My Healthcare Scare?/Story

[trip]

TweetWell, as you guys know I take care of 97 year old grandmother and my 73 year old mother in the late late late stages of alzheimer, which means she does not know I'm her son anymore, just some nice guy in front of her. The good new is she's mostly happy as a clam.

Anyways first of December gram had some breathing problems. Too make a long story short, we had 4 doctor visits, tons of tests and a mess that got worse from 12-1 too 1-16.

On 1-17 ended up having to call the ambulance, found her in her room on the floor when I went over too cook breakfast. This ended up in a five day stay, diagnosis, severe dehydration and her kidney was functioning only at 10%.

The day they were releasing her to rehab hospital I got in a heated discussion about her breathing, they said it wasn't an issue and it would be taken care of in rehab.

Third day in rehab I'm all over these folks, this breathing is not right, we need doctors now. They assured me they'd have a cardio pulmanary guy in a few hours, xrays ( of which she probably already had 5 in last 6 weeks ) and a plan of action. I told them if i didn't not get some rest I'd get sick so I needed to go home and sleep. Next day I show up, no doctor had seen her, of course I did not go berserk I just had them bring a doctor ASAP, and lo and behold doctor agreed with me, this ain't right, should of have the cardio guy come in yesterday, they had just made an appointment for two days hence.

So, we end up back at the original hosp in emergency room and it's ER TV scene in spades, 8 people in ther room, yelling, equipment moving, etc. etc., of course I'm there the whole time and they are like, uhmmm, this is CRITICAL.

So, we end up in ICU or CCU depend on where you live, machine doing her breathing, totally sedated, etc. etc.

Now, I finally get a doctor that is interested in MY STORY, which I'd been telling everyone who cared to listen. Just like training, I got a complete log of medical going back 15 years on her, with all the information.

On a side note, when folks now ask me about my grandma, I tell them she's just like your average 12 year old, totally independent, wants to be left alone, you need to keep an eye on them, handle the money, and not let them drive. Other than that she's as capable as you and me, that means she takes care of herself and walks all on her own with no help.

Anyways, so this doctor listen, after 20 minutes, in which she took all kinds of notes, she said, I'll talk to you tommorrow.

Next day they draw a litre of fluid out of her right lung. Which is half a coke bottle. So, jeeeze, what do you think the odds are if a person can breath they can get real healthy real quick. After the fluid was gone, next day took her off sedation and breathing machine, and two days later off to rehab hospital.

Now, my point, I ran a construction company for 20 years, my bread and butter hospitals.

So, over last month I've been in 3 hospitals, and on 6 different wards, and you know what, everyone has a private room, everyone. All of those rooms were designed for two people, and now they only house one. The major hospital, maybe 70% full, rehab one the same, the other maybe 85%.

We were allowed 24-7 access in two of the hospitals and of course you could rome wherever you wanted without anyone saying jack crap.

Talking with a doctor was like trying to go to the moon, you can do it, yet, you gotta have a plan, a commitment to do it, and take your shot and hope it works out.

The favorite form of communication is xyz handles that, I'll let them know, but, I will give no commitment on what will happen other than they will take care of it, of course when you act like they do and write things down and aks for dates and times of answers all of a sudden red lights flash and some supervisor is there in five minutes, who says the same thing, yet, ends up being scared shitless when you document shit, and something does end up happening when they say it should with a real answer.


Anyways, healthcare costs, I'm somewhat shocked, seriously that everyone gets there own room, but you can't talk to a doctor.

fwiw, the ccu doctor was like, ummmmmmmm, a few days later when she was out of ccu, this should have been caught much earlier, of course by then I knew that, a simple inet search tells you that with 5 clicks, it's like basic 101, when very old people have hard time breathing, and they have prior heart issue, grams has a pace maker, water on lungs is always on the checklist, guess they missed that one, yet, hey we got a private room.

Today she's doing great getting strength back, should be home in a few weeks.

[FUZO]

TweetIts great to hear she's dong better and can you imagine if the gov took over health care on how much worse it would of been. Thank god for scott brown winning massachusetts thats all I have to say.

[skinnyman]

Tweetyou know..your persistence really paid off and finally someone listened.

Long story short i had the same issue with Dr's not wanting to listen when my wife's water broke very early with high risk pregnancy and we were traveling. I got our home Dr on my cell and handed it to the Dr. right then, my wife was rushed to the OR for emergency C section.

