I AM here!
Sep 15th 2007, 2:40 pm
#1
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I AM here!
Hi guys
I have really missed being on here. Perhaps you lot didn't miss me too much, but I sure missed you!
I have had a nightmare of a week. MIL (who is 81) was taken very ill at the beginning of the week. We got a call at 10.45pm to say the paramedic had been called for her. OH had been drinking, so couldn't go, so off I roared to go see what was happening.
Turns out she had been like it for the last 24 hours, but not told us.Severe stomach pains, vomiting every 15 mins (I was timing her), blood in the vomit...it was awful. I eventually persuaded a doctor to put her into hospital at 3am. I followed the ambulance, stayed till 4.15 and then drove home exhausted to go to bed for a couple of hours.
By 10 the following morning they were discharging her, telling me they didn't know what was wrong with her, but as the pains and vomiting had stopped she could go home. I pointed out that they had given her drugs to stop the sickness and pumped morphine into her system, but to no avail. I drove her home.
That night the vomiting started again, but she didn't phone us, because she thought I would be exhausted! I got in touch with the GP in the morning and guess what? She was sent back into hospital! I drove her there this time, and told them I wasn't leaving until they had sorted her out.
She is still in there. They think it's a bad kidney infection. She has been on intravenous antibiotics for a couple of days and now she's back to the tablets today.
The treatment she had with the first visit was abysmal to say the least. She was only kept in for 6 hours more or less. By the time she was re-admitted a mere 24 hours later, they had LOST HER NOTES!!!!
I am livid, absolutely knackered from running around ragged for days, whilst still trying to keep the house in pristine condition for all these non existent viewers.
So, I AM BACK!!
I have really missed being on here. Perhaps you lot didn't miss me too much, but I sure missed you!
I have had a nightmare of a week. MIL (who is 81) was taken very ill at the beginning of the week. We got a call at 10.45pm to say the paramedic had been called for her. OH had been drinking, so couldn't go, so off I roared to go see what was happening.
Turns out she had been like it for the last 24 hours, but not told us.Severe stomach pains, vomiting every 15 mins (I was timing her), blood in the vomit...it was awful. I eventually persuaded a doctor to put her into hospital at 3am. I followed the ambulance, stayed till 4.15 and then drove home exhausted to go to bed for a couple of hours.
By 10 the following morning they were discharging her, telling me they didn't know what was wrong with her, but as the pains and vomiting had stopped she could go home. I pointed out that they had given her drugs to stop the sickness and pumped morphine into her system, but to no avail. I drove her home.
That night the vomiting started again, but she didn't phone us, because she thought I would be exhausted! I got in touch with the GP in the morning and guess what? She was sent back into hospital! I drove her there this time, and told them I wasn't leaving until they had sorted her out.
She is still in there. They think it's a bad kidney infection. She has been on intravenous antibiotics for a couple of days and now she's back to the tablets today.
The treatment she had with the first visit was abysmal to say the least. She was only kept in for 6 hours more or less. By the time she was re-admitted a mere 24 hours later, they had LOST HER NOTES!!!!
I am livid, absolutely knackered from running around ragged for days, whilst still trying to keep the house in pristine condition for all these non existent viewers.
So, I AM BACK!!
Sep 15th 2007, 2:43 pm
#2
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Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Sunny Manchester
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Re: I AM here!
Hi guys
I have really missed being on here. Perhaps you lot didn't miss me too much, but I sure missed you!
I have had a nightmare of a week. MIL (who is 81) was taken very ill at the beginning of the week. We got a call at 10.45pm to say the paramedic had been called for her. OH had been drinking, so couldn't go, so off I roared to go see what was happening.
Turns out she had been like it for the last 24 hours, but not told us.Severe stomach pains, vomiting every 15 mins (I was timing her), blood in the vomit...it was awful. I eventually persuaded a doctor to put her into hospital at 3am. I followed the ambulance, stayed till 4.15 and then drove home exhausted to go to bed for a couple of hours.
By 10 the following morning they were discharging her, telling me they didn't know what was wrong with her, but as the pains and vomiting had stopped she could go home. I pointed out that they had given her drugs to stop the sickness and pumped morphine into her system, but to no avail. I drove her home.
That night the vomiting started again, but she didn't phone us, because she thought I would be exhausted! I got in touch with the GP in the morning and guess what? She was sent back into hospital! I drove her there this time, and told them I wasn't leaving until they had sorted her out.
