Bizarre Hospital Experiences
I went in for an overnight stay to get pegged and ported. The experience being what it is I was on heavy sedation throughout the night and it must have been clearly and boldly written somewhere on my chart. The next morning I was scheduled for surgery for an exploratory biopsy of the tongue and lymph nodes. I find myself in the operating room with my ENT doctor who is going to perform the surgery, the anesthesiologist and operating room nurse. The anesthesiologist is holding a memo in his hand which requires that surgical masks be worn in the operating room at all times and he is pissed about it. He is actively engaged in an argument with the operating room nurse about complying with it. They obviously assume I'm not coherent and under the influence of the pain medication. I am fully conscious and can hear every word. They now get to the task at hand and try to start an IV for the anesthesia in the IV port which I have from the night before. It has some sort of problem and they can't get the fluid to flow. They are still arguing over the mask memo. The decision is made to change out the connecting section of IV for a new one. They toss the malfunctioning IV in a big clear plastic garbage can filled with misc. operating room garbage. The new IV section is inserted. It malfunctions. I look at my ENT doctor and he is pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind him ignoring the whole situation. Mutt and Jeff are clearly irritated by the IV malfunction as time is a wasting. They look for another and can't find the proper size or fitting. One of them retrieves the discarded IV from the garbage, removes the new IV section, and re-inserts the old one from the nasty garbage can. They somehow get this one to work and the anesthesia starts flowing. I don't remember anything else. I found a new ENT and hospital shortly thereafter.
Comments
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Yikes!D Lewis said:Eeeeeeeeeek!
Are we certain we weren't dreaming it all? Horrifying.
Deb
That story should make it into the annals of "what not to do" both with regards to Infection Prevention and Sterile OR Technique.
You should just mail off a copy of what you wrote here. A few people will need to be treated for chest pain.
Lisa0 -
OMG!miccmill said:Yikes!
That story should make it into the annals of "what not to do" both with regards to Infection Prevention and Sterile OR Technique.
You should just mail off a copy of what you wrote here. A few people will need to be treated for chest pain.
Lisa
I know it is horrid & often happen's. I guess we all pray it is not happening to us.0 -
not my intent Lizzilizziek said:Bad hospital experience
Please let us know the name of that hospital and the ENT. Others should be warned. Call the Department of Health in your State and report what you told us. They should do an investigation. If no one tells it will never get better.
They say that if you saw what happens in the kitchen of your favorite resturant you would never eat there. The same is obviously true sometimes for operating rooms and probably in every occupation to some degree. The thread is merely intended to lighten up what is normally a very solemn subject matter. My reasons are complicated and not open to discussion here. When you shop for medical services, "Buyer Beware" Lets have fun with the thread. I was hoping to get some stories.0 -
Day 1
On day one of my treatments was radiation and the start of chemo. The day nurse was so kind and careing. Back 15 years ago my two chemo's were 24 hours per day for 5 days. This happened three times over my 7 plus weeks of treatments.
The day nurse was extremely wonderful. The second shift lead nurse came in, stood and looked at me with my wife, mother and father watching and leaned in looking me in the eye and said " YOU ARE GOING TO LOOSE ALL YOUR HAIR AND PUKE, PUKE, PUKE "......... I am not kidding. I told her to leave and said I do not want you back in my room ever. I asked for her boss and told him the same and never saw her again.
My response happened over the next months to come. I never puked!!!!! maybe because of the wonderful meds they game me. As my friend put the hair issue, " you started with very thick two heads of hair and lost only one " I lost a lot of hair but very few every recognized it.
I like these easy going story telling type posts. Thanks ratface for getting it started.
I look forward to your story Bizarre storries.
John0 -
Ratfisrpotpe said:Day 1
On day one of my treatments was radiation and the start of chemo. The day nurse was so kind and careing. Back 15 years ago my two chemo's were 24 hours per day for 5 days. This happened three times over my 7 plus weeks of treatments.
The day nurse was extremely wonderful. The second shift lead nurse came in, stood and looked at me with my wife, mother and father watching and leaned in looking me in the eye and said " YOU ARE GOING TO LOOSE ALL YOUR HAIR AND PUKE, PUKE, PUKE "......... I am not kidding. I told her to leave and said I do not want you back in my room ever. I asked for her boss and told him the same and never saw her again.
My response happened over the next months to come. I never puked!!!!! maybe because of the wonderful meds they game me. As my friend put the hair issue, " you started with very thick two heads of hair and lost only one " I lost a lot of hair but very few every recognized it.
I like these easy going story telling type posts. Thanks ratface for getting it started.
I look forward to your story Bizarre storries.
John
Ratface,
I think you're gonna win this one. Wow, what a story!. Mine are more humorous than bizarre.