[trip]

Tweetthanks guys,

wow, that's scary skinny


fuzo, i got the feeling it's not the government, it's insurance, and pay for procedure, not cure

this morning i brought donuts for my grandmother and the guy down the hall, eventually gram wanted to go to the bathroom, so rather than call a nurse, which what she's suppose to do, i was like, good, i wanna know how strong she is, now i've held her hand a million times when going out, mainly when she's in unfamiliar terrotory with curbs it's just a safety issues, u break a hip at this age and it's death, you don't heal

so, eventually we make a lap down the hall i walk up too the nurses desk and she recites this speech........"i just went ot the bathroom on my own and dressed myself and walked down the hall, as soon as i'm stronger i'm outta here"...........the nurses cracked up, and then they tell me, well, we have twice a week 4 hour passes for our best patients, i said, hmmmmmmm, i spent twenty minutes with the head honco yesterday and no one told me jack about that, we're outta here tommorrow at 11.00 lol, we gotta go home and see her dogs

anyways when i was with head honcho and i kid you not, after six days they have binder with over 100 forms in it, it was 4 inches thick, they document everything, imho, it was cya, more than anything else

i keep on telling them, walk her like a horse, she'll do fine

[daved150]

Tweetglad too hear shes doing better trip...thats pretty wild. i dont know what going on in the medical profession anymore...its all jacked up

[Dzone]

TweetHey hats off to you trip for being a good son and grandson and for being there when they need you.

You did the best thing you could do by documenting and taking notes. Not too many people do that.

I was in the hospital in 2008 for over a month and I wrote a notebook full of notes about all the bullshit going on.Then called the Hospital administrator to my room and pulled out my notebook and told her about all the heinous things I was witness to in that hospital. The worst thing I saw were some nurses with bad attitudes that didnt give a rats ass about anyone but themselves. Oh, they got reamed when I showed the administatro my notes...LOL

Now when I was in a brand new hospital in CS, I had my own room and a HDTV with cable...oh boy that was great!!LOL...but I will be damned if I ever go back there again...

Now the CNAs in th e hospital were like angels from heaven..who on earth would do their job? Im talking about everything from cleaning up vomit to coming in and pullin your shit outta the toilet to be tested for c-diff..OMG...Whenever someone tells me they work as a CNA in a hospital, I have nothing but respect and reverence for those people. God bless the CNAs. Whatever they are paid, its not enough

[ROAD WARRIOR]

TweetYou're a heckuva guy, taking care of all that business! God bless ya, broh!

[Michelle Hayden]

TweetTo be honest, im surprised you got them to do as much as they did. In my experience most really elderly get written off by drs and hospital, like they arent worth the effort. I have seen it not only by drs, but by aids and staff. Seems they dont hold them with the same dignity and respect as younger people, even if they are in their right minds. Ive talked to many seniors that if you take the time to even talk to them, they have so much to offer. They inspire me. You are a wonderful son/grandson. I do not know of many that would do what you are doing. You should feel very proud, if not for yourself, others im sure see it and the higher power. It wont be forgotten. 0x

[trip]

Tweet

Hey hats off to you trip for being a good son and grandson and for being there when they need you.

You did the best thing you could do by documenting and taking notes. Not too many people do that.

I was in the hospital in 2008 for over a month and I wrote a notebook full of notes about all the bullshit going on.Then called the Hospital administrator to my room and pulled out my notebook and told her about all the heinous things I was witness to in that hospital. The worst thing I saw were some nurses with bad attitudes that didnt give a rats ass about anyone but themselves. Oh, they got reamed when I showed the administatro my notes...LOL

Now when I was in a brand new hospital in CS, I had my own room and a HDTV with cable...oh boy that was great!!LOL...but I will be damned if I ever go back there again...

Now the CNAs in th e hospital were like angels from heaven..who on earth would do their job? Im talking about everything from cleaning up vomit to coming in and pullin your shit outta the toilet to be tested for c-diff..OMG...Whenever someone tells me they work as a CNA in a hospital, I have nothing but respect and reverence for those people. God bless the CNAs. Whatever they are paid, its not enough

man, sound liks we could compare notes for hours, lol

whats a cna?

[trip]

Tweet

To be honest, im surprised you got them to do as much as they did. In my experience most really elderly get written off by drs and hospital, like they arent worth the effort. I have seen it not only by drs, but by aids and staff. Seems they dont hold them with the same dignity and respect as younger people, even if they are in their right minds. Ive talked to many seniors that if you take the time to even talk to them, they have so much to offer. They inspire me. You are a wonderful son/grandson. I do not know of many that would do what you are doing. You should feel very proud, if not for yourself, others im sure see it and the higher power. It wont be forgotten. 0x

thanks michele, fwiw, i hang here cause i feel most on the board would do the same, iron men and women with iron wills and hearts, that steel up when neccessary