Mark's Home from the Hospital (What a Frustration)

stephanietx

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I was getting ready to go visit him at the hospital around noon yesterday when he called and said they were discharging him. Had to unpack the bag I'd packed for him and reload it with his going home clothes. Then I got to the hospital and had to wait and wait and wait. Then, they told us he had to stay another night because the pain med they'd been giving him could only be filled with a triplicate RX, which the doctor had at home. Doc came in gave us a script for a different pain med and went to write up the discharge orders.

The nurse still had to take out his central line which they'd been using to administer IVs and to monitor bp. She left to get the need supplies and came back 2 hours later! By this time, my patience was GONE!! Then, dinner showed up! She gave us the discharge papers to review while he was eating, which I read aloud to him. Most of the stuff we already knew, so it was more of a review. She then had to come in and "go over" the papers with us, which meant she re-read everything I'd read. Sigh!

When Mark went to change out of his hospital gown to his regular clothes, we found a rash, possibly a reaction to the antibiotic they'd given him. He still has the rash, but they called the doctor, he told Mark to take Benedryl when we got home.

Then, they had to call for "transport" to take him downstairs to be picked up. When I got downstairs with the truck, he came walking out with one of the nurses. Because they had a wheelchair, but no "official" person from transport, he could walk with a nurse. Talk about bureaucracy!! We finally got home about 8pm.

First night was rough, but he's doing much better this morning! He is being attending by one male nurse (Tumbles) and one female nurse (Hannah).
 

catmom2wires

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Glad you have your nursing staff lined out and on duty. They will never make him wait two hours!

Sorry you became so frustrated. However, that's sadly par for the course. Last year when I was supposed to be dc'd "first thing in the morning" after my last chemo treatment, I didn't smell the smoggy Dallas air until nearly 4 pm! My bed never felt so good as that first moment when I laid down and stretched out!

How long will you be off work?

Enjoy the day. Healing vibes for Mark!

Cally
 
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stephanietx

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It was so cute to see the kitties following Mark when he was making his laps. I wish I'd had the video going. I'd see Mark, then Hannah, then Tumbles. He lost them after 3 go rounds of the den, though.


I'm not sure about work. I have enough time to take off the rest of the week, but I was trying to save my days. I talked to my boss about working 1/2 days Thursday and Friday, but if I don't get more rest, I won't go in at all!
 

MoochNNoodles

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Oh boy....somehow not suprising. Seems to be like that (for good reasons sometimes I'm sure) in every hospital. When LO was in the middle of being discharged from the NICU shift change came...so DH and I had to go sit in the lobby of the maternity ward for an hour for shift change... We didn't get home with our newborn till about 9pm. We had never been alone with her at all and started it off right at night. In winter. It was the longest night of my life.


I hope Mark is feeling better soon. Sounds like Hannah and Tumbles couldn't be much happier!
 

ldg

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Aw, I'm sorry! It does sound rather insane though.


But at least he's back home and being tended by proper nurses.


Continued !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So - how is the rash? Is he still on antibiotics? Did they change them, or .... ?????
 

tink80

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I'm glad he's home but I understand your frustration. My boyfriend has been in and out of the hospital for last several years and while sometimes it's fine, other times I leave feeling totally frustrated and drained. Sometimes there are emergencies they can't help but other times there is just totally miscommunication and it drives not only me, but him and his family totally insane. I dread going there. I feel exhausted just from visiting sometimes
 

my4llma

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I'm glad he's home, and I hope he feels better soon
 

carolpetunia

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Sometimes I wonder if driving the patient's family to high blood pressure and anxiety disorder is how hospitals drum up new business...
 
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stephanietx

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They gave him the antibiotic while in the hospital as a preventative to ward off infection. This one was Ancef and he'd had about 4 or 5 bags (via IV) before springing the rash. It's his typical reaction to an antibiotic he's intolerant of. He takes children's benedryl (the adult dose is too strong for him) and sleeps it off. The rash is now gone. He has a very weird system and is allergic to many high powered antibiotics. He's also very sensitive to pain meds. It was frustrating for the doctors.
 

natalie_ca

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I'm glad that he's home


What you describe sounds like a typical discharge to me. They don't know if someone is going to be going home until the day of discharge usually and that's because the doctors come in and do rounds and make their decision at that time. Because there are such bed crunches, they don't order discharge for the next day, they order it for that same day. Which is why you didn't know in advance.

On a surgical ward, doctor's rounds means a very busy day for the nurses usually. There were times when 5 of my 6 assigned patients were discharged. I had to do all of the discharge teaching, line removal etc. And after the people left, I got new admissions or fresh post op patients coming from the OR.

The reason she reread the instructions to you and your husband is because it is the law. She has to be able to chart that you were provided with instructions and that she was aware that you understood them. She can't claim that if she just hands you paper and tells you to read it. People have good intentions and many say they will read it, but many don't. And many that do, don't understand what they've read. So she has to sit and read it to you and then chart in his chart that she has done so. It protects her and the hospital from future law suits.

So far as her going to get supplies, and not coming back for 2 hours. I can relate to that! I can't tell you how many times I've made someone a promise to return shortly and then got side tracked with a sick patient or a doctor or a phone call.

The transport thing boggles my mind. Where I used to work one of our nursing assistants takes the person down to the front door with a wheelchair. If there is no nursing assistant available for whatever reason, the nurse will take the patient down, in a wheelchair. It's hospital policy.

I'm sure your "nurses" will have him up and about in no time
Lots of vibes for a speedy recovery!
 
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