Re: hospital stories to Bert

[Guest guest]

Bert,

Your story very well would have been mine had I not come

prepared with insulin, glucose tablets, glucometer, enzymes and

ALL my meds. My doctor has great respect for my management

of my diabetes, as well as my daily medical regime, and he

instructed all the nurses that I would do all my own blood

checks, inject all my own insulin and manage my own daily

medicine needs such as: synthroid, celexa, enzymes, and

antioxidants. He told them their job was to manage my IV meds

and pain control. Well, there was loud objection to this, and they

said they had to furnish and administer all the meds..... A great

battle ensued behind closed doors and it resolved in my being

allowed to handle all my diabetes care, injections, blood checks,

etc., and they were to furnish my oral meds. They didn't have my

dosage of Synthroid, so said I could do my own. They forgot the

Celexa three days out of the five (I took my own). When I finally

had my first meal, they failed to bring enzymes with it, so I took

my own other than let the food get cold. Nothing worse than

cold, cruddy beef stew!

I told them they had to bring my insulin from the frig before I ate,

and to bring the enzymes at the same time. They never

remembered, so I would have to hit the call button and wait 15

minutes for it to be brought to me, so every meal I had there was

always cold. The nurses wanted to monitor my blood checks

only three times a day, before meals only, and had no

understanding of my requirements to test at least eight times a

day, before each meal and snack, post prandial and right before

bed. I have to do this because of my brittleness and to make any

insulin corrections as needed for the protein spikes I have 3

hours after each meal.

The nurse who came on duty this morning was one I'd never

seen before, and when I asked for my insulin before breakfast,

she was put out. She told me she'd bring it when SHE was

ready to inject it. I told her I'd do it myself, and she acted like I

wasn't capable......what does she think I do everyday on my own

at home?

As far as the enzymes go, I just don't think they had a clue as to

what they do or what they're for. They didn't understand why they

were needed before a meal and seemed to think that as long as

I took them " sometime " during the day, it was fine. It again made

me wish that the general medical staff had more pancreatitis

training, they just don't understand what's going on.

We should all compile our hospital experiences and training tips

into a hospital training manual for the uninitiated, which wouldn't

be just for the newbie patients of CP, but the nursing staffs as

well!!

And the stories could go on and on...

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.

Bert wrote:

Glad your home!!! It is good we have good hospitals to go to in

our time of need but...I think the difference between a " good "

hospital stay and a " lousy " hospital stay is *not much*.