Jay was finally discharged from the hospital tonight around 9:30. What an ordeal! We had to wait all afternoon to be discharged, and at about 5:30 we started getting pretty annoyed. The neurosurgeon said that on his end, we were good to go home. That was at about 11:30 this morning. So the nurse called the attending, who said she would be by in a few hours. Fine. Ok. We'll wait a few hours. Well, 3 p.m. came around, and still no sign of her. Then, the next thing we know, a neurologist shows up for a consult, at the request of the attending doctor. Um... we have a neurosurgeon who came in and did an evaluation this morning, and said we were good to go home. I'm sure the look on our faces was priceless when she told us she was from neurology. And when I mentioned that we had already been ok'd by our neurosurgeon - who did Jay's four previous back surgeries - her response was, "Well, I guess this visit will be quick then." And, sadly, my only thought was, "And quite expensive, I'm sure."
So, she gives Jay the ok (I think she was more afraid of what we would have done had she not given Jay the ok), says she's going to write the orders for the attenidng so we can leave. The nurse comes in, takes Jay's IV out, and says she's going to call the attending with the list of medications we wanted to go home with. She calls, and comes back in to tell us that the attending won't release us until we see the pain management doctor, and he won't be up for another two hours. And then we have to wait to see the attending (who, if you remember, was going to be by in the early afternoon), and she had no time frame for when she would be up.
By this point in the day, it's 6:30, and this is where we both went a little ballistic. "You're telling us that we have to wait to see a guy who spent 15 seconds with us last night, never introcuced himself, let alone discussed treatment options, and then changed the meds without telling us, and now we have to wait two hours to see him. Are they out of their f#^&@!* mind?!?!?!?! They wouldn't wait two hours for us! Heck, they wouldn't even wait 30 minutes, I'm sure. Can the attending not make a decision on pain medicine, of which she consulted with the pain management doctor on, to discharge us?" That's pretty much how the conversation with the nurse went. And I feel sorry for her, because she was just the messanger, but by this point in time we were back to the ridiculousness that began his whole ordeal. We were told we could leave, but we wouldn't have any meds, so it was a catch 22 situation. Very frustating. Obviously, both the pain management doc and the attending got to us so we could be released, but again, it was after 9 p.m.
The whole experience was a blessing in disguise, now that I look back on it. And a nasty rollercoaster ride, too. Had they released us after the first MRI on Saturday, and then Jay had the spasms, etc., at home, what would we have done? But who knows if that even would have happened. He was so congested from laying in bed for two days straight, which made him cough and have the spasms in the first place, but would he have been that congested had he not been laying in bed? It's all a "what if?" game, and I could sit here and play it all night, but I won't. It'll only drive me crazy. I'm just glad that he is home and not in as much pain and resting comfortably. The neurosurgeon said no surgery for the herniated discs, that 85 percent of the time they heal on their own, but Jay is a unique situation, and he could be wrong, and for us to check back with him in a few weeks. Jay just needs to take it easy, which (like me) is easier said than done. Especially with everything else going on in our lives at the moment.
Thank you all for your concern and well wishes. I really appreciate it!
So, she gives Jay the ok (I think she was more afraid of what we would have done had she not given Jay the ok), says she's going to write the orders for the attenidng so we can leave. The nurse comes in, takes Jay's IV out, and says she's going to call the attending with the list of medications we wanted to go home with. She calls, and comes back in to tell us that the attending won't release us until we see the pain management doctor, and he won't be up for another two hours. And then we have to wait to see the attending (who, if you remember, was going to be by in the early afternoon), and she had no time frame for when she would be up.
By this point in the day, it's 6:30, and this is where we both went a little ballistic. "You're telling us that we have to wait to see a guy who spent 15 seconds with us last night, never introcuced himself, let alone discussed treatment options, and then changed the meds without telling us, and now we have to wait two hours to see him. Are they out of their f#^&@!* mind?!?!?!?! They wouldn't wait two hours for us! Heck, they wouldn't even wait 30 minutes, I'm sure. Can the attending not make a decision on pain medicine, of which she consulted with the pain management doctor on, to discharge us?" That's pretty much how the conversation with the nurse went. And I feel sorry for her, because she was just the messanger, but by this point in time we were back to the ridiculousness that began his whole ordeal. We were told we could leave, but we wouldn't have any meds, so it was a catch 22 situation. Very frustating. Obviously, both the pain management doc and the attending got to us so we could be released, but again, it was after 9 p.m.
The whole experience was a blessing in disguise, now that I look back on it. And a nasty rollercoaster ride, too. Had they released us after the first MRI on Saturday, and then Jay had the spasms, etc., at home, what would we have done? But who knows if that even would have happened. He was so congested from laying in bed for two days straight, which made him cough and have the spasms in the first place, but would he have been that congested had he not been laying in bed? It's all a "what if?" game, and I could sit here and play it all night, but I won't. It'll only drive me crazy. I'm just glad that he is home and not in as much pain and resting comfortably. The neurosurgeon said no surgery for the herniated discs, that 85 percent of the time they heal on their own, but Jay is a unique situation, and he could be wrong, and for us to check back with him in a few weeks. Jay just needs to take it easy, which (like me) is easier said than done. Especially with everything else going on in our lives at the moment.
Thank you all for your concern and well wishes. I really appreciate it!
2 comments:
WOW! Sounds like a plot for National Lampoon's New Year Vacation or something! So much for the rest that you're supposed to get over the holidays.
I hate to hear about a holiday gone so far awry, but am glad that you're back at home now.
Good luck for the New Year!
Amanda -- What a nightmare you 2 have been through. So glad to hear that things are beginning to turn around and improve. I've had a few similar experiences and I also do not have a lot of confidence in most doctors & hospitals. Seems it's nearly impossible to find a doctor or nurse with genuine concern and compassion. Most of the ones I've dealt with seem to be "in it for the money." I know first-hand how traumatic back trouble can be, and like others, I am praying that Jay continues to improve.
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