inadvertantly kill him. At least his bladder didn't explode today, and he's coherent enough to call a family member when he can't get help from the staff - my brother lives fairly close. What a nightmare...
On the other front, the gastro-doc called (finally) about our son. Looks like they're going to have to do a scope/biopsy in a week or two. They'll have to put him under for the procedure and we can't be in the room. So I'll most likely be in a padded room somewhere.
Hopefully it'll have internet.
Aerothorn on 29/3/2006 at 05:42
While I fully sympathize with your situation...and that does seriously suck ass, and obviously there is irresponsibility going on...I'm kind of inclinced to say "hate the game, not the player"...it seems like a lot of this is simply symptoms of the countries broken health care system as opposed to isolated problems within themselves.
Lightfall on 29/3/2006 at 07:04
Fett, I feel your pain as well. You guys are doing exactly what you need to do, though: take charge your damn selves, because hospitals can't be trusted! Let me tell you my fuck-you-hospitals story.
My grandmother died of cancer a few years ago, and during the months preceding her death, we went through the same nightmarish ordeal you described with your father. She was virtually bedridden and had to be cathetered and bedpanned, so I guess the nurses just took that as "problem solved, she doesn't need to get out of bed anyway." Well, after so many days of laying in the same position with nothing more than an occasional nudge, she developed a nice bedsore at the base of her spine, damn near the size of my fist. STILL nothing was done about it and before long it turned necrotic and they had to cut it away, leaving her with a hole in her back. A BIG GODDAMN ROTTING HOLE IN HER BACK. This is hospital care!?
Well after that we politely told them to fuck off, we'll take care of her ourselves. We brought her home to my dad's house and set up with Hospice. These people are 10X better than hospitals, hands down, and they're mostly volunteers!
The super-nice Hospice lady would come over and stay with her during the day, then I would come straight home after school and take over until dad got home from work. She spent her last days much happier this way, getting 1-on-1 care from people who gave a damn. When that time finally came, she died surrounded by loved ones in a good home, rather than a cold sterile hospital room surrounded by uncaring nurses.
Obviously your dad's situation is completely different, and maybe in-home care isn't possible with his illness, but the main point still stands. You guys are doing it yourselves, watchdogging the hospital staff and beating your son's pediatrician with his own golf clubs to get his attention. I hope everything will turn out okay for your family and you'll all be able to sleep easy again.
theBlackman on 29/3/2006 at 08:03
Went through a similar cockup with my mother some years ago. My deepest sympathy and best wishes.
Give 'em hell, ride 'em hard, and keep on them about getting the care he needs.
If you slack off the bastards just get sloppier.
ToolHead on 29/3/2006 at 08:25
Shit. I'm so sorry, fett. Be sure to send the responsible parties a big, resounding "FUCK YOU" from me, too.
In Denmark, we generally have pretty decent health care (although the current administration is doing its utmost to change that), so when upfucked situations like the ones you describe occur, eyebrows tend to be raised.
And then the media are all over the place. Which Danish hospitals don't like one bit.
I dunno if things like this happen so often in your part of the world that your newspapers don't care anymore... Still, I suppose it couldn't hurt to let a few local reporters know about your situation.
I hope things work out, one way or the other.
Dr Sneak on 29/3/2006 at 13:01
This whole thing reminds me of a cruel joke I once heard: "Doctors bury their mistakes".:( At least your family has someone like you Fett to help them. Perhaps doctors and nurses should be required by law to send thier families to the same hospital they practice in-that would at least make them think about the conditions there.:nono: I'll say a prayer for your family.
Para?noid on 29/3/2006 at 13:14
Sounds like the British health system except that you have to pay for it directly. Fett, I hope it works out. Can't you just basically pay over every penny you have and get your kid to some kind of special clinic? You probably have, I dunno. :(
