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?!

I lost all ability to walk when in labour due to the pain and couldn’t stand to get out if the lift so crawled out and all along the corridor to the room. I have a very high pain threshold usually so was totally embarrassed because I was noisy too. The midwife told me to be quiet and to get up 🙄.

It would be a lot weirder if you didn't react! Were you shamed for your emotions growing up or something? You reacted totally normally to something excruciatingly painful.

Health care worker for years. I wouldn't worry.....seen FAR worse over FAR less. And by people who really didn't need to be in A&E in the first place! I'm sure the nurses working that shift can't even really remember the incident now (I say this in a good way!)

This sounds right. Please don't give it another thought. I hope someone apologised.

When I had pneumonia and Influenza A I was givenTamiflu which made me very agitated, I remember shouting about the room being very cold and asking if the windows were open, staff came and checked my temperature which was through the roof, that's why I was so cold. After suffering a post partum haemmorhage I was apparently so repetitive that I drove the midwives to distraction😅. Don't worry about it, It's a good job you created a fuss so that it got sorted, staff are used to it.

When I had my first dd I was in labour for 36 hours before an emergency c. The next day I started vomiting and threw up for about 6 hours straight whilst on an open ward. They started to help me change gown, then left me because I was still throwing up so much. It was so painful on my stitches I just remember wailing like a banshee saying it feels like my stitches are tearing open. I remember the midwives all stood at the nurses station staring at me and a couple walking past looking horrified at me half naked, covered in sick and wretching/screaming. I was mortified for weeks afterwards until I found out my internal stitches had torn, then I was just bloody angry.

I was going n intensive care after an op, barely awake at moments but the morphine and probably other drugs made me a bit sarcastic.

On being discharged I apologised to the registrar for my likely sarcasm as morphine makes me that way.

Also health care professional, the person who sited the IV Should have flushed it with saline to make sure it was working, if it was a at all painful which the should have checked they should have realised it was in the wrong place. Giving the IV bolus which sounds like what u were describing they should have been checking for swelling around the site as they administered the drug. The fact it swollen up as big as that makes me think they were not paying attention!
There is no way you should feel embarrassed by your reaction. Legitimate reaction I would say. Don’t worry patients have farted in my face so it hard to shock us 😂

It is very stressful to be in the hospital even if it's an uneventful trip. You shouldn't feel badly about your reaction to a scary and unexpected occurrance.

As my name suggests I work in radiology. We regularly give injections of contrast via cannulas, between 50ml to 100ml, and if the cannula isn't sited properly and the injection goes into the surrounding tissue it's very painful. Please don't feel bad about your reaction, I'm actually shocked they didn't realise the medication was 'tissuing' as they injected it. It's obvious if a 5ml saline flush tissues, the skin 'bubbles' and it stings, so to let a larger amount and the saline flush tissue is incredibly poor practice.

I know exactly the pain you're referring to, and it hurts like hell!
In my case it was sedation for a gastroscopy that they messed up.
That was after the nurse had failed to site the cannula the first time causing me to pass out as he wiggled the needle under my skin trying to puncture the vein 😭
They weren't aware his second attempt missed the vein too, and pumped the sedation into the tissue in my arm - ouch!
I then had to undergo the gastroscopy without the sedation.
Not an experience I care to repeat.

I wouldn't give your reaction another tonight, they'll be used to seeing much worse than yours, and most not warranted!

That sounds really painful and we all can say crap when we're in a lot of pain. When I was in labour I told the midwife that I've changed my mind and told her to leave the baby in there. 🫣 It was only a few minutes before I give birth.

I have screamed in pain in labour and also when hospitalised with back pain. On another occasion, as I was coming out of anaesthesia, I apparently took my nightdress off and threw it across the room because I was too hot: I have no memory of this. I don't feel bad about any of it; I was unwell. Any professional worth their salt would not judge your for your reaction.

I asked a doctor if he was good in bed because he worked with Fannies all day when I was in labour high as a kite.

Don’t worry about it, I’m sure they’ve seen much worse and hey, if you’re in pain, you’re in pain! You react to that and that’s ok 🙂

This happened to me too. I regularly get hospital treatment so I knew something wasn't right. It was agony. Still got a big lump a year later. It's hideous!
Hope you're OK @lizardsandgheckosandfrogs. I don't think you need to be embarrassed xx

Don’t worry about it, the staff will have seen it all. In my transition stage of my second labour I kept shouting “I’m going to die”! I’m never normally dramatic like that but I was in excruciating pain. Honestly, don’t worry.

They see patients all day every day do you really think your situation would stand out to anyone other than you? Do things other people do stand out for you that much like in your work?

I’ve only read the OP so don’t know if this has been posted already but might make you feel better. You’re not alone in embarrassment!

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4111550-ever-embarrassed-yourself-at-hospital?flipped=1&page=1

exactly the same thing happened to me but mine was during my labour, my arm went huge, tbh I don't remember any pain from it but tbh It was an horrendously painful labour so I think the labour pain overridden it. my arm was black with bruising the next day though.

You were probably quite frightened as well as in pain, I think it’s completely understandable!

That happened to me, the cannula had moved outside my vein and the anaesthetic went into the tissue of my hand. It burned like fuck!

I didn't scream, but it do remember hissing and ARGH! They quickly look the needle out, but thankfully it didn't blow up to tangerine size, so you must have had quite a dose.

Don't feel bad about it, it happens and it bloody hurts.

I was in A&E for heart and breathing issues recently. I told them I'd started to feel unwell and light-headed but they just kept telling me there was a six hour wait and to be patient.

I came in an ambulance so I'm now in a wheelchair. I suddenly get very lightheaded and can feel myself slowly passing out. I slid to the floor and my top went up as I slid so I'm basically on the floor showing my boobs to the whole room as the Paramedic had undone my bra.

Now that's embarrassing - although suddenly I get to see a Dr straight away who wants to know why I haven't been checked for a heart attack or clot on my lung yet...

You didn't over react at all.