First one is more of a descrption of my surgeon's personality. He came in right before my tonsilectomy/radical neck dissection and asked how I was. I said fine and asked how he was doing. He replied - "I feel great if I could just shake this dang hangover!". I got a good laugh in and that actually got rid of my nervous edge prior to going into surgery. I don't know if it helped, but I say it did.
The second one has to do with getting my PEG. (My wife enjoys telling this one). I got put under when I got the PEG and I guess I was "feeling no pain" when I was waking up. Evidently I was proudly showing off my "doggie" boxer shorts to any of the nurses when they walked by, much to my wife's displeasure. Not a problem, who would remember that - right. A couple months later as I'm walking thru the halls of the hospital I hear a voice say "Hey, you still wearing your puppy underwear?". Slightly embarrassed you might say as I looked for the nearest exit to run to.
Greg0 -
Lighten Up!Greg53 said:Rat
Ratface,
I think you're gonna win this one. Wow, what a story!. Mine are more humorous than bizarre.
First one is more of a descrption of my surgeon's personality. He came in right before my tonsilectomy/radical neck dissection and asked how I was. I said fine and asked how he was doing. He replied - "I feel great if I could just shake this dang hangover!". I got a good laugh in and that actually got rid of my nervous edge prior to going into surgery. I don't know if it helped, but I say it did.
The second one has to do with getting my PEG. (My wife enjoys telling this one). I got put under when I got the PEG and I guess I was "feeling no pain" when I was waking up. Evidently I was proudly showing off my "doggie" boxer shorts to any of the nurses when they walked by, much to my wife's displeasure. Not a problem, who would remember that - right. A couple months later as I'm walking thru the halls of the hospital I hear a voice say "Hey, you still wearing your puppy underwear?". Slightly embarrassed you might say as I looked for the nearest exit to run to.
Greg
It took a fair bit for me to warm up to my Oncologist. He is from Poland & is very forward
which I like. We were discussing my radiation timetable & he was trying to describe what
to expect & asked me what the saying is when things start to get bad. I replied, Oh you mean when **** hit's the fan! We both got a chuckle out of that one!0 -
Stories
Must've been almost surreal, Ratface, and not in a good way. That Anesthesiologist shoulda been knocked-out! Good decision to kiss that ENT and hospital goodbye.
Have a lotta stories from when I was young, post-accident, and a few of them are really bad. Did have one that most could relate to. Involved my getting the pre-Op IV needle placement. Happened in Freeport before Op #4. The Nurse was an elderly woman, which is to say she shoulda known better. Hurt like you-know-what. She put the needle into the right side of my left wrist! Had a scar there for years. Told another Anesthesiologist about it years later, and he told me my Doctor shoulda seen to it she retired then and there- no excuse. I was 14 years-old, then. Did I cry? No comment.
kcass0 -
I cannot think of anything about me right now but this jumped inKent Cass said:Stories
Must've been almost surreal, Ratface, and not in a good way. That Anesthesiologist shoulda been knocked-out! Good decision to kiss that ENT and hospital goodbye.
Have a lotta stories from when I was young, post-accident, and a few of them are really bad. Did have one that most could relate to. Involved my getting the pre-Op IV needle placement. Happened in Freeport before Op #4. The Nurse was an elderly woman, which is to say she shoulda known better. Hurt like you-know-what. She put the needle into the right side of my left wrist! Had a scar there for years. Told another Anesthesiologist about it years later, and he told me my Doctor shoulda seen to it she retired then and there- no excuse. I was 14 years-old, then. Did I cry? No comment.
kcass
My head right away.
My step mom had broke up a cat fight and she got bit very bad by her cat, White Boy. It severed the tendon on her left ring finger. Also got infected I think. She had to have surgery on her hand and she was in the hospital. My step mom was a nasty patient. Way nasty patient. She didn't want any one visiting her, and well, she was being a royal b$!ch.
I guess she had a drain in her hand, and her hand was tied to the bed. One of the nurses came in so step mom could take a sponge bath. The nurse laid a water bowl, wrapped up soap, and a washcloth in front of her. Her hand in tied to the bead, with a drain in it. How do you open the soap and wash? Not even sure if it was in reaching distance. Hour later nurse comes in and says, "All done washing up?" Step mom tells her yes, looks at her like she has six heads. Nurse takes unopened untouched stuff away. SMH
Some doctor making rounds comes in to check on step mom's left hand and picks up her chart and reads it. He points to her right hand and says, "Open and close your hand. Flex... Wiggle your fingers." She does it all fine. He says, "Well, I don't know what your problem is, it looks fine."
