LE and future surgeries

I was in the ER recently for appendicitis and was treated horribly.I arrived at the ER at 9 pm. Finally got a diagnoses of appendicitis at 3:30 am. I was told that I would have surgery around 7 am. The surgeon, however,was a pompous ****. He was the surgeon on call, but chose to see all his morning patients before my surgery. Depsite a diagnoses via x-ray and ultrasound by the radiologist and ER dr, he waited a full 9 hours from the diagnoses to do the srugery. The ER dept was unable to start an IV in my feet (I specificaly told all hosp staff no IVS nor BPS in EITHER arm due to LE). I went a full 12.5 hours being dehydrated with no liquids because I was supposed to have surgery at 7 am, but the surgeon changed his mind. He argued with me (without me arguing back cuz I was in too much pain and full of dilauded, morphine, and an antinauseus meds)THe surgeon stood over me asking what all I ate the previous day and that he thought I had food poisoning.(I barely ate or drank anything the day before because I wasn't feeling well)

Somehow in my drugged state, I was able to tell the surgeon that I ATE OFF OF BRIAN'S PLATE. He asked how Brian was and I said fine.Surgeon said, well, that discounts that theory then. I will do surgery, but I don't think it's appendicitis. We will probably find out that it was fine.

All staff was wonderful about NOT doing any IVS or BPS in either of my arms, a sign was posted above my bed.

By the time surgery occured, my temp was 102.5. I was laying in the preop room and heard my surgeon talking to the staff....He told then I did not have LE. Someone must ahve asked something and he said VERY SARCASTICALLY"SHE says she has LE." I checked her records and there were no lymph nodes removed.

I had a perfectly good, working IV in my foot when I went into surgery. When I came out, the IV tubing was removed from my foot and an IV was placed in the arm that I had told ALL staff that I ahve the most problems with LE with.

My fever was 104 post op--not from malignant hyperthermia, but from the infected appendix.

At least two post op nurses told me they knew I was going to be mad about the IV placed in my hand.

The nurse on my unit, informed the charge nurse about this. Nurse told me no one could figure out why he (the surgeon) did that.

I let all staff know that I had sentinel nodes removed.

One nurse even called the patient advocate on my behalf.

I told every nurse how he argued about the appendicitis call, I had asked if he was doing other surgeries that morning (I thought maybe a heart attack patient came in or something). I was told he was not in surgery, he was seeing patients in the clinic.

So they made me go over 12 hours with no liquid at all...no IV, no ice chips, no nothing. I had to wait a full 15.5 for surgery for a severely infected appendix. And the surgeon waited until AFTER I was totally out and unresponsive to put the IV in my hand. I was wheeled to the ER fully awake and transferred myself to the OR table my schooching over. There was no IV inserted into the hand until after I was asleep. THe IV in my foot was working fine.

I see that they needed to make to attempts to poke the LE affected hand. There are two needle pokes in my hand.When I was wheeled back to the unit, I immediately asked to ahve the hand IV removed and was denied by two different nurses.

What I have learned since, is that if you have LE and sign a surgery consent form, write down an exception for services for any bps or needle sticks to the LE affected body parts. I am now going to have a letter on file at each ER in my area prohibiting the use of IVS or BPS in either arm, hand or finger until I cancel it in writing.

I am also seeing an attorney, as My LE in the worst arm, is now acting up again since the IV was inserted and removed.

THis was a disgusting, inexcusable, lack of adequate care and treatment. I am so upset, I am crying all the time, My anxiety is sky high, my chest feels tight, all because of this **** and the hospital.

I found out they do not have an anestheiologist at night, they are on call, so they waited til the morning when they came to start an IV in my foot for me. They also didn't have  an ultrasound tech, they are on call, which is why it took them 4 hours to get me an ultrasound.