To discharge myself from hospital?

[toldyouiwasill]

I’m desperate.

Admitted on Monday with ?appedicitis. Then told I had a UTI; possibly kidney infection. Then ended up catheterised. Then told my sats are too low (92-95) and that I’ve got a chest infection. Told I need a CT scan and a chest x Ray. A doctor came round at 4pm and told me I’d be given a nebuliser tonight and possibly oxygen. I can’t lie flat as I can’t breathe without wheezing, coughing to the point of vomiting.

Come night shift - nurses said they have zero record of that conversation and there’s nothing they can do. I haven’t slept more than four hours since Sunday. I haven’t got any water, I’m being left with a full catheter bag for 12-14 hours at a time. I’ve no idea what’s wrong and if I have got an infection it isn’t being treated. I’m so tired I’m hallucinating.

I’ve just asked the band 2 nurses for help and got snapped at. They’re sitting discussing Chinese takeaways.

I don’t know what to do. I live only a mile away. I keep thinking of packing up and going. I can buy a syringe from boots to take the catheter out. I don’t know what to do, I’m scared and desperate.

I would really try and get some family support in there. Even if they can bring you some bottled water for overnight if needed.
Try to get your meds back on your plan once rounds come round today.

Thank you so so so much that’s an enormous help, makes me realise I’m not being daft by getting so upset.

Beyond anything else I’ve got horrendous thrush, need treatment for that.

It’s little things like said to band 5 I’ve been asked to give a sputum sample - ‘oh God, sorry, I’ll get you someone else to deal with that, I can cope with shit and piss but not that.’

Just doesn’t seem appropriate.

oh God, sorry, I’ll get you someone else to deal with that, I can cope with shit and piss but not that.

I cannot believe they would say this!! How utterly rude and degrading. Shocking

I’d be happy to go home on oral antibiotics/meds for my chest, get more sleep and feel a lot calmer.

OP you are on oxygen so you cannot go home. You will desaturate on room air and that is extremely dangerous. Please do not self discharged, you are very unwell. Sounds like you require ongoing treatment for your chest and your kidney/ urine infection (or whatever your original diagnosis is)

Im so sorry for the awful night care (or lack of) definitely do a complaint to PALS once discharged but please -focus your energy on yourself right now- asking for that water/catheter emptying and state you will be making a formal complaint to about this against the ward/certain staff. Do not go home. Hopefully day staff are better (sounds it) and ensure you get a jug of water before night shift starts.

Being unwell is distressing as it is but with the background of assault whilst in care you mentioned I’m not surprised you are extra anxious & distressed. Ask to speak to one of the doctors or nurses you are comfortable with today and express you are feeling extremely anxious and unhappy with the care especially at night and that you will be formally complaining about that (unfortunately the timeframe for scans cannot be helped much I’m afraid).

Hugs, I hope you feel better today and can get some rest xxx

@toldyouiwasill , I’m really worried about this. I know you’ve said the day nurse is leaps and bounds better so hopefully that will be the case, but you’ve also said that you’re supposed to be on a mental health care plan, and they’re not giving you the meds that you need. It sounds a lot like they are starting to point you down the road where they will insist that you are being a “difficult” patient due to psychiatric issues. This always concerns me when someone who is in hospital doesn’t have anyone to advocate for them, because all it takes is a few days of withholding necessary medications, and someone who was completely fine is suddenly no longer ALLOWED to go home.

You are bringing up issues that are normally to be upset about (no water, a painful catheter if they haven’t even secured it to your leg, not having any breathing assistance) and your upset could be the same upset as any ill, sleep-deprived person. So when the nurse, who hadn’t done her job until now, is talking about a liaison psych and saying you’re “more calm” now… enh. It rings bells for me.

You say
Family are all miles away so can’t do much and don’t want to worry them
but if anything, this is the time to tell them. While you are still okay. You mentioned withdrawals from your diazepam are starting. You must tell someone who will advocate very strongly for you that you came into the hospital perfectly rational, and if the staff have made you less rational by withholding your diazepam and allowing you to suffer from sleep deprivation for days on end, they cannot suddenly act like this is a psychiatric issue.

So please, either call your family or explain the situation to your support worker from uni that you said will be visiting today, in as much detail as you can. And definitely focus on the fact that you’re not getting your medication and you haven’t slept, until begging for a nébuliser last night (after the doctor approved one but the nurses said no at first).

Good luck, OP. Hospital admissions are dreadful at the best of times. With added trauma, they can be so, so hard. I struggle to go to hospital when I should or stay admitted due to trauma, as well.

I think this advice is worth re-reading and noting, OP.

Do you have supportive family? I'd be there like a shot if you were my dd.

You are desaturating when you are in a hospital bed, with a catheter, sitting upright at 90° with a backrest consistently supporting your position, on oxygen.

If you discharge yourself, you may find that you collapse on the way to the car. You definitely will find that as soon as you start to move around, you feel dizzy and breathless. Your lungs will be agitated and all that sputum will make it harder to breathe.

