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Topic: I'm back - it was a longggg and hard road back


Topic Posted by: Donna7888
Date Posted: Wed Nov 4 9:45:14 2009
Additional Comments:

Hi Folks,

 I've been in the hospital 3 times since Sept 12th.  I was diagnosed with three blood clots, two were in my lungs, one in my leg.  They kept telling me they were afraid the two in my lungs would travel to my heart and then I wouldn't make it.  I said okay as there was nothing I could do but trust the doctors and wait it out.

They put me on two blood thinners, Loveaquin and Cumudin.  When my levels reached between 2 and 3 points, they released me 4 days later.

Got my cumudin level checked 3 days after I left the hospital and it was up to 9.7, wayyy too high.  They stopped me from taking anymore.

It was too late - On Sept 22nd I began to bleed to death in my liver.  I called 911 and said I was having a heart attack because the electrifying pain going through my arms and chest and back down my other arm was unbearable. 

By the time the ambulance got to the emergency room, my blood pressure was down to 60 over 30 and I heard them say, "she's bleeding internally, we're losing her."  I was going in and out of consciousness and don't remember anything else.

My friend who followed the ambulance said they were giving me blood transfusions and frozen blood plasma and took me down for a cat scan and that's when they realized I wasn't having a heart attack, I was bleeding in my liver.

The doctors told my mother they were going to medo-vac me down to University of Pennsylvania in Philly for surgery because the hospital I was taken to didn't perform that kind of surgery.

I don't know when they took the second cat scan, but the liver stopped bleeding on it's own, however not without damage.

They kept me in the hospital for 9 days to stabalize me and decide if the liver was going to function okay.

I need an MRI in January because my liver now sits in a bubble of blood with a large blood clot in it.  If it doesn't rejuvenate itself, I will need surgery.

I was released on Sept 30th only to go back in the hospital on October 2nd.  I broke out in hives all over my body due to a reaction from Leviquin (an anti-biodic) as I developed a UTI in the hospital.

And get this- I also get a staff infection that just now went away with medicine.  I HATE HOSPITALS and will never go back unless it's another life and death situation.

Today is my first day back to work since Sept 11th which was the last day I worked before all this happened.

If you've been in the hospital, how was your care?  Did you develop a staff infection?  Were the doctors and nurses nice to you? ALL of them?

The Respiratory doctor yelled at me twice because he wanted me to get up and walk around the hallways.  I was on morphene for the pain in my liver and had 2 pic lines in me.  I was too drowsy to walk.  Morphene is strong and it was my first time being on it.

Then I had a nurse who said to me (this is kinda funny), she said, "You're not going to lay around in bed all day and watch TV like you're doing here at the hospital."

I said to her, "What else is there to do at a hospital when you're pumped up with morphene, having blood transfusions, two pic lines and you're so drowsy you can't even pay attention to the TV? 

Anyway, It feels so good to be back at work.  Anyplace is better than being in a hospital.  Don't you think?

Have you had any bad experiences with nurses or doctors in a hospital?  Did you feel you received top notch care?

Please share!  It's great to be back living life again.

 

 





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Posted by: Mrs. Betty Slocombe
Date posted: Fri Nov 6 20:37:36 2009
Message:
Sorry it took so long to respond. Besides doing lots of work around the house...I have had lots of trouble with my internet. Someone decided to rip the cable out of the box and drag it down the back lane! Frustrating!

I am glad to hear from you. You sure went though (and are going through) a lot. Please keep us updated and know that we are here for you and are always sending you positive vibes/thoughts/prayers.

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  • Thank you so much. Who would rip up cable? Isn't that illegal? I hope you get it fixed soon.

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    Posted by: Babyducks
    Date posted: Fri Nov 6 19:39:32 2009
    Message:
    Welcome back Donna, you've been missed.

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  • Thanks Babyducks, I've missed everyone too.

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    Posted by: JEM
    Date posted: Thu Nov 5 22:34:43 2009
    Message:
    So glad you're back, Donna.  We were worried about you.  As another poster said, "Brighter days ahead"..My prayers are with you!

