Well, what an interesting Christmas in the Palmer household!
Christmas day was lovely- calm and peaceful. Starting off with church at 10am, (I didn't make it to midnight mass due to me being a wuss) then epic lunch at the woodpecker with my Uncle and grandad (I prepared for this occasion, waay too excited for food this year!) to then get back round to ours for present opening.
We then had a new addition to our tradition this year, in the evening we went round to Grampy's house to see dad's side of the family. I was rather sceptical about seeing both sides of the family in one day, but surprisingly it was fine.
Boxing day however...
Dad was complaining of chest pains when he was driving me to work, called the ambulance when he got back home. Virtually straight after I went on shift I got sent home to be with my family. Went straight to the hospital to wait for dad in the ambulance, to then be in there for multiple hours.
I honestly thought in the beginning I was going to lose my dad.
After a couple of hours I realised he would of been rushed into theatre or put in a special unit if he was considered serious.
He came home this morning at 1:20 by a good church friend of ours, with what seems to be a cracked/fractured rib or two, and apparently some serious indigestion.
The doctor did notice some irregularity in his heart, so he is going in for a test, but I think what I am most annoyed about is their communication, or lack of it.
When I got to the hospital they had no idea where he was. A consultant came over when dad got in to majors unit, said that dad had a clot in his lung with no explanation at all, to then after some time get taken to MAU. The nurses then didn't tell us any information, we didn't find out about the planned 9:30 blood test for ages, and when I explained our family situation to a nurse, they said if he can go home tonight they'll put him in a taxi.
I rung up the doctor to ask what was going on (the time they said they would know the results had very much been and gone) to then be told he was going to be sent home, giving one of three reasons for the chest pain (so they didn't know for sure what was going on inside my dad's body.)
I am sure that these doctors and nurses know what they are doing, but I felt that we were left. I was worried sick about my dad the whole time, (ditto dad) and that didn't get brought into account (with the exception of a very kind paramedic, who explained their procedure to me and not to worry about why he was taking so long to get to hospital.)
All it would of taken was a nurse to come over a short time after dad got into MAU to explain what would be going on and why.
I am so grateful that dad is home, that we got so much support from our friends and family, and that they hopefully have worked out the problem, but I just wanted dad and I to be treated like worried humans who needed an explanation, and dad to be treated a bit less than a waste of a hospital bed.
I know there are so many amazing, kind, caring nurses and doctors, some I know personally. I feel that these minority who don't care, let down the others. These people do amazing work every single working day of their lives. When my nan was in ITU, I was ringing up to see what was going on, and when I rushed to get there when nan died, the doctors and nurses were so kind. You could really tell that these nurses truly cared for their patients, and I'm sure the doctors did too.
I hope that if I have to be in hospital again (for whatever reason) that the nurses and doctors would just explain what is going on, like the amazing doctors and nurses did for me in ITU with my nan.
All I will focus on now is getting dad better, and to sort out the house for our party on the 30th. I hope that everyone who reads this post has had a wonderful, healthy Christmas, and will have a happy, if slightly drunken new year. x
I am so glad for you and David, that things have turned out well in the end. I suspect you know by now but i must have been a few cubilces away from you with Louise. We had to visit the Hospital 3 times, at lest one of which was when your Dad was there, I fully understand your comments ref the lack of feedback. I have had 3 days of it, but finally got a proper diagnosis last night. She is still in hospital and likely to remain so for a while yet, but we are confident that, being the battler she is, she will start to improve very soon.
ReplyDeleteAndy