She is still in there. They think it's a bad kidney infection. She has been on intravenous antibiotics for a couple of days and now she's back to the tablets today.
The treatment she had with the first visit was abysmal to say the least. She was only kept in for 6 hours more or less. By the time she was re-admitted a mere 24 hours later, they had LOST HER NOTES!!!!
I am livid, absolutely knackered from running around ragged for days, whilst still trying to keep the house in pristine condition for all these non existent viewers.
So, I AM BACK!!
I have really missed being on here. Perhaps you lot didn't miss me too much, but I sure missed you!
I have had a nightmare of a week. MIL (who is 81) was taken very ill at the beginning of the week. We got a call at 10.45pm to say the paramedic had been called for her. OH had been drinking, so couldn't go, so off I roared to go see what was happening.
Turns out she had been like it for the last 24 hours, but not told us.Severe stomach pains, vomiting every 15 mins (I was timing her), blood in the vomit...it was awful. I eventually persuaded a doctor to put her into hospital at 3am. I followed the ambulance, stayed till 4.15 and then drove home exhausted to go to bed for a couple of hours.
By 10 the following morning they were discharging her, telling me they didn't know what was wrong with her, but as the pains and vomiting had stopped she could go home. I pointed out that they had given her drugs to stop the sickness and pumped morphine into her system, but to no avail. I drove her home.
That night the vomiting started again, but she didn't phone us, because she thought I would be exhausted! I got in touch with the GP in the morning and guess what? She was sent back into hospital! I drove her there this time, and told them I wasn't leaving until they had sorted her out.
She is still in there. They think it's a bad kidney infection. She has been on intravenous antibiotics for a couple of days and now she's back to the tablets today.
The treatment she had with the first visit was abysmal to say the least. She was only kept in for 6 hours more or less. By the time she was re-admitted a mere 24 hours later, they had LOST HER NOTES!!!!
I am livid, absolutely knackered from running around ragged for days, whilst still trying to keep the house in pristine condition for all these non existent viewers.
So, I AM BACK!!
Sep 15th 2007, 2:45 pm
#3
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Sep 15th 2007, 2:49 pm
#5
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Re: I AM here!
That is fairly disgusting treatment, no other word for it. Be sure to complain!
Sep 15th 2007, 2:50 pm
#6
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Re: I AM here!
Hi Cornish Maid and welcome back.
Sorry to hear about your MIL's health problems. Seems like the NHS keeps sending elderly people home without really sorting them out. We are having the same problems with my MIL.
I hope they figure out what's really wrong and take care of it. As for you, try to get some rest because you will probably need it. Sending you some uplifting Karma and good wishes.
Martha
Sorry to hear about your MIL's health problems. Seems like the NHS keeps sending elderly people home without really sorting them out. We are having the same problems with my MIL.
I hope they figure out what's really wrong and take care of it. As for you, try to get some rest because you will probably need it. Sending you some uplifting Karma and good wishes.
Martha
Sep 15th 2007, 3:41 pm
#7
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,254
Re: I AM here!
Oh Sally I hope your MIL is fit and well again soon. You have said on previous threads how much she means to you so you must be going through a very emotional time.
Take some time out, put your feet up and relax.
Take some time out, put your feet up and relax.
Sep 15th 2007, 4:12 pm
#8
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Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,800
Re: I AM here!
Hi Sally
Sorry to hear about your MIL and hope she gets well soon. Which of the local hospitals were so lame? The blood in the vomit may well have been due to little ruptured blood vessels due to the strain of vomiting and not part of the real problem. Good job she has you there to create about the treatment or heaven knows what would have been happening.
Look after yourself so that you can be there for her.
Best wishes
Rosemary
Sorry to hear about your MIL and hope she gets well soon. Which of the local hospitals were so lame? The blood in the vomit may well have been due to little ruptured blood vessels due to the strain of vomiting and not part of the real problem. Good job she has you there to create about the treatment or heaven knows what would have been happening.
Look after yourself so that you can be there for her.
Best wishes
Rosemary
Sep 15th 2007, 4:42 pm
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Re: I AM here!
If he'd been discharged as soon as the infection had subsided, he'd be in much better nick now. But then again Chase Farm is probably the worst hospital in London if not the UK.
Sep 15th 2007, 4:50 pm
#10
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The hospital was Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske.
I just hope I never have to be taken in there as a patient myself! I am not criticising all the staff, but there definitely ARE some who need to be retrained!
I just hope I never have to be taken in there as a patient myself! I am not criticising all the staff, but there definitely ARE some who need to be retrained!