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  • ...also, what a trooper you are. Not only did you survive your horrible experience, but you took the time to respond to every poster. You really are outstanding! *hugs*
  • I thought it was so very nice of everyone to post a message and I enjoyed responding. Just sorry I worried everyone. I went to the hospital on an emergency basis, never thinking I'd be staying there...that was a shocker to me. Thanks for all of your well wishes.

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    Posted by: OLDTIMER
    Date posted: Thu Nov 5 15:50:11 2009
    Message:

    Oh my goodness Donna... what an ordeal!   People here were starting to post about you not being on so I sent an email to the email address you gave me to check on you.  Did you get it?  It may have been buried amoung many you probably received while you were gone?

    Like everyone else I'm so glad you're back and that you survived that horrible ordeal.  I'm not fond of hospitials either... I won't bother you with all that unpleasantness right now but I've been in twice and neither was a pleasant ordeal.  Some of those nurses really SUCK!!!!  They made me cry too.  I think I'm just ready to die when the time comes... no operations, poking and proding for me... no mam' I'm gona live until I die... at least that's how I feel right now.  Who knows how I'll react when that emergency hits? LOL

    Welcome back Donna.  There are better days ahead!

    OT 

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  • Hi Oldtimer, I have over 4,000 emails between work emails and AOL emails. I haven't come across yours yet, but I'm sure it's there burried somewhere. How nice of you to email me. Sorry I haven't seen it yet. I just got back yesterday. I'm sorry your experiences weren't good at the hospital. Some nurses are rude and not compassionate at all. I was so hurt by one of them, I left her my flowers to show her I wasn't going to lower myself to her level. It probably didn't even phase her. I have the same attitude you do---next time I'll be dead and then I'll call 911 and they can pronounce me dead on arrival. Right? lol

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    Posted by: cook
    Date posted: Thu Nov 5 10:06:30 2009
    Message:
    Oh Donna I am so sorry! I am just now seeing this. I hope you are feeling much better. It must have been terrifying! How did they find the clots? Was it routine or did you have a feeling something was off? So glad you are back!

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  • They found the clots by my left leg swolling up so badly I couldn't walk and the ones in my lungs caused me to gasp for air for 10 days walking around not knowing what was wrong. My hemotologist is studying my blood now. My lupus anti-coagant factor could be causing the clots but I think it's because I was on the Birth Control for many years.

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    Posted by: smartin
    Date posted: Thu Nov 5 9:02:36 2009
    Message:
    Hi Donna. I'm very sorry to hear about all you've been through. Whew! I hope that never happens again. It's good to see you back on the message board!

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  • LOL I think if this ever happens again, I'm calling Doctor Korvorkin, oh wait, isn't he dead? I could never ever go back in the hospital unless to be pronounced DEAD. LOL

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    Posted by: diamond girl
    Date posted: Thu Nov 5 2:32:37 2009
    Message:
    My goodness Donna. You have been thru so...much. You must be a very strong lady to have endured all of it. I can't believe you are back at work already. I sincerely wish you well.Please take it easy.

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  • Thank you so much. I used 7.5 weeks of my Family Medical Leave Act time and I still haven't gotten disability pay yet...and I've been out since Sept 14th. I'm waiting for that to come any week now. Tks!!

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    Posted by: Jenny
    Date posted: Thu Nov 5 1:26:37 2009
    Message:

    We've missed you, Donna.  So glad you are on your way to recovery.  I hope everything the docs put you thru was necessary and correct.  When I had to have my gall bladder removed, before the laser technique, I spent 13 days in the hospital.  Eleven of those days I had a nasal/gastric tube down that sucked out the "bad" stuff that had drained into my stomach.  After I was discharged and my folks pulled out of the hospital parking lot, I started crying.  My mom was so upset, she asked, "What's wrong, are you hurting?"  I said, "No, I just didn't think I would ever get out of that place!"  I was so discouraged, but things got better and better every day.  I was well treated and my surgeon was the best, I just had a rough recovery period.

    I wish you the best, Donna.  Keep well.

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  • Jenny, that's exactly how I felt, like I was never going to get out of there. Isn't that a horrible feeling? I'm so sorry you went through that ordeal. I would have come and visit you if you lived nearby. (((hugggss))) to you.

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    Posted by: Liz
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 23:21:10 2009
    Message:
    So sorry to hear that you have been so terribly ill. Glad you are feeling better. Stay well. Welcome back!

