• entries
    264
  • comments
    982
  • views
    48,535

Third Procedure


SassyBetsy

1,306 views

 

I had the third radiofrequency ablation last week. It was the worst one. It took 4 times to get the IV probably because I was dehydrated and the staff got frustrated with me because I jumped when it hurt. And it DID. So they numbed it And that Burned but they got the vein in my wrist. I was in a panick plus I felt the staff was angry with me because they could not get it right. 

 

Both wrists are bruised up now. My side and shoulder hurt bad after this time. But they warned me of that. I suffered two nights but now gone. But most important is I am walking nearly pain free. This helps my meds work. I am no longer begging for meds early or waiting to take them or waiting for them to work. I will walk around the store and see how that goes. woweeee it worked again!!!! 

 

My complaint is the recovery staff that were angry at me because they wanted me to leave quick. They have a policy that someone takes you away asap. Last time they called my driver and all was ok. This time my driver was scheduled but he got lost where I was and they had switched drivers so the phone number was wrong. But I said the driver is scheduled so no worries. I said call the company to locate driver. In meantime driver is in the outer waiting room but no one notified recovery nurses.  So the charge nurse says this is why we want someone waiting. I said someone is waiting scheduled I do not know why he not here. I was so upset. I said call the doctor. He came in and said I think everyone needs to take a deep breathe. I looked up and said deep breaths do not fix things. He squinted and said what? I repeated. He said I needed to cooperate with his staff. I said I was. then I said oh you mean by leaving? I said I was on hold trying to locate the driver and I did not appreciate the nurses being all mad at me when they had empied out the recovery except for me. The doc said well maybe next time better arrangements .....I said IF next time then....he said most important thing was my pain relief so see you in 6 weeks. Poof he was gone. I under drugs dissolved in tears but then driver appeared claiming to have arrived on time but had been lost then ignored by the one staff at desk. I said I told you so. I said you wanted to call my snf as if I was retarded and I told you the insurance case manager set this up. I went to office manager in my drugged state refusing wheelchair and more dizzy than ever and said here is the driver and driver told his story and then I said you were really mean to me while I was in recovery and she denied rather than apologized to a druggyheaded patient. But I got back to the van and back home.  All is well.

 

But I felt like I was inconvience to them unwanted burden a nothing a bother. And the doc was not concerned with my being upset and in fact treated me as if I was not cooperating. What did those nurses say? I was lying down eyes closed mostly except for dialing my phone they gave me. I was concerned the driver had not come and I had called my son hours away and asked him to come. when he asked?? i snapped back. of course he would take hours. i focused on calling the company to find driver. I was so drugged. Who gave me the phone??? Glad I did not drugcall anyone else. The big exodus was lunch break. But they were nutty about it unlind. The doc misunderstood the problem I was having with insensitive nurses mad the driver not there.

 

I had good arrangement. I gave charge nurse all phone numbers in the beginning. I had numbers in my phone.

 

But I cannot control for switched drivers and lost drivers. And shouldn't nurses take care of me and let office staff call the driver? 

 

So the whole thing was different from when son came. this was stressful and horrific care. But I am walking around painfree. Is it worth it??? oh Yes. CP S is a terror unbearable thing. I never could compare one day to months pain. This wears off though. 

 

I feel like I was bad patient.

my veins did not cooperate. neither did I nor my driver.

 

I complained so much here. crying in pain. now I say i had spinal. i not hurt as much.

 

I told my casemanager to help me avoid this in future. I will not talk to doc about this only good news this treatment works for me!

 

I will get a chapperone next time.

 

But a kudos to this treatment!! I 

 

 

 

12 Comments


Recommended Comments

Pam :

 

I am glad treatment worked for you, that's what matters painfree days.  I feel sometimes it's ok to ignore rude behavior of others, by just giving them pass that they must be having bad day themselves so taking out on others forgive & forget that way we can have  peace of mind.

 

Asha

 

Link to comment

Hi Pam, the nurses may have been having a bad day as Asha mentioned, and it's so great that you're looking at the positive side of the treatment.

 

Are you afraid when nurses are trying to attach the IV?  If so, I can relate to that.  For some reason, I don't mind having blood taken during my annual check-ups, but I'm petrified of IV's.  It's fortunate that I was unconscious when I had to have neurosurgeries after my strokes; otherwise, they would have had a heck of a time getting an IV attached.

 

Several years after my strokes, I had to have an IV and went through exactly the same bad experience that you had.  First attempt was left hand followed with second attempt on left arm.  When the third attempt (right hand) also failed leaving me badly bruised, the young nurse called in a more experienced nurse who explained that my fear was causing my veins to "hide", lol.  

 

Now the good news, the older nurse wrapped my right arm in a hot wet towel, and this allowed my veins to "relax", and the IV went in with no trouble.  Didn't even feel the needle.  You might want to ask the nurse to use the hot wet towel on you before trying to attach the IV next time.  Hope it works!  

Link to comment

Pam, it is hard to find staff anywhere now who are truly compassionate and try to understand. A lot of people get flustered when there is a delay of any kind to their schedule and then lose their professionalism which is what seems to have happened to you.  The practice manager rather than the doctor should have dealt courteously with the problem. The problem with the driver was not your fault at all.  I think over here you would have been advised to have someone to accompany you so you were not left alone in a waiting room in case there was a delay.  I know it is hard to have to ask someone to do that for you.  Hopefully if there has to be another visit that can be arranged.

