Hell Week - 3 ERs, 2 Afibs, and 1 Pulmonary Embolism.

I've been having breathing issues for a month - was getting Prednisone (didn't have a diagnosis). Got bad Monday - so I ended up in the Kaiser "urgent care" unit here at 5:30. It's basically a mini ER in their basement.

I had an ultra sound of my legs, and a CT scan of my lungs. Around 1-2am doctor came to tell me I had "lots of blood clots in my lungs" which hit like a ton of bricks. She wanted to get me into a hospital affiliated with Kaiser, but no beds available, so I waited there. And waited. Needless to say, wasn't getting enough water, and no magnesium/potassium in my purse. So 4:30am I waved a nurse over and said, "btw, I just went into afib."

Well that freaked them out and the next thing you know they've called an ambulance. So I am thinking I'll go to Washington Hospital Center, where they wanted me to go. But no, I end up at GW's ER. Am greeted there by half a dozen doctors, including one guy who spends the whole time bitching about why I'm there. "why did you bring her here? She shouldn't be here, etc." Nothing more helpful to a woman freaking out about blood clots and now in AFIB with no sleep since night before - than to be told she needs to leave.

Over the next few hours, the GW people take a ton more vials of blood and an xray, and God knows what else, I sorta lost track. I was also on the most uncomfortable bed and couldn't move. At one point I asked to pee and they said I couldn't, was too dangerous. So lying there in pain, having to pee, with guy coming in/out of the room barking that I need to be taken away. And fun thing about ERs, they all greet you when you show up, hover around for 20 minutes, then they get their blood and stuff and disappear. So for last of the 4 hours I was there I was tormented by a broken monitor behind me making the most annoying beeping sounds. But nobody came by I could ask to turn it off. Rang the nurses bell - and though the nurses were 6 feet away through the door- nobody answered. Three of them were standing around discussing their March Madness brackets!

Finally an ambulance crew came to take me over to Wash Hospital Center. Lead guy was a gem. He even charged my phone on the ride over so I could call people and let them know that no, I wasn't at WHC now (my last message to friends before phone died). In the meantime my friends were freaking out because they couldn't find me.

At WHC I was put into another ER room, where they finally let me pee (thank you!). But a new hell was beginning. I was still in afib and wanted out of it. So I asked every doc and nurse who came in to give me a fluid drip and magnesium. Told them it would help. But no. And no. And no again. But more blood pulls, including an IV that was put in the crook of my arm and the doc (never let a doc do an iv) who did it said, "don't bend your arm" before leaving. Try not bending your arm for what turned out to be the next 30 hours!

I was tired, frustrated, scared, and still in afib because nobody would give me what I needed. So called my friends, told them to bring my magnesium capsuls and get the #%$@ over there. They did. But still no fluids. Finally one of my friends went total "steel magnolias" on the nurse and doc and demanded, "GIVE HER THE FLUIDS" - an iv bag showed up 10 minutes later. By now it was 4pm or so on Tuesday afternoon - 24 hours into the hell.

Fortunately the fluids and magnesium got the afib out by 6pm, so that was out of my mind. Except doctors had me on a heart monitor in case I went back into it. "No, I'm out for now" didn't ring for them. Try telling a doctor you know your body better than they do. I know everyone has had that experience. So Frustrating!

First night in the hospital was spent getting no sleep as nurses / aids/ random people off the street? kept coming in turning on the light and drawing blood / moving chairs / letting me know they were "on duty now" etc. Went back into afib yesterday afternoon around 3:30, 3 hours before I was scheduled to be released. This time, instead of freaking out, the doctor just said, "your rate is controlled, we'll let you go home." What a difference!

Am finally at home, and on Lovenox / coumadin for the moment. And just trying to get my head around everything and recover from life at the hands of the medical establishment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2013 03:57PM by Nancy.

Reading your story made my blood pressure go up. Good thing you and your friend know what you're doing. Best of luck to you for a quick recovery.

Tom

I'm really sorry about all that happening, and especially sorry so much of your suffering was unecessary.

Good Grief, Nancy! I'm so glad you survived THAT ordeal... I can't imagine how you kept your cool. Keep a copy of this account because it may come in handy at a later date when discussing performance issues at the various facilities. Typically, here, after an experience, patients are sent an evaluation form. Yours should win a prize. or serve to help you sort out billing complications.

Do take good care of yourself and let's hope someone figures out why you developed such hypercoag blood.

Peace and blessings to you!
Jackie

Nancy, I just couldn't believe all you went though. So glad your home, and hope you are feeling better........Nel

Glad to be home too!

Jackie - you can believe they'll get an earful on any evaluation I do!

I forgot the hell of the 2nd day and night - Wednesday. Still hooked up to the heart monitors, I spent the day with nurses coming in every 2-3 hours to check the leads on my monitor because they kept getting calls that it wasn't reading. Each time the nurse checked (I spent the whole day sitting in the bed, barely moving) she'd say, "there's nothing wrong here" and make some minor adjustments and leave. The monitor, btw, that I had in case I went back into afib. I told each nurse that I could call and tell them if I went back into it, but that went nowhere of course.

Fine enough during the day -- but it continued at night. Sleeping on my side, I was woken up I don't know how many times (is it woken up if you don't really fall back to sleep?) with someone coming in to check the bad leads. Vague memories of guys standing over me saying "you're not registering I have to check the monitor" again and again. One guy was there for 15 minutes untangling cords and moving things around. The monitor battery was changed by 3 different people! And oh yeah, the night guys kept saying "it's probably because you're on your side" and each time I said, "no, this has been happening all day long." Finally I was so frustrated I almost yelled at one guy, "don't you talk to each other?! This has been a constant problem!!"

And each time I asked for a new monitor? Nope, that couldn't happen.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2013 05:46AM by Nancy.