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  • Thanks Liz, that is sweet, thank you.

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    Posted by: Mz Chris
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 22:54:15 2009
    Message:

    I had a good hospital stay when I had Lucy.  By the time it was all said and done it was 7 days.  The nurses were wonderful.  One was a bit odd, but they were all kind and helpful.  One was trying to lecture me on baby care right after they hooked me up to the morphine, and I told her she was wasting her time cause I couldn't even focus my eyes, much less follow what she said. 

    They had me up walking the halls dragging the dreaded pole (and bassinet!) around.   One nurse would tell me walk more, and the next nurse would tell me I was overdoing it.  Being determined to get the heck out of there I followed the walk more, drink more water advice! 

    Glad you are getting back to your life, it sounds like you had a scary time there.  I am so glad you are feeling better, I was worried about you.

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  • aahhh thank you Mz Chris. I did what you did, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they told me just to get the heck out of there....the hospital psychiatrist said they wrote that I was very cooperative....that's because I wanted to get out of there. And so we did, right? (((huggss)))

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    Posted by: Rose Bush
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 20:47:48 2009
    Message:

    Oh Donna, what a terrible time you have been through. I'm glad to hear you are on the mend and back at work, but take it easy.

    I've been in hospital three times and I can say without exception that the care I got was top notch. The nurses, in particular, were fantastic. What a mighty job they do. I also had to go to emergency once when I suffered a gall bladder attack (I thought I was having a heart attack) and again, they were wonderful. They were caring and reassuring, and I could hear they were that way with all the patients, even the ones out of their minds with pain or drunk or not taking their medication. I have great admiration for anybody who takes on nursing as a vocation. Ditto for doctors, but nurses have tremendous responsibility and are paid a fraction of what doctors earn.

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  • Thank you Rose Bush. For the most part, the nurses were very nice to me EXCEPT for one who told me stupid stuff like to get off the morphene. So I had her call the pain management people and they got mad at the nurse for telling me that. I needed it. One doctor made me cry but I got over that real fast..lol. I was ready to clobber him that night. LOL All in all my treatment was good. But I am GLAD to be OUT.

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    Posted by: farmer brown
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 20:02:48 2009
    Message:
    Donna! Oh my gosh -- you have been throught it. So glad you're on the mend.

    I did not have a particularly good hospital stay in 2007, when an incision from some surgery got infected.

    Please keep us updated on your progress. Sending good vibes your way. 

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  • Thank you farmer brown, did your incision finally heal? What did they do for it? Sorry to hear about that.

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    Posted by: vh
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 18:55:22 2009
    Message:

    "Anyway, It feels so good to be back at work.  Anyplace is better than being in a hospital.  Don't you think?

    Please share!  It's great to be back living life again"

     

    What a great attitude!  I'm not sure I'd have so much fortitude!

    I've had my fair share of hospital time and for the most part, I've been treated pretty well.  I do remember after one surgery being told I should walk up and down the hall just a few hours following the surgery.  I thought the doc was nuts, but I did start walking, hoping that one of the nurses would see me and decide that I should in no way be out of bed.  Unfortunately, no one came over to hustle me back to bed and I kept wandering the halls!  (I hurt a lot and was pretty drugged up for pain, so walking was quite the effort!)

    I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but your positive attitude is far more powerful than anything I can do for you!  Good work!

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  • Thank you, how sweet of you to say that. It was hard being in there, but I did what I had to do to get well and get the heck out of there...

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    Posted by: DebS
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 18:51:42 2009
    Message:
    Wow - that is quite an ordeal you went through! I'm so glad you're well now and are back on the board.

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  • Thank you DebS, I'm glad to be back. Miss you guys!

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    Posted by: CleoJ
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 18:24:13 2009
    Message:
    Oh my goodness, you have really had a hard row. I'm glad you are back and feeling better. Take it easy.

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  • Thank you CleoJ, appreciate your thoughts.

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    Posted by: Edward
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 17:45:11 2009
    Message:
     How terrifying for you, Donna7888. I'm so glad you're back and doing better. I've heard countless horror stories about hospitals from friends and family members, and dread one day being at the mercy of one. Take care and good luck.

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  • I so agree with you!!!! I guess when we are in desperate need of a hospital, we have no choice but to go and that was where I was at....it's so good to be back.