Don't confuse a lack of medical care with being well enough to go home.

I’ve not got a mum or dad who could come and help no, mum’s too unwell (terminal in a care home) and dad’s abroad. Wider family know I’m in hospital but I’m meant to be starting a band 5 job myself in a few weeks, have my uni dissertation and two exams and think family are more worried about that,
which I kind of am too, but don’t really know what to do for the best.

😩 fgs

Not a band 5 nursing role - AHP. Normally my mental health is v stable, it’s being hospitalised that’s the trigger point!

Band 6 has been in, she said she’s going to talk to consultant and try to get things sorted, figure out what’s going on.

Op, the level of care you are receiving is completely inadequate and unprofessional. You really need to contact Pals urgently with the same information you have articulated here.

MN is here for emotional support but Pals will forward the complaint to the Senior staff in the hospital and things should change.

Im a nurse and complaints such as yours would be taken incredibly seriously and be seen by the very top of the Trust.

You need to talk to the Band 6 about your treatment last night.

Oh my, I'm really sorry you're having to cope with such a combination of a shit storm.

I found the hospital chaplain helpful.

Some hospitals have volunteers who can come and be with you for emotional support, that tends to reduce the really bad care from the worst nurses too cos they don't like the sunlight.

Senior staff if you can tell them what's happened.

Tell senior staff if you fear retaliation (everyone on our ward was meek having seen how they victimised anyone who tried to use their voice).

I had an agency nurse who was fab cos she wasn't part of the regular team so wasn't mired in the team politics, she did her best for me though the effect was minimal I felt less alone. So if you have access to anyone like that.

Wishing you every success at coming through this op, you shouldn't be having to deal with this. Maybe your wider family would also care and want to help, hell I'm a stranger and I care! Worth a chat?

This is what I don’t understand, we are supposed to feel sorry for docs and nurses so overworked but the majority nowadays don’t care, treat you like you are an inconvenience and are just not nice
God I so regret clapping

I am a nurse and I care deeply for all my patients. We are not all like this, please don't tar us all with the same brush.

It is a shame that there are healthcare staff who don't seem to be up to the job, but there are also many many nursing staff who do a fabulous job.

use this thread to log everything and then use it to make a complaint to pals. It’s unacceptable.

Talk to the dr on ward round this morning and also talk to the nurses on day shift today about what happened last night. Night shift are often bank staff and can be pretty useless. Try to get as much sorted as possible today because weekends in hospital usually aren't great either staff wise. Iv been where youve been try to Stay calm and get your voice heard. If its hard for you maybe write it all down to give to them. Good luck op.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. We've had more than our fair share of hospital trips and I know debilitating it is when things go well, let alone when they don't.

Firstly, if they've reduced your normal meds then you are going to emotionally struggle more and everything feels worse. Get some support, whether it's family or a volunteer at the hospital.

Starr making notes in front of them and explain why. Include dates, times and names and ask them to confirm the details you've written down. You can always say that you're so unwell that you want to make sure you're remembering everything properly and that you're sure yesterday someone said the plan was x, y, z but then the nurse said there was no record of that. You're not directly telling them they're shit, but they'll know they are. Clarify tests with the doctors on rounds. Ask which nurse is aware, repeat stuff back.

My husband has been in twice when he seemingly got better and was then back in a week later with something underlying or a complication due to previous treatment. Leaving when you're not actually better or at the very least when there isn't a clear picture of your recovery, is not a good idea. If you went to another hospital you'd be starting from scratch and what's to say the care would be any better. You also don't want to end up being readmitted.

Can you ask someone to bring you food and drink that will keep eg biscuits, nuts, croissants etc. You can get the little sachets of iced late that you just add water to (if the staff bring you water!!). It might give you a bit more energy.

OP sending you gentle hugs! I too have been where you have and it’s beyond cruel being powerless in a hospital bed knowing you are being mistreated. Some great advice on this thread, write it all down and raise it with senior nursing staff or doctors today. Hope you have a speedy recovery xx 💐

hope you get better soon op.

I’m so sorry you are being treated like this. As a PO said, use this thread to log everything that happens, you really should put in a complaint about your treatment, (when you have the strength) because those nurses need to be held to account for their unprofessionalism.

This. Good luck with PALS. No-one gives a shit unless you report them to the medical council.

I am still suffering from botched surgery I had years ago and have gone through hoops to find someone to put the issue right. It has taken nine years of my life so far. My DH has an iatrogenic injury too.

You take your life in your hands when you go to hospital in the UK. If you have no-one to advocate for you, you're fucked.

Bit confused by this - consultant told me on rounds yesterday I needed to drink plenty to flush my system through a bit. Surely it’s normal to drink 2 litres of water during the day?

It’s not illegal if it’s for your own use. If you need to then use the recording for any other purposes it has to be transcribed