Link to comment

I understand your frustrations. I hear patients go on and on about how wonderfully they were treated by hospital staff and then I wonder if something is wrong with me because I have had a few terrible experiences at the hands of staff and cannot always say the same thing as others. Most of my encounters have been good but not all.  To expect a patient to be in charge of what a driver does or doesn't do is bizarre. Staff knows better than that. Administrative staff (not nursing) should have taken control and remedied the problem and not quibbled with a drug induced patient. You were their responsibility the second they put you on a bed. There are good IV technicians and poor IV technicians. In a lot of hospitals these days not just anyone is allowed to insert or remove an IV. It is considered a specialty and there are specialized IV teams that travel from patient to patient who know all the tricks on dealing with difficult veins. It also sounds like staff was having a bad day. I try to use humor to diffuse a situation but when that doesn't work I simply ask staff if they are having a bad day and I am usually surprised at what they have to unload. It tends to mellow them out when you extend a hand or an ear to them. You survived it Toots and in the end that is what counts. So sooooooooo happy you are able to walk without pain. This is a looong journey but we are Survivors because we are strong. Hugs and smiles.

Link to comment

 Pam I need to ask you a huge favor you know we all care about you and we all do have our challenges but not everyone and everything that you encounter in a day is out to hurt you or cause you any harm or discomfort I would love to see you identify one positive thing in in your day and post it on your blog could you do that for me I'd really appreciate it have a blessed day I will always keep you in my prayers be blessed and be a blessing

Jay 

Link to comment

 

1 hour ago, Jayallen said:

 Pam I need to ask you a huge favor you know we all care about you and we all do have our challenges but not everyone and everything that you encounter in a day is out to hurt you or cause you any harm or discomfort I would love to see you identify one positive thing in in your day and post it on your blog could you do that for me I'd really appreciate it have a blessed day I will always keep you in my prayers be blessed and be a blessing

Jay 

I appreciate you're asking for a positive however this is her POV on the experience. She has gone through so much and I know she knows looking for a positive is important but I believe she can blog about how she felt through this. Furthermore, I can not even begin to understand the feelings she has and how the slightest discomfort is excruciating.     

Link to comment

Thank you for your support everyone. I apologize if my account disturbed anyone. The Slightest discomfort is not excruciating so do not worry. And I have positives but perhaps I fail to share them because I do not need support for those things.  I do not think everyone is out to get me. This was an accurate account of events without embellishment.

 

And this is my blog. I write it for myself first. Maybe some relate or Not.

One Positive is I am not bullied and will always tell my story somewhere because no one should feel that there is only happily ever after happening around them except for them. This Toots survived this indeed. I needed that hug Pearls thank you.

Link to comment

Pam I am so happy you are getting positive results. I know for you the relief has to be life changing. I'm so sorry that the experience was much less positive. For me, I do have fears and aha I have feelings. I would agree that maybe these medical professionals day was not the best. Compassion and bedside manner in general unfortunately isn't everyone's strong point but whole heartedly believe it should be for these professionals. Individuals that haven't (more than likely) experienced most of the things that we as patients are fighting in my opinion need to have a compassion that overpowers this. I believe that being treated with such compassion that it can make a world of difference in accomplishing these sometimes grueling procedures just to help our lives maybe even the smallest amount. Enjoy your positive results and try to not allow yourself to be affected for future procedures by less than compassionate medical staff. I believe it is their problem. I send you my hugs and support and I am always here for you even while venting it's natural and healing I think. :rolleyes:

Link to comment

Thanks. I thought to share my fear that I must do this again. It is nice you understood this fear is there. I am thankful the procedure was a success and helps my meds work. I enjoy this relief by walking exercising and being with friends. I have a few that visit when I stay in my room recovering from day out to store. I love them. I play cards with them.

Thank you.

Link to comment

None of us can be cheerful or positive all the time, I know I have often written blogs when I have been down.  Often wondered afterwards if i should delete them and write something more positive but did that only twice.  Even if I do not think a blog is forceful enough when I write it i rarely edit it.  Of course sometimes in the light of the next day I felt much better and shuddered when I reread how i had felt the night before.  It is your blog so write down whatever your true feelings are. Sometimes just writing them down is enough.

Link to comment

Thank you Sue I agree.

I wonder why we feel guilt when we have expressed our personal truth?

 

I am not feeling constant persecution. 

My pain the CPS is real and excruciating. Before this cocktail and spinal thing they could only give me a shot which put me out to relieve my pain.

 Those who saw me knew I was in real pain even if they did not understand why.

 

I have to give voice to everything. Yes embarassing even shame to reveal but yes enough just enough. And maybe tough to witness and perhaps desire to silence but these are my truths at the time.

A great professor said we must believe we are always in the right place and if we said it then it needed to be said. but omg now I lack a filter sometimes so I often debate this. but honestly if the shoe fits.....

 

A place like this invites honesty enables freedom and gives chance to relate with those things polite society ignorant of all things stroke never talk about. I can be a freak here and be supported. Thank heavens for that. 

Link to comment
Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.