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    Posted by: serialmom
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 17:38:47 2009
    Message:

    People were missing you Donna7888.  So glad you are able to be back here. Sounds like things can only go up from here on.  Take care.

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  • Thank you serialmom, I missed everyone here. I couldn't take my laptop to the hospital because someone might steel it while I was down in radiology or down getting a cat scan or at PT. I've missed everyone tremendously.

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    Posted by: Zoe
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 15:51:28 2009
    Message:
    Holy Schniekees!  So glad you're back!  What an ordeal!

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  • Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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    Posted by: Duffy
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 15:21:32 2009
    Message:

    Donna, we've all been wondering where you were!  Thank goodness you are back with us after that ordeal.  So many patients seem to come out of the hospital with complications from being in the hospital!  So, yeah, stay out of those places!  ;-)

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  • Duffy, I am definitely going to heed to your advice and stay out of the hospital. I wish I had someone's phone number from media-domain but I was too drugged to even remember who I was missing. Hospitals stink!

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    Posted by: Kalia
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 14:28:23 2009
    Message:
    OMG! You poor thing. I'm glad you are so much better. How scary for you! (((hugs)))

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  • Kalia, thank you so much. It was scary. I never thought I'd be back to work back in a normal environment. It was atrocious.

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    Posted by: Ashley
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 14:21:02 2009
    Message:
    Sounds like quite the ordeal! I hope you are doing better and that you continue to recover completely. Good to see you back :o)

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  • Thank you Ashley, you are sweet, it feels so good to be back!

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    Posted by: Ginger G
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 14:05:16 2009
    Message:

    Wow, what a nightmare, I'm SO glad you're doing better!

    Back in February of 07, I had to rush to the hospital with overwhelming stomach pains.  After being there a week, I was diagnosed with pancreatis and sent home.  I could type paragraphs about my treatment there, but let's just say I did not think that the doctors and nurses did not took my pain seriously at all.

    I was released on Friday, was still deathly ill over the weekend, so my mom took me to my regular doctor on Monday.  He ran some bloodwork, and my white blood count was extremely high so he promptly sent me back to the hospital.  This time they figured out that I had an intestinal blockage so I had surgery the next day... on my 40th birthday.  Turns out I had a major twist in my small intestine, and a good size portion had to be removed.  I would have died if it had not been diagnosed and removed in time.  I was in the hospital another nearly two weeks and YES, I did get an infection.  It was nightmare, and I hated every second of being in the hospital.  A few nurses were nice, but most were just pretty unsympathetic and kind of brusque.  I was so glad to get home.

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  • Ginger, your nightmare with hospitals sounds worse than mine. I'm glad you made it through, but sheesh, why didn't they keep you there until they had a correct diagnosis? I think hospitals make alot of mistakes like giving me a pump for the morphene, I went pump crazy and almost OD'd myself because I couldn't feel the morphene right away so I was pumping away. How did I know what it felt like? I had never been on it.

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    Posted by: DebR
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 13:43:01 2009
    Message:
    What an ordeal you went through!  I hate hospitals too and my hubby got a staph and yeast infection one time when he was in.  I'm glad you're feeling better and hope you stay well.

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  • DebR, thank you. I hope your husband got rid of both...they are nasty, aren't they?

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    Posted by: ingyandbert
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 12:56:01 2009
    Message:

    Donna, I'm so glad you're okay!  We missed you here. 

    Sounds like your hospital was pretty rough but it beats the alternative, if you know what I mean.  Keep us posted on how you're doing.  I know you must still be getting your strength back. 

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  • Thank you ingy. Would you believe at one point I was in so much pain in the ambulence I was begging them to let me die. They were ignoring me...lol. It's great to be back and I have missed all of you here at Media-Domain.

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    Posted by: The Real Mike
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 12:48:48 2009
    Message:

    Oh, Donna...welcome back!  I hope that you continue to get better.  Hospitals are some of the nastiest places in the world.  I had a friend with lupus a couple of years ago.  She was touch and go for a while but suddenly took a turn for the best.  That is until she got a staph infection at the hospital.  Dead at 30 years old.  Hospitals are really something. 

