Sunday, July 5, 2015

Almost 34 Weeks


We have decided to take my dad up on his offer.
We are giving up our apartment and moving in permanently with my parents.
We already have been in their "guest room" for over a week and will be packing up our boxes of belonging and transporting our furniture to this house over the next few weeks. I'm completely on bed rest except for bathroom trips. I'm eating meals mostly laying down in bed or on the couch. 

There is too much to say. There aren't enough words to describe what has been going on so I'm going to give you the letter that I'm sending to my OB. I've been up at Labor&Delivery so many times, I can't even count them by now; I'm sure it's beyond the 20 mark.

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Hi Dr. C,

I’ve been having a very difficult time managing this pain. I’m driving up to L&D numerous times during the week to get additional help for relief. I’m taking 15mg MSContin every 6 hours and 2mg Dilaudid every 4 hours. A few days ago, one of the L&D doctors instructed to take a 4mg tab when I have an episode and see if that helps and might reduce my trips to UCD. So far, it has helped for 1 or 2 episodes, but not for the other 3 or more episodes. I’m completely on bedrest except for bathroom trips. I’m laying constantly in bed, even laying down to eat meals. It has definitely been better to lay down rather than to sit or stand, but the pain level is still high and is always present.


By the time I arrive at UCD, I’ve already had an hour of intense pain at home, endured 45 minutes being driven to UCD laying in the back seat while pain continues to increase, and by the time I’m at L&D waiting for help the pain becomes unbearable. Once finally being checked in and called back to a room it takes at least 60 minutes to get any medication  okay'ed by a doctor or delivered and even longer for some relief. I wait sobbing and writhing in pain, unable to lay still, and unable to answer questions correctly. Yesterday I was unable to state how far along I am/when I’m due, and that's something that is easy to remember.

I and my Mom/Dad have overheard conversations between nurses where it has been said, “can’t she manage her pain at home?” Another conversation was, 

Nurse who checked me in- “She is here again. What do you want me to do?”
Person on the walky talky device- “Again? Stop giving her meal trays!”
Nurse- “We haven’t been giving her any.”
Person on the device- “Put her in the lobby and wait an hour and see if she goes away.”
Nurse- “I can’t do that. She is the only one here in the lobby.”
Person on the device- “Well, I guess you gotta treat her then.”

& other nurses seeming to have little to no compassion for my situation while I’m dealing with severe pain. We have asked about when a doctor would be able to come and assist and the nurse replied, ‘ you just have to wait your turn.’
I’ve been put in back rooms with no air conditioner on and instructed to keep the door closed because I’m “upsetting the other patients” but they are in no rush to give me assistance. We opened the door for fresher air because of  the heated room and we have been told to close the door because there were patients down the hall and then have been given dirty looks from certain nurses because of my sobbing. I feel like they are treating me like I’m just there for a drug fix, rather than treating me like someone who is dealing with legitimate pain and someone who needs relief. 
 Is there something that is in my chart which would make them treat me like I’m there for something other than significant and crippling pain issues? I have no where else to go and the pain doesn’t go away on it’s own. Over the time I sit waiting for help, the pain just builds and builds. Never in my life have I been in this much pain.

Dealing with all this pain and misery, I should not have to deal with nurses who have an issue with me coming in for help.
Also, is there any way to get medication ordered for me ahead of time so that when I am in L&D every 2-3 or so days, I don’t have to wait so long for relief? As I stated earlier, by the time I’m getting minimal relief, it has already been at least 2.5 hours or more of severe and unbearable pain…
-Amber
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3 comments:

  1. So glad you will be staying with your parents and siblings, so sorry to hear of this on-going horrifying pain that they can't seem to diagnose or treat!! Praying for your miracle!!

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  2. Ughhhh!!!! I'm pretty sure I'd be unwelcome there after telling doctors and nurses off. I don't stick up for myself too well, but I cannot tolerate it when someone else is suffering and being bullied. Yeah, I would not be able to contain myself if I had overheard those nurses talking about you like that while you're being tortured with pain. That's so mean! I'm sorry, Amber! I hope they will become much better nurses and truly care for their patients. They need to recall the hippocratic oath. I'm praying every day! Very glad to hear that you don't have to get up. God bless ALL of your family!

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    1. I don't know how I'd be able to go through this without the love and support of my family. Not only do I have an AWESOME husband, but my parents and sibs are right there with him!

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