Dear Patient Relations,
I received and gladly completed the short survey about my most recent visit to the Emergency Department. However, I did not feel as if I was able to accurately review or comment on the care that I received. Today, I wanted to take the time to do just that. You see, in the past few years I have been a rather frequent visitor to your hospital. As a result of having a chronic illness, I've had numerous ED visits, hospital admissions, procedures, surgeries, outpatient clinical visits, and diagnostic tests. I have become very familiar with the quality of care that I expect and usually receive under your hospital's care. Personally, I despise having to visit the Emergency Department. Part of this is due to past experiences at other ED's, no fault of your own. Another part is due to the experiences that I hear so often in the Gastroparesis and Chronic Illness online communities. In fear of being mocked, misunderstood, dismissed, ignored, and "labeled" I've become stubborn. I do my absolute best to "tough" things out and not turn to the ED for assistance until my health has reached dangerous levels. I'm not sure how to explain why, except fear. I fear being turned away without help. I fear exhausting energy that I do not have and coming away feeling worse than I did before going. So I fight at home until my family and body no longer give me a choice, until I can barely stand or move safely on my own. Last week, my fears came into play once again. I had been struggling with my current health issues, specifically hydration. (My main culprits are Gastroparesis, resulting in GJ feeding tube since 2013, and colonic inertia, resulting in colectomy with ileostomy this past Jan.) My oral and enteral nutrition intake are still very low due to continuous symptoms consisting of nausea, bloating, and when I attempt oral intake, pain. I realized that I was becoming dehydrated once again, but was determined that I would be able to work it out from home. Each day I became weaker, more pale, and more dehydrated. My nausea was intensely out of control, thanks to my insurance company denying my nausea medication. I knew that I needed help, but I didn't want to admit it, and I didn't want to take the chance of being looked down upon. After a few near black out episodes, I had no choice. April 28 my mom drove the 1 1/2 hr drive to your hospital, as there was no way I was going to my local ED (I've lost trust in them.) and because I am a loyal patient to your hospital system. As I walked in the ED, I was pleasantly greeted by the security officer and clerk. The triage nurse took my vitals, asked a few questions, and let me know that I would need to have a seat in the waiting room as there were no rooms available at the moment. As time slowly ticked by, more and more people began entering the ED waiting room. Exhausted and energy depleted, I tried to relax and rest, while in the back of my mind all I could hear was that this was going to be a mistake. I couldn't help but think that I would be refused fluids, made to wait for hours at end, or ridiculed. But I was completely wrong! When my turn arrived, approximately 2 hours after arrival which wasn't too bad considering, I slowly made my way to the back. Lying on the stretcher, a nurse immediately arrived at my bedside. In a matter of moments, I had an IV line started (took a few tries to find a viable vein, but that's to be expected) with fluids and nausea meds soon follow. Both my assigned MD and her supervising MD were amazing. They both completed a thorough exam of possible infection sites to be safe and agreed that I was definitely dehydrated based on labs, symptoms, and appearance. They showed compassion and empathy, as well as respect. They made it clear that I made the right choice in deciding to come in, what a burden that relieved from my shoulders. After 2 bags of fluid and nausea meds when available, my MD returned to discuss the options I had before me. She wanted my input on whether I felt like I needed 1 more bag or if I thought I would be able to manage for 5 more days at home until my home infusions began. I honestly did not know, so I completely left the decision up to her, but appreciated her involving me in the decision making process. The decision to administer one more bag of fluid was based on the urine specimen that I was finally able to produce (It had been approximately 30 hours since the last time I had urinated.) and my continued dehydration symptoms. The nurses that were treating me during this visit were exceptional as well. They were very pleasant, kind, and dependable. After the seven o'clock pm shift change, Johnny came to introduce himself. I appreciated the way that he asked questions and discussed my prior health conditions that led me to becoming dehydrated. He truly appeared genuinely interested and concerned. Shortly afterwards, he came to tell me that my discharge papers were available after I finished my 3rd bag of fluids. Around the same time, I gained a new neighbor. The patient, now located at my feet on the other side of my hallway curtain, was drunk and very offensive. He was screaming ugly profanities to his female nurse, whom I can honestly say was handling the situation very politely and calmly. Johnny was apologetic for what was occurring and promised to get me discharged as soon as possible. He also checked on his fellow nurse to ensure that she was alright. I am aware that nurses (and doctors) have to deal with a variety of patients, but witnessing how well Johnny and the neighboring nurse appropriately handled the situation was truly admirable and allowed me to remain as comfortable as possible. In short, though I despise visits to the ED, this visit as well as many others within your hospital system, was a positive experience. The doctor's and nurses were on the ball, they coordinated and cooperated very well together, were concise, and definitely patient-centered. I received the absolute best care that could be expected in a timely manner and with a positive attitude. Thank you for assisting me along my health journey by providing exceptional care with a compassionate and empathetic staff. Health issues will arise, symptoms will sometimes need help being managed, but knowing that I have an amazing hospital to depend on makes all the difference in the world. With much appreciation, Trish
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Trisha BundyA proud mother, educator, Gastroparesis & GI Motility Disorder Advocate, Like my content? Want to thank me with a small token of appreciation? https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1LH7R639ORBML?ref_=wl_share
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