I know ScaredyDog, but the consultant/surgeon (?) who made the decision, didn't actually tell him, but was muttering to whoever it was accompanying him. DH was actually a bit out of it on morphine, paracetomol and codeine, and exhausted from lack of sleep and pain. No one actually said to him that he would definitely going to theatre the following day. He sort of "gathered" it from what he overheard in his drug-induced haze.
When he questioned it in the morning, which he did, quite strongly, everyone said absolutely definitely that he should eat normally. He actually went to the nursing station at the entrance to the ward and checked with the senior nurse there. At this point, if you are bloody hungry, and you are told that you can eat, you kind of assume that you were dreaming the night before, or that things have changed overnight and as no one was telling him what was going on anyway, he just thought that as usual, he was The Unit and Didn't Need to Know. He's not thinking that clearly even now. He's still in pain and then gets spaced out on the medication, so you can't really expect him to be normal right now, and he was much worse yesterday morning. Another night with no sleep due to pain etc. It all adds up, and your mind doesn't function properly.
When we saw him today, he was much better and his face is being drained. He has talked about complaining, but drsharryn, he is worried that he will suffer for complaining so will wait until he's discharged. He is going to write several letters to specific people and also to Management etc naming names.
I wanted to talk to someone today, but he really didn't want me to. As I approached the nursing station one nurse slammed down the phone and started ranting. Everyone else there was totally absorbed by her. I didn't think it was a good time to have a proper conversation with them. My presence even noticed.
Anyway, gingerroots is right; I would cry. I don't think I'd get angry, but I know I would just dissolve. I know I would cry so hard I wouldn't be able to speak. I can barely hold things together. I know it's pathetic. I'm crying now.
He's a difficult man I know, but there are two people in particular whose attitude is truly dreadful. Like the patient is irrelevant and is not actually a person.
He was initially examined (after triage) in a public room with people just sitting around watching him scream and writhe around, cry and beg for pain killers. There was an empty cubicle right next to them. Eventually he asked if the doctor could do the examination in private and she TUTTED! They did go into the cubicle though. When she'd finished and told him to wait there, he asked if he could lie on the bed and she said no because they'd have to put a sheet on it. He'd been there for over 6 hours with no pain medication and was desperate. He lay down anyway.
A couple of years ago the hospital had its' knuckles rapped not long after my mum died, for the same reasons. They don't seem to have pulled their socks up much.
On the other hand, there are a couple of nurses on his ward who are wonderful. He is going to write about them too and send flowers. (Are flowers good, or would chocs or biscuits be better? Home made cake?)
Thursday was strike day, so not the greatest day to go in, but he couldn't help that. It doesn't seem to have made much difference, as the - almost callousness - has continued all week.