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  • Oooohhhhh NO Mike, how did she die from a staff infection? Is that common? Because I got a bad one when they did the procedure to put a filter in my groin area. They gave me this nastatic powder to put on everyday, but I found that Desitin helped better. So sorry to hear about your friend, that is horrible. My goodness, you go to the hospital to get better and you come out with infections, etc., See, this is why I hate hospitals. Thanks for the WB Mike! It's good to be back and still alive.

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    Posted by: rushlan
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 12:27:09 2009
    Message:
    I am so glad you recovered from this horrible experience.  It must be so wonderful for you to get out and get back to work.  You will get stronger every day.  We have missed you around here.  Take care. 

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  • rushlan, thank you. I have missed everyone around here too. I was just too weak and drugged on morphene to try to set up my laptop and dial in. It's so good to be back and alive. Thanks again!

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    Posted by: Pronoun
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 11:46:37 2009
    Message:
    Holy cow, that was quite an ordeal you've been through. Do they know what caused the clots to form to begin with? We had a tenant who had something quite similar happen. It turned out to be some hereditary type thing though no one else in his family had it. Im glad you're feeling better now.

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  • Hi Pronoun, my hemotologist is still studying my blood. Apparently, my lupus anti-coagnant factor in my blood isn't working and it's causing the blood clots. But I think it's from being on birth control pills for 20 years.

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    Posted by: Peridot
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 11:43:15 2009
    Message:

    Goodness, Donna, you've really been through it this fall!  I don't blame you for not wanting to go back to the hospital after all that.  I will definitely keep you in my prayers.

    I've only been in the hospital for childbirth and a few day surgeries.  I had excellent care every time, no staph infections.  I know other people who got them, though.  Occasionally I hear a report on the local news about how area hospitals rank on that stuff, and I pay attention.

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  • Thank you Peridot. I'm happy to hear you've had good experiences when you went into the hospital.

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    Posted by: Silva
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 11:27:20 2009
    Message:

    My word, what an ordeal!  Hope you continue to improve. 

    The one bad experience I had in a hospital was when they gave me Demerol for pain and I was extremely nauseated; I asked them to discontinue it and they did quit giving it to me orally, but I got worse and then found out they had started putting it in my IV instead.  (?) 

    However, my mother was in and out of hospitals for the last ten years (she passed away earlier this year) and I literally could write a book -- a big thick book -- about the ordeals she went through.  My daughter and I took turns staying with her or visiting at mealtimes every day because the aides would just come in, set the meal down on the rolling cart, and walk out.  A few hours later they would come back in, pick up the untouched meal, and walk out.  My mom was a very elderly stroke victim and could not get out of bed.  So the attitude was 'Tough.  Can't reach the food?  Too bad.' 

    These were supposedly nice hospitals here in Austin, Texas.  The last time she was in the hospital (for two months), when I brought her home, she had bedsores from her neck all the way down her back.  We struggled for months to heal them.  The few nurses and aides that care about the patient's well-being are memorable and really stand out in my memory because they are few and far between. 

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  • Silva, I'm so very sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. That is a very hard death to endure. They did the same thing to my mother, left the tray and she couldn't grab it, she had a muscle disease. We all need to think of the elderly because someday we'll be in their place and needing help just like they did. How are you coping and dealing with your mom's passing? Are you having some good days? more than bad days? You are in my thoughts and prayers (((huggsss)))).
  • Donna, you are so kind. I have good days and bad days, and sometimes I think I hear her voice coming from her bedroom where she spent the last three years confined to bed. But time has a way of smoothing out the rough edges. I am doing okay, slowly getting back into the thick of things. Thanks for asking! (silva)

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    Posted by: faysie
    Date posted: Wed Nov 4 10:31:27 2009
    Message:
    Welcome back Donna. We missed you.  It certainly sounds like you've had a hard time these past few months. I hope that it's smooth sailing from here.  Regarding your inquiry about hospital experiences, I have to report they've all been quite good. Definitely no infections, etc., and mostly very nice medical professionals. Although I have noticed that some Drs and nurses have a much more sympathetic and supportive manner than others. Anyway - I'm sending good wishes and healing energy your way.  It's great to see you back here on the board again. And to know that you're well enough to be back at work. Take care. :)

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  • Thanks faysie, it feels so good to be back to work and with people again, I've missed my media-domain friends.

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