Sep 15th 2007, 5:00 pm
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My sister-in-law is a nurse and as she knows only too well - they are thoroughly trained, but unfortunately to be highly obedient automatons. They are taught that their duties take priority over a patient's needs, especially in geriatric wards. She's baulked at the way her NHS Trust operate many times AND been disciplined for it.
Sep 16th 2007, 2:14 pm
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Re: I AM here!
Hello Sally, really sorry to hear about your MIL, I do hope she recovers quickly and she can get home (completely better) to her own four walls. She is very lucky to have you as her DIL and I send much love and hugz to you
You must do as LB said, you need Sally time, so please make sure you do have some.
Sadly this brings back memories of when my mum was alive, in fact for the last 2 years of her life this is exactly what was happening. I do have to agree with what is being said, the care for the elderly in many hospitals is very poor, non-existent in some cases. The last episode with my mum just proves it, the hospital wanted as many people out of the place over Christmas, on the Thursday evening my mum was discharged and sent to a nursing home (I was in Spain) my sister and niece told the doctors that she was too ill to move. When she arrived at the nursing home the manager said to my sister "your mum is not the same lady I spoke with on Tuesday, I don't think she should be here with us she is far too poorly". Within 6 hours she was back in the same hospital, same ward, same doctors, in a coma from which she never came out of. My family sat with her that Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Christmas Day) they asked my sister and brother if they could stop medication, Boxing Day they sat with here and she thankfully passed away the next morning.
She was at the end of her 91 years on this earth and the last 24 hours that she was aware off were traumatic and in her eyes degrading. When she arrived at the nursing home she was stripped and photographed so there was photographic evidence of bruises, cuts, wounds that were on her when she was admitted. My niece who stayed with her said my mum was very angry, upset and felt that she had been sent there as a punishment and she lashed out at my niece. She eventually settled and went to sleep, but what an ending to for a lady who never in the whole of her life caused any harm or ill to any other person. I really don't know why the hospital could not have kept here there. The other really brilliant thing about this is I worked for that hospital for 17 years and had to continue so for another 3 months until I left to start my new life here into Spain.
You must do as LB said, you need Sally time, so please make sure you do have some.Sadly this brings back memories of when my mum was alive, in fact for the last 2 years of her life this is exactly what was happening. I do have to agree with what is being said, the care for the elderly in many hospitals is very poor, non-existent in some cases. The last episode with my mum just proves it, the hospital wanted as many people out of the place over Christmas, on the Thursday evening my mum was discharged and sent to a nursing home (I was in Spain) my sister and niece told the doctors that she was too ill to move. When she arrived at the nursing home the manager said to my sister "your mum is not the same lady I spoke with on Tuesday, I don't think she should be here with us she is far too poorly". Within 6 hours she was back in the same hospital, same ward, same doctors, in a coma from which she never came out of. My family sat with her that Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Christmas Day) they asked my sister and brother if they could stop medication, Boxing Day they sat with here and she thankfully passed away the next morning.
She was at the end of her 91 years on this earth and the last 24 hours that she was aware off were traumatic and in her eyes degrading. When she arrived at the nursing home she was stripped and photographed so there was photographic evidence of bruises, cuts, wounds that were on her when she was admitted. My niece who stayed with her said my mum was very angry, upset and felt that she had been sent there as a punishment and she lashed out at my niece. She eventually settled and went to sleep, but what an ending to for a lady who never in the whole of her life caused any harm or ill to any other person. I really don't know why the hospital could not have kept here there. The other really brilliant thing about this is I worked for that hospital for 17 years and had to continue so for another 3 months until I left to start my new life here into Spain.
Sep 16th 2007, 6:09 pm
#13
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Chris, that is so sad.
I got really choked reading your post.
MIL is still in hospital. Still in pain and vomiting, but they give her drugs to allieviate the vomiting and morphine for the pain. OK, so that helps, but surely it is masking the symptoms and makes diagnosis harder? Of course, as soon as the drugs wear off she starts all over again.
I got really choked reading your post.MIL is still in hospital. Still in pain and vomiting, but they give her drugs to allieviate the vomiting and morphine for the pain. OK, so that helps, but surely it is masking the symptoms and makes diagnosis harder? Of course, as soon as the drugs wear off she starts all over again.
Sep 16th 2007, 10:10 pm
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Re: I AM here!
Chris, that is so sad. I got really choked reading your post.
