Here's the rant:
I don't have a lot of experience with surgeries. Eli's had 2 and the only 1 I've had was for my c-section. I could only compare this to Eli's experience at LGH. Nate's doctor was awesome. I think I just ran into some grumpy people having a bad day.
When we got to the hospital, we checked in and were seated in a waiting room. There were tons of people in the room and some were in johnny's. It turns out this is where everybody waits...patients, friends, families, etc. I don't know how it's o.k. to have people waiting for surgery in wheelchairs & their hospital gowns among the guests. That just seems weird. We waited in this room for 2 hours. Yes, 2 hours. When Eli had his surgeries, we were led to his room where he'd be staying. The nurses came in, did his vitals, got him changed & we hung out and watched TV. This was what I was expected. This is not what I got. I needed to pump. There was no way I was going to pump in this overcrowded room. Dave asked the receptionist and I was shown to a small room that looked like a dr's office. OK so pumping crisis averted.
Finally we were brought into the "holding cell". This is where the nurse took his vitals & we chatted with his dr & the anesthesia people. Nobody ever gave us a play-by-play or let us know what was going to happen. They took him away...no gown just his diaper and a blanket...and we went back to the waiting room. I had to pump again but now the room was pretty empty to Dave set up a barricade and I was all set. There was no food allowed in the waiting room and I was too much of a nervous Nelly to go downstairs to eat. We waited for the dr to let us know Nate was done. This was an hour and a half later. It is now 4ish. We haven't eaten since 10.
We went to the recovery room. We were told Nate would be there about an hour. He needed to wake up, have some pedialyte, pee, etc. We waited, and waited, and waited. Nate fulfilled his end of the deal within an hour. We kept waiting. They kept telling us "15 minutes. They're cleaning his room upstairs." We kept waiting and waiting and waiting. It's now 8 o'clock. The new nurse came on shift & I lost it. I was exhausted. I had to pump. Nate needed to eat. Luckily Dave ran and got us some cardboard sandwiches.
We got ushered upstairs quicker than anticipated b/c I lost it and Nate was bawling looking to eat. Now earlier in the week I had called the pedi floor and asked about his bottles. He takes breast milk mixed w/ formula for the extra calories. I was told to bring his formula, but I wouldn't be allowed to mix it. The dietician had to mix it. OK. I brought the formula. I had some milk. Where's the dietician to mix it? Oh, it's 8 PM and there's no dietician on call. Hmm...what's Nate going to eat? They told me to mix up some straight formula and just give it to him. OK. I didn't bring the recipe or the stuff I need to mix his milk so I just gave him the straight formula.
This is just how it continued. Dave had to leave to go home to the other boys. I stayed with Nate. His overnight nurse was less than warm and fuzzy. I was miserable. Nate was miserable. His morning nurse tech was amazing & I'm thinking of sending a letter to the hospital about her. In the long run, Nate never had any breast milk. His dr was furious and apologized for the beaurocracy. It was a big mess and I don't wish that experience on anybody. It was like they'd never had an infant patient before. They didn't even have the right size diapers for him. No formula on the floor. Like I said, it was a mess...I'm just glad we're home and Nate's ok. Yikes!
In recovery. Had I known we would be there for 4
hours, I would have packed a lunch...
In his room. Looking at his toys.
Rocking the cutie patootie hat and trying to eat his IV.
Yes that is my IPod in the back. He needed
lullaby music...poor guy...
Finally asleep!!! (briefly)
These are his "boo boos". We get the bandages
removed at the dr's this week. (Yes, that's
a face cloth covering his package. He's very shy.)
1 comment:
OMFG GIRL! WTF! When Mati had her surgery it was kind of like that, in the waiting area. The patients, family, etc. waited in the waiting room the morning of their surgery (if they were not already in the hospital) and then we were called back to a room. They carried her off, no bed. Then we sat back in the waiting room we started in. BUT after surgery we were allowed in the waiting area after they made sure she was stable, like maybe 10 minutes later and we didnt leave her again. That is just insane. I am sorry it happened like this but thankfully its all over and Nate is past this. Next time, god forbid if there ever is a next time, do not be afraid to take his care into your own hands. Yes, it will piss off a bunch of nurses, but they will get over it. By the time I left that place everyone knew my name, a few nurses had been banned from my room, I had a meeting with the DON on the floor, yelled at a few doctors, had doctors paged at all hours... and you better believe I would do it again in a heartbeat. Sometimes you gotta bring out your inner bitch.
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