She threw him out of the room, shouting some colorful obscenities. Guess they don't teach left from right at the med school he went to.0 -
Dawnsweetblood22 said:I cannot think of anything about me right now but this jumped in
My head right away.
My step mom had broke up a cat fight and she got bit very bad by her cat, White Boy. It severed the tendon on her left ring finger. Also got infected I think. She had to have surgery on her hand and she was in the hospital. My step mom was a nasty patient. Way nasty patient. She didn't want any one visiting her, and well, she was being a royal b$!ch.
I guess she had a drain in her hand, and her hand was tied to the bed. One of the nurses came in so step mom could take a sponge bath. The nurse laid a water bowl, wrapped up soap, and a washcloth in front of her. Her hand in tied to the bead, with a drain in it. How do you open the soap and wash? Not even sure if it was in reaching distance. Hour later nurse comes in and says, "All done washing up?" Step mom tells her yes, looks at her like she has six heads. Nurse takes unopened untouched stuff away. SMH
Some doctor making rounds comes in to check on step mom's left hand and picks up her chart and reads it. He points to her right hand and says, "Open and close your hand. Flex... Wiggle your fingers." She does it all fine. He says, "Well, I don't know what your problem is, it looks fine."
She threw him out of the room, shouting some colorful obscenities. Guess they don't teach left from right at the med school he went to.
I don't blame your stepmother one bit! My aunt went to emergency for a bad flu & was given a shot of morphine & suffered a severe reaction & went into heart attack mode. Had open heart surgery & is alive to tell about it. They did ask if she was allergic to morphine but
had never actually been given any before this illness. It was horrific! She is fine today & now wears a large medic alert bracelet!0 -
Allergic reaction
I have horrible allergic reactions to something that I eat. The doctors have never been able to figure out what it is. I went to the ER this summer, after my eyes started swelling an shut. I had taken Bendryl at home. I told the nurse this information when I checked in. I also told her that this is what happens and then I have problems breathing and my throat swells. She informed that I was not critical and could have a seat in the waiting area. My eyes at this point are now swollen shut. I took some more Bendryl and was calle back 15 minutes later. By the time the doctor walked in I was doing much better except by blood pressure I dropped below 100. She then asked me if I wanted her to give me anything. I told her never mind, I would just treat myself at home.
I always thought a serve allergic reaction was life threatening. Guess Not!
Kathy0 -
2 Hospital Stories
Here are 2 of my hospital experiences during treatment and after surgery.
1. Started running a fever during Rads/Chemo to the point where had to go to the ER. Since I lived about 40 miles away from Cancer Center which would have put me at the County hospital as it was a Saturday, I went to the local community hospital. The doctors there had no clue what to do, and they contacted my doctors, or who ever was on call for them. They were told to admit me and put me on antibiotics and to try and lower my temp. This seemed like a logical thing to do, except they decided to put me in a double room with someone who was infectious. This didn't last long and I was then brought to another room that I had to myself. Ok, so not the brightest people doing the admitting to put someone with basically no immune system into a room with someone who was infectious.
2. After surgery when my tongue was sewed to the bottom and sides of my mouth and I had a tracheotomy, when I would need something and I would push the button for the nurse, what do they do? You guessed it, they would call on the intercom to see what I needed. When I didn't respond as I couldn't talk, they then would walk to my room. This didn't happen just once, but every time I would need something and push the button. They even had a something next to my room for when I would buzz that I was unable to speak and they would have to come to the room. Only my silence made them realize that they would have to get up from their perch and take the 150 foot walk to the room.0 -
Heres Mine I thinkdonna340 said:WOW!
I'm speechless!
Getting my PEG placed about the third week of treatment. Laying on the operating room table and the doc is placing the guide wire up and the darn thing curls up in the back of my throat, and needless to say I was not very well sedated and started thrashing about. I got sedated after that, and can almost to this day still feel that darn wire LOL
Dave0 -
Rub salt into the woundFire34 said:Heres Mine I think
Getting my PEG placed about the third week of treatment. Laying on the operating room table and the doc is placing the guide wire up and the darn thing curls up in the back of my throat, and needless to say I was not very well sedated and started thrashing about. I got sedated after that, and can almost to this day still feel that darn wire LOL
Dave
Good stories which I usually hate to recount but it's been a while so .... here is one of a few ..
About 5 days after surgery to cut out the SCC from my tonsil and throat, which left a huge raw gaping wound in my throat -as they can't stitch there so the wound just has to heal by itself. Anyway, after 5 days of drugs and Morphine I was badly toxic and constipated and still on heavy pain meds. Genius doctor (Chemo Ali) says, no problem, we will give you 'Fleet Water' which is the best thing and will clear your stomach out and fix you up. Me - no idea, but in serious need of help would go with whatever they said. They're Doctors right ?