MIL is still in hospital. Still in pain and vomiting, but they give her drugs to allieviate the vomiting and morphine for the pain. OK, so that helps, but surely it is masking the symptoms and makes diagnosis harder? Of course, as soon as the drugs wear off she starts all over again.
I got really choked reading your post.MIL is still in hospital. Still in pain and vomiting, but they give her drugs to allieviate the vomiting and morphine for the pain. OK, so that helps, but surely it is masking the symptoms and makes diagnosis harder? Of course, as soon as the drugs wear off she starts all over again.
Sally I am not a doctor, but I have had renal stones and the symptoms are vomiting and the worse pain you can image, drugs for the sickness and morphine for the pain is very much needed if it is renal. Hopefully they will know what they are treating soon, the only way they could be sure in my case was to inject a dye into my arm and then x-ray me every few hours for 12 hours, it was not a good experience. Hopefully the doctors are hoping not to have to do this for your MIL. When you next see her give her a big hug from us all here and I'm sure she will be up and about soon, but at the moment she is in the right place because they are at least giving her pain relief.
Sep 23rd 2007, 9:52 am
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Re: I AM here!
Hi Guys
Thought I would bring you up to speed about MIL. After being shifted from pillar to post and moved to another hospital during the last 11 days, they finally got round to giving dear old MIL a scan. We were told that we would probably be able to take her home after she had had it.
Off we trundled on Friday evening all ready to collect her and bring her back home. She was sat in bed and said that the nurses had said she wouldn't be allowed home just yet. So, we asked to speak to a doctor about the findings of the scan. A very young doctor came after about 20 minutes of waiting and asked us to be patient as she needed to read all of MIL's notes etc.
After an hour's wait, she came up and asked us to follow her, at that point I started to worry. She took us to MIL's bedside and drew the curtains...then I really was worrying. She then told us that they have found a tumour next to MIL's left kidney. As yet, they don't know if it is benign or malignant, but they have said that she will now get treatment asap.
We were flooored to be honest. For the last 10 days they have insisted that her problems were due to constipation and have been giving her daily enemas. She has hardly eaten anything in all that time, and I have been saying that she could hardly be expected to 'perform' if there was nothing going into her body from the top end. We had gone there expecting to bring her home, and to be told this was shocking. Made worse by the fact that her OH had died of cancer 14 years ago. I had stopped work to help her nurse him to the end...not a nice experience I can tell you.
I really don't think it has sunk in with her. She just nodded and said 'well, at least I know what is wrong with me now'. Nothing is being done over the weekend, so we have to wait till Monday for the wheels to start in motion.
I am still trying desperately to keep on top of the house for prospective viewers, and doing a 40 mile round trip every day to go and visit her. We are treying to stay positive and focus her thoughts on her plans to move out to Spain with us when we move, but it really is difficult.
Just thought I'd let you all know.
Sally
Thought I would bring you up to speed about MIL. After being shifted from pillar to post and moved to another hospital during the last 11 days, they finally got round to giving dear old MIL a scan. We were told that we would probably be able to take her home after she had had it.
Off we trundled on Friday evening all ready to collect her and bring her back home. She was sat in bed and said that the nurses had said she wouldn't be allowed home just yet. So, we asked to speak to a doctor about the findings of the scan. A very young doctor came after about 20 minutes of waiting and asked us to be patient as she needed to read all of MIL's notes etc.
After an hour's wait, she came up and asked us to follow her, at that point I started to worry. She took us to MIL's bedside and drew the curtains...then I really was worrying. She then told us that they have found a tumour next to MIL's left kidney. As yet, they don't know if it is benign or malignant, but they have said that she will now get treatment asap.
We were flooored to be honest. For the last 10 days they have insisted that her problems were due to constipation and have been giving her daily enemas. She has hardly eaten anything in all that time, and I have been saying that she could hardly be expected to 'perform' if there was nothing going into her body from the top end. We had gone there expecting to bring her home, and to be told this was shocking. Made worse by the fact that her OH had died of cancer 14 years ago. I had stopped work to help her nurse him to the end...not a nice experience I can tell you.
I really don't think it has sunk in with her. She just nodded and said 'well, at least I know what is wrong with me now'. Nothing is being done over the weekend, so we have to wait till Monday for the wheels to start in motion.
I am still trying desperately to keep on top of the house for prospective viewers, and doing a 40 mile round trip every day to go and visit her. We are treying to stay positive and focus her thoughts on her plans to move out to Spain with us when we move, but it really is difficult.
Just thought I'd let you all know.
Sally