To be embarrassed about my behaviour in hospital?

[lizardsandgheckosandfrogs]

this happened a few weeks ago but has been slightly playing on my mind (out of embarrassment!)

I was unwell and was getting treatment in hospital. The medication had to be given quickly (not sure if there a name for it, but it was given in a syringe quickly into the cannula rather than on a drip,

As soon as the medication and the saline got put in I immediately felt like my arm was burning and over the course of about 10s it became excruciating and there was basically a huge tangerine size lump. I went from being quiet and chatting away to the nurses to literally wailing and sobbing and begging them to take it out my arm, all in about 10 seconds. I was honestly hysterical.

it turned out the cannula was in the wrong position or something along those lines, so all the medication and saline just went into my elbow instead. Not a big deal, they removed it and it was all fine.

it was a few weeks ago and it’s just been playing on my mind since. I’ve never reacted like that before, and I think part of it was panic setting in, but I really remember it being excruciating and I was in so much pain. It honestly felt like my arm was on fire. But I’ve never been so hysterical or reacted like that before, I was literally sobbing and probably would have ripped it out myself if I could have!

im in my 40s and have never ever behaved like that before and I guess I’m just a bit embarrassed and cringing thinking about it all. Was I being a bit of a baby or is this kind of thing genuinely really painful?

I had a cracking bruise and could barely bend my elbow for 2 weeks after so i know it genuinely was sore, but just not sure if it was that sore to justify my reaction or if I was being a bit OTT!

has anyone else ever had this?!

That's a natural, instinctive response which is built into us for that very purpose — to get other people's attention so they can help us. It did what it was meant to do. Everyone there is used to seeing/hearing and responding to that kind of signal. It's a helpful behaviour that prevents unnecessary further harm. Being ashamed of it is like being ashamed that you jerked your hand back from a hotplate.

Really don't worry about it. The last time I was admitted to a ward, I screamed for so long and so loudly that they put me in a side room.

I was in a lot of pain. It's very difficult to keep your composure when something hurts that badly. Apparently I was screaming when I was asleep too, so it's not a conscious choice when something is excruciatingly painful.

I’m honestly surprised you managed to stay as controlled as you did amidst the pain and fear! I hope you’re feeling better now.

You were in a lot of pain.
I would never judge you for what you described and I doubt anyone would.

As this sort of reaction on public is not a standard experience for you, it's making you feel ashamed but you shouldn't be.

I'm pretty sure in that situation I would have swore a lot 😆. You did exactly what most people would have.
It sounds very painful and scary . Ontop of you not being well in the first place .

If something causes agonising pain OP, it's quite a natural reaction. I'm sure most people have had, what they later consider, an extreme reaction to a high level of pain, when really, to others it won't have been extreme.

It sounds like it was a very painful experience. Hope all is OK now.

There's nothing embarrasing about that. You were in agony. I don't get why you're concerned at all about showing that.

lol, sounds like you were very calm to just say oh god. That's nothing on what came outta my mouth

I was the hysterical patient earlier this year. . Was being taken to the fracture unit to have my arm put in a cast. I physically couldn’t cope sitting in a wheelchair (and threw up). I ended being taken to the nearest ward for a lay down.

The staff should be the ones worrying about this, not you. They messed up the procedure and caused a lot of pain.

If it makes you feel better, I shrieked "holy mother of god" last time I was cannulated. It fucking hurt.

Oh and the time I was having a general anaesthetic and made them take off the mask so I could inform them I was very scared 🤣

Similar thing happened to me. I reacted very close to how you did

Think nothing of it.

Your feelings are valid, but I can promise, no one thinks any bad of you. You were in pain, you had every right to be upset, or loud, or whatever it is your body & mind felt it needed to be to cope. Had I overheard, my only thought would have been “that poor person, I hope they find relief soon”.

I’ve been in A&E, wailing in pain & throwing up on the nurses - all because I had such bad trapped wind/constipation post a laparoscopic, it was trying to escape any way it could. Needed an enema in the end. There’s nothing more embarrassing than being rolled into the er in pain, then walking out after having your bum out in front of everyone 😂😂.

