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Major (and long) rant about hospitals, or at least the hospital closet to my house...you have been warned.
Last night, I was sitting and reading, and all of the sudden I felt a little off. I was feeling tight in my chest, almost like something was stuck in my esophagus. I swallowed hard; no better. Then I realized it was my heart. I felt a fluttering feeling. I check my heart rate on my watch and it was over 145. Another quick check and it was 175. Atrial fibrillation. I had this once before, not quite the same way, about 9 months ago. Called the doctor, and yes, sadly, I had to go into the emergency room, and yes, I had to call an ambulance. sigh.
The ambulance folks were actually pretty terrific. I was in awe of the woman who managed to draw my blood and insert an IV line as we were headed to the hospital...and it didn't hurt! She's good! Several medicines and five hours later my heart was finally in a normal rhythm at it's usually pace in the 40's and 50's. This was about 2:30 am, and I had just been transferred to a room. sigh, again.
I managed to sleep a few hours, until someone came in at 6 am sharp to draw blood. Dozed on and off for the next two hours. But activity was picking up and with it the noise. Soon I was watching the second hand tick, tick, tick, as it went around the clock. Watching this was about the most engaging thing in the room. And their were few other options given the various tubes and wires attached to my body. yeah. sigh.
Saw our tech; she was terrific, but let my roommate and I know that neither of us was approved to eat anything, but she didn't know why. Still had not seen a nurse or a doctor. I had given my list of medications to three different people the previous night. One of which was my thyroid medication, which needs to be taken first thing, before I take anything else. So, when the nurse finally appeared, around 10AM, I assumed I would be getting it then. Nope. She had aspirin for me. (on an empty stomach...), but claimed there was no orders for the thyroid meds. Huh? I told three individuals about all my meds the night before. I had a nicely written out list for each of them. This same thing happened a few months earlier when I was in the same hospital for a minor procedure. I gave the the list, and they didn't seem to have a clue the next day. sigh.
Over an hour later, she got me my thyroid meds, but not the meds for the a. fib. She didn't know why I couldn't eat either, but thought I might be having a test...but she didn't know when or which. Okay. Is it too much to ask for to have a clear plan for what is happening with your care?
Just before noon, my cardiologist came in. We had a good talk. No tests were needed, and I could go home, and we would work out the details in his office, later. Great. Right after he left, I got a call from the food service people. Did I want lunch? I hesitated. Based on past history, I knew I might be stuck for a while, so I figured sure, I would order something. She asked me if I wanted a sandwich? I asked if I could have a salad, with some protein. She said I could have a salad, with grilled chicken breast. Great. I asked for oil and vinegar and was told no, I couldn't have that. It would be a good kind of fat, but too much fat for a cardio diet. Huh? Like there is all kinds of fat in chicken and salad, without any other dressing. I could have diet italian or french dressing. This was the last straw for me. I decided I'd rather be hungry, and wait till I got home and could eat real food. I did not finally get released until nearly 3:45 pm. Very nearly four hours after I was given permission to go home.
They didn't have the paperwork. Meanwhile I still didn't have the medication for my a. fib. yet, the thing that sent me to the hospital to begin with.
So tell me, do you have these problems at the hospital if you find yourself there? I am paying a lot more money these days for health care for a lot worse service. The buildings get fancier, but the service/care gets worse and worse. I am thinking it is time to forget about this hospital, and start looking for a cardiologist in Boston. I will ultimately pay the same in terms of my co-pay, and I think I will also have a bit more confidence in the care I receive. I didn't want to be one of those doctor snobs, but I feel like I am being driven to that choice. sigh.
Diet Calendar Entries for 19 July 2012:
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1184 kcal
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Fat: 92.14g | Prot: 71.57g | Carb: 21.94g.
Lunch: coconut oil, cheddar cheese, eggs. Dinner: steak, Summer Veggie Salad. Snacks/Other: pistachio, trader joe's, peanut butter. more...
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3588 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Sitting - 3 hours, Housework - 30 minutes, Walking (moderate) - 3/mph - 30 minutes, Resting - 15 hours, Sleeping - 5 hours. more...
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