So it's me again with a new litany of complaints lol

[hiddley]

I've posted before (I think), but if not, I was 3 weeks in hospital in Jan (2 weeks in ICU) and have just come out of hospital a week ago after a new wee holiday in hospital (discharged myself).

Anyway, the litany is that I went to gp the 9th with severe pain in upper abdomen. He gave me pain killers.

Ended up in HDU the following day.

Spent 10 days in hospital.

Saw lady GP today who was absolutely brilliantly thorough. She read through every note from the hospital, every blood test and I was in with her at least a half hour. She then gave me a blood test leaflet thing to have done in a week. Last thing she did was lie me down to examine my stomach. Nearly passed out with the pain when she pressed mid ribs and under right ribs. So told me to get the bloods done today, which I did.

Anyway, she hasn't gotten the results back but told me to go to A&E if pain gets worse. In the meantime I'm to double my lansoprazole, take gaviscon and a diuretic (don't know what it's called really, it's to get fluid out of my swollen legs).

Now the thing is, she said I had fluid on my lungs when in hospital and had a chest infection. I also had phlebitis. And apparently I have a cyst on an ovary (I had a ct scan while in - not looking for anything like that). I'm also anaemic.
I was told was that my liver and kidneys were struggling. I was told I had an infection but they didn't know where it was so I was put on antibiotics. This GP could tell me that it was a chest infection.

I was told absolutely NONE OF THIS. None of it.

I am not a fucking idiot. I can understand what people tell me. WHY THE FUCK DID NONE OF THE FUCKERS TELL ME ANYTHING? They were happy to pump drips into me and not tell me what the fuck they were. Is it acceptable?

And don't tell me that they didn't know. They knew. Why would they not keep me bloody informed? Surely you're entitled to be told what the hell is wrong with you unless you lack capacity to understand?

did you ask while in hospital?

Ask what? I asked whatever drips the nurses were putting in but most of the time they didn't have a fucking clue. Ask what exactly? Do I have fluid on my lungs? Have I a chest infection, is that why you're giving me antibiotics? Have I a cyst on my ovary?

No I didn't fucking ask. Because I'm not psychic.

They put oxygen thing up my nose but never told me why.
I refused to have a catheter put in so they finally told me that my kidneys were failing and they needed to monitor my urine output.
I refused to go into ICU because they nearly killed me in there in January.
They tried and failed to get a line into my groin to administer medication to bring my bp up. I refused again to go into ICU. I look like my groin has been hammered by a psychopath. They couldn't get a line in. A half an hour of torture for nothing.

if i was staying in hospital i would constantly be asking “whats wrong with me? whats that for? why are you doing that?” etc.

i wouldnt wait until i see my GP

I was asking, but you see a doc for about 3 minutes once a day. The rest of the time you're at the mercy of nurses, most of whom see you as a mere animal.

You ask what drip is that? 'Oh it's fluids'. No, I know it's not fucking fluids because you have fluids going into my other arm you dopey cunt.

I remember your post from before and you seemed very stressed out (understandably). Have you spoken to PALS?

As for asking what was wrong with me? All they told me was 'you're very sick and we need to take more blood tests'. I told them that I was far from very sick and was walking right out of there unless they gave me a good reason not to, so they told me that I would collapse on the way out. One bastard actually told me he was going to ring my NOK to tell him to arrange my funeral because I wasn't co-operating. If I fucking knew what was wrong, or what they were investigating fine. But, 'you're very sick'. Eh, I'm not two years old!

I rang pals and left a voice message for them to call me back, they haven't, then I rang again the following day and didn't even get through to a voicemail.

Anyway, as a temporary measure I've changed my next of kin to my sister who is a doctor. She might bloody tell me what's going on.

That must be very frustrating! The hospital should have an allocated complaints manager which might be worth a try? If you do have to go back to hospital, is there a different one in your area you could go to?

I'll give you an example. I asked a nurse what this new drip was. It's Vitamin K she said. What's that for? I said. Oh it's to help with your withdrawals from alcohol.
No it fucking isn't. It's to help your blood to clot. Because my fucking liver was failing to produce vit K and I was at risk of bleeding to death.
But no. it's for the alcohol says yer wan..
GCSE biology told me what vitamin K is for. That and having had a blood clot on my lung 20 years ago and being advised by haematologist to avoid anything with Vit. K in.

But the thing I won't let go is the bitch who woke me up by pressing on the cannula in my hand. Sadistic cunt.