The nurses came in with this large glass of clear liquid while another Doctor, the Pain Specialist was with me checking on my Meds. I was instructed to gulp down the liquid as fast as possible. Being a good patient, I did what I was told half sitting on the RHS of the bed. The pain doctor on my right against the wall.
Well I took a huge gulp or 2 and within a second was hit with the most incredible pain you can imagine. I projectile vomited straight out and then collapsed on the floor writhing in pain and shock. They hit the buttons and rushed a big shot of Pethadine in. So now I know what 'Fleet Water' is. It's a solution made of approximately 30% saline solution ie SALT plus other highly burning components (battery acid ???). So when you have a huge gaping wound in your throat, you really shouldn't use Fleet Water by mouth.
A horde of Doctors passed through in the next few hours or so, and I heard my Rad Onco say to one side under his breath to the nurse, "well he probably shouldn't have been given fleet water with a throat wound like that.."... the nurses were all embarrassed. Chemo Ali didn't fess up that he screwed up. Pain Doctor got a front row seat of severe pain episode and just froze up. Makes you wonder.
Luckily, all the invoices for all of the above, Fleet Water, Pethadine, extra doctors visits, all made it through on my account on time.
Scam0 -
This comment has been removed by the ModeratorScambuster said:Rub salt into the wound
Good stories which I usually hate to recount but it's been a while so .... here is one of a few ..
About 5 days after surgery to cut out the SCC from my tonsil and throat, which left a huge raw gaping wound in my throat -as they can't stitch there so the wound just has to heal by itself. Anyway, after 5 days of drugs and Morphine I was badly toxic and constipated and still on heavy pain meds. Genius doctor (Chemo Ali) says, no problem, we will give you 'Fleet Water' which is the best thing and will clear your stomach out and fix you up. Me - no idea, but in serious need of help would go with whatever they said. They're Doctors right ?
The nurses came in with this large glass of clear liquid while another Doctor, the Pain Specialist was with me checking on my Meds. I was instructed to gulp down the liquid as fast as possible. Being a good patient, I did what I was told half sitting on the RHS of the bed. The pain doctor on my right against the wall.
Well I took a huge gulp or 2 and within a second was hit with the most incredible pain you can imagine. I projectile vomited straight out and then collapsed on the floor writhing in pain and shock. They hit the buttons and rushed a big shot of Pethadine in. So now I know what 'Fleet Water' is. It's a solution made of approximately 30% saline solution ie SALT plus other highly burning components (battery acid ???). So when you have a huge gaping wound in your throat, you really shouldn't use Fleet Water by mouth.
A horde of Doctors passed through in the next few hours or so, and I heard my Rad Onco say to one side under his breath to the nurse, "well he probably shouldn't have been given fleet water with a throat wound like that.."... the nurses were all embarrassed. Chemo Ali didn't fess up that he screwed up. Pain Doctor got a front row seat of severe pain episode and just froze up. Makes you wonder.
Luckily, all the invoices for all of the above, Fleet Water, Pethadine, extra doctors visits, all made it through on my account on time.
Scam0 -
Hospital experiences
Using the IV equipment that had been in the trash in unbelievable! The one consolation is thatend which fits on the IV needle was hopefully capped! We had several unbelievable experiences. As a former RN, I felt I had to keep an eagle eye on my husband and make sure he was not killed while hospitalized. A bad experience we had was right at the beginning. Buzz had just had a PEG placed and was admitted to the Short Stay Unit and scheduled for the port insertion the next day. Buzz was hooked up to a vital sign monitoring machine and I could clearly see the read-out. His pulse kept dropping as well as his blood pressure. Alarms were going off and no one bothered to check on him (and his room was right across from the nurses station!). When his pulse dropped to 35 and his blood pressure to 70/50, I went to the nurses station to ask for help. I was told to wait a minute. Finally I got some help and Buzz recovered. I think he was oversedated from the procedure. We had other awful experiences in his other two hospitalizations. One incident involved his heart going into an abnormal rhythm requiring use of those paddles on the chest to shock it back into a normal rhythm. After those two experiences, I felt I could not leave his side. Karen0 -
On about the third day of my
On about the third day of my dad's stay in ICU the nurse asked us what we had been using on his back. With a very puzzled look on her face my mom asked what they were talking about. My dad leaned forward, he had a burn that was at least 7 inches across his back. It was black and very inflamed. He had been burned by something used during his 15 hour surgery. The nerves signaling to his brain must have been firing like crazy. The burn left a big bubbled up scar across his back.Of course, the dr. had a prescription for that. In his typical fashion my dad said it wasn't that bad. And I guess after all he'd been through, what's a little third degree burn?0
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