You’re better now (hopefully) and got the medical care you needed. That’s all that matters ❤️

😂😂😂 I asked the surgery team if they could see the anesthesiologist cause he was about 80 and in plain clothes. Felt like I was being visited. Then he told me I had tiny veins and I got oddly offended.

All this to say, OP, they’ve seen it all, and yours is most likely one of the more routine reactions. It’s the people sticking things where they don’t belong that get talked about over a few drinks!!

I sympathise. I've done embarrassing things a number of times. I've caused a scene while under anaesthetic, which they see all the time apparently. Caused another scene when having a D&C for missed miscarriage. Emotional howling the lot. So I suppose was grief mixed with reaction to anaesthetic. When I come around I can remember the bollocks I chat to the nurses. I'm always being held down and pulling at various tubes. Cringe.

This happened to my big burly son who was crying with pain in the foetal position while the nurse insisted there was nothing wrong with the drip. They should be embarrassed they put you through this.

I gave birth recently and also felt the same thing. Not that I was swearing or kicking off or anything but I had no pain relief and I remember them asking me to get on the bed and me basically just saying no to x y z as I was in pain and struggling, but I perhaps came across as being difficult at the time.

I felt awful about it still a week later so I dropped a thank you card and a box of choccies and said “sorry for being a cow” 🤣 if you feel bad you could always perhaps drop a box of choccies in to the department but I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

😂😂 so less Joe Black and more Death from Supernatural.

Lots of HCP here saying that what the nurses did was a mistake, and you were rightly in a lot of pain. Why would you even think that you were in the wrong? That YOU should be embarrassed? Did they acknowledge their mistake? And people suggesting you buy them chocolates FFS?

Think nothing of it, they’ll have seen and heard much worse for lesser reasons.

After I had dd I was taken up to the ward and put on a bed. I’d had an epidural that had only taken on one side, so I could feel the left side of my body but the right side was completely numb. At some point my right leg must have fallen off the bed. I looked down and saw only my left leg. I couldn’t see or feel my right leg, so the only logical reason in my drug-addled state was that my leg had fallen off somewhere between the delivery room and the ward. I was HYSTERICAL, screaming for help that my leg had fallen off. I still cringe to death thinking about a midwife calmly walking over, lifting up my leg and placing it back on the bed!

I honestly wouldn't be embarrassed at all! This also happened to me a few months ago and it was so painful I was dripping with sweat and the nurse had to help me get my jumper off.

I am unable to swallow pills bigger than a tic tac mint. Honest, I either choke or spit it out and I'm not a child, I'm in my flippin 60s!

Nope, I can't do it. So anyways got an infection that needed horse tablet antibiotics in hospital. I saw the nurse coming with the drugs in a little cup and had a total meltdown. The nurse could not understand how I couldn't swallow the tabs when I had just had my dinner and swallowed that no problem! I don't know what it is but it won't work for me anyway.

So they facilitated me by getting the kids formula liquid anti B in a bottle and I had to have it on a spoon. I either drove the staff mad or they wanted me seen by a shrink. And I think I know which one!

Are you always so unkind to yourself?

After I had my second baby, I hadn't slept in 40 hours, and had just got baby fed, changed and dressed and asleep and closed my eyes when the midwife came in at 6am to check her vitals. I growled "Get out of my [expletive] room and do not touch her or I will break your [expletive] arm." She backed out slowly and told the attending pediatrician...who happened to be a close friend from church who knew that I am the least likely to swear ever. 😂She discharged both of us immediately and still occasionally says please don't break my arm. (And is that 10yo's god mother!) People are weird when in pain. Don't give it a second thought.

That happened to my hand when I was due to have a C section and I politely questioned it to the midwife (or HCA? can’t remember) who did it and she told me it was fine. When I eventually got to theatre hours later the anaesthetist was furious. He took it out and repositioned it and the relief was instant. I really really wished I’d complained in line with how much it hurt!

Retired nurse it's really really painful to have fluid go into tissue not your vein.When I was training many yrs ago we were reminded that it was used as a torture method .Please dont worry about how you responded it should have been switched off immediately. Put it out of your head