There are three under Barts trust. This one happens to be the nearest to me.

Oh my goodness sounds like you’ve had an absolutely awful time! Please don’t let your bad experience put you off seeking help if you need it!

Has anyone mentioned sepsis to you? That is basically your organs starting to fail due to infection - the infection could have started anywhere.

The fluids and oxygen you mention are used to treat sepsis, were you on iv antibiotics?

I’m a final year student nurse and I would never ever treat a patient in my care the way you have been treated, it’s not all of us. Please complain to pals.

Hope that you feel better soon

Sepsis was investigated but ruled out. They couldn't get my bp above about 70/50 for days and my pulse was 150. Blood sugar wouldn't go up either despite those horrible gloops. 2.6. Basically I don't think they had a fucking clue what was wrong with me either. Sister is now my nok so at least she will know what to ask. My ex was my nok and you might as well be talking to a brick wall as him.

Linzilou. You sound like a lovely future nurse by the way. Remember that we are lying on beds vulnerable but we are still human and intelligent. Thanks for your reply and I wish you the best of luck in your career.

They did a CT scan. Bloods daily. Obs hourly (by sadist). Chest xray. I honestly can't fault the doctors. It's the nurses. Plus the doctors could have told me what was going on. 'How are you today?' 'Fine thanks'. 'Ok'. Lol.

You still sound unwell. Are you sure your blood sugars are ok ?

I find it so upsetting that you have been treated this way. Really sorry, hope that you get the answers you need

Okay it might not be bad as it sounds. Sorry I don't know your backstory.

What does/did your sister think was happening?

You were in ITU for 2 weeks which means you were incredibly unwell, as you know that is a very lengthy ICU stay. Unfortunately pulmonary oedema (fluid on the lungs), basal lung consolidation (sometimes due to infection but not always ) and phlebitis (because of all the lines) are very common secondary things that happen to very sick patients and part of the reasons very sick patients need to be looked after by ICU by doctors who understand what happens to the body when organs don't work well.

As for the ovarian cyst it depends a bit on the size and your age, ovarian cysts are within the spectrum of normal findings in premenopausal women. What did the GP say about follow up of this?

I do not want to minimise your concerns and you have obviously been on the receiving end of poor communication and treated very badly by some staff. I think PALs is really good idea, they can go through each of these issues with you and your sister.

If you'd stayed, you probably would have got the full picture after a while.

What's happened to the thing your psychiatrist was referring you to?

Has anyone mentioned pancreatitis?
Mention it to your GP.

You do seem very unlucky, you always come across such negligent staff during these crises. I recognise you from your anger, mainly. I’m sorry you’re still unwell.

Have you considered going to a different hospital?

Venus - don't sugar coat some falsely nice statement with 'I recognise you from your anger'.
Pancreatitis was ruled out
Battleax I'm not sure exactly what my psychiatric health has to do with anything here? Perhaps you can help me with that? Maybe my brain is telling my liver to stop functioning?
Lucked I was in ICU for two weeks in January. Pneumonia, then ARDS and multiple organ failure. This last time was about the 1st of November. I was discharged (by myself) on the 10th of November (one week ago exactly). Since I came out my feet and legs have swollen like 2 tree trunks. 111 doctor rang me and told me basically my liver is probably failing because it should be producing albumin to allow kidneys get rid of fluids. Went to A & E and waited for over two hours and just said fuck it so didn't wait to get seen. Went to GP this morning.
The day before I went in with failing kidneys, liver and a chest infection, the GP who saw me for approx. 2 minutes prescribed me 50 cocodamol. The following day when the ambulance came they told me that I should be calling 999 a day before as I seem to stay alive when most people would be unconscious. They couldn't believe that I was conscious. They were very serious that given that I seem to remain conscious with stats of 60/40 etc. blood sugar of 2.6 and pulse of 150 means that I need to call 999 rather than 111 before I feel really unwell. That's what they told me anyway.
The GP today was fabulous and spent at least a half hour going through all the results from the hospital. It was when she examined me lying down that the pain became apparent. I have a high tolerarnce for pain I think. So she got me to get bloods done today, rang hospital registrar and has prescribed various things for me with the warning that if pain gets worse to go straight to A&E.

Can I just say that some of you are horrible people. The minute you mention or know that someone has a mental health problem or god forbid the devil's own alcoholism, you think we're fair game to be abused? No we're fucking not. Some of us are probably more intelligent than you. I know for a fact that I am a kinder and better person than you. So do one.