New Member

[lacey]

Ladare

Lisa,

Thanks for the welcome into the scoli family! I already have begun to feel the emotional support with all the wonderful posts I have received, it’s amazing.

Thank you also for the tips on getting pain meds in the hospital. As a nurse I can’t even begin to put into words how disturbing it is to know that people have to make a plan or wait in pain in order to receive the medication they need. I haven’t worked on the floor in a hospital for a few years now but when I did I always took my patients pain very seriously. Realistically it takes a max of 5 minutes maybe 10 if the med has to be witnessed by another nurse to get a patient their medication. Nursing care in the hospital seems to be getting worse as time goes by. A lot of nurses blame it on the nursing shortage but most of the time that’s a crock. The last day of my hospitalization from my first surgery my nurse had 3 patients and at one point it took her about 45 minutes to get my pain meds after I had asked. I agree with you 100% on PRN meds after this type of surgery (which I will be discussing with my doc) and I also think the PCA pumps are not appropriate either. With the PCA pumps the patients, including myself, watch the clock so they know when it’s time to push the button again instead of resting or sleeping. Well I could ramble all night on how I feel about inadequate pain control and lazy nurses.

Thank you again, I hope to “talk” to you again soon

Lacey

[lacey]

Janet

Janet,

Thank you for taking the time to write to me, I have received so many wonderful posts I am amazed.

I just replied to Lisa’s message on the same topic of not receiving pain meds when requested. You are so right about the docs not writing the order as prn because a patient can refuse a medication at any time. So if it were written for every 4 hours and the person was not in pain they could always just refuse it. I will talk with my doc about this before my next surgery, thanks so much for the suggestion.

Pain management is a very hot topic for me as a nurse and like I told Lisa I can’t even begin to be able to put into words how disturbing it to hear about people having to wait ridiculous amounts of time to get their meds and then to experience it myself when I know it only takes a few minutes at the most (if the hospital is properly staffed) to get someone their medication. The last day I was in the hospital after my first surgery my nurse had only 3 patients and at one point it took her about 45 minutes to get my pain meds, that’s just laziness and not caring. The most patients I ever had at one time while working in a hospital was 8 and in a case like that it would reasonably take longer.

Thanks again for that suggestion, hope to hear from you again soon,

Lacey

[debbei]

So you wore a brace for three years and were told it would not progress? When did you find out it was. That must have been so horrible! I saw your surgery is planned for October. How much time was there between finding out it was progressing and finding out surgery would be necessary?

Hi Lacey,

I found out the end of April this year; I had thought both my curves were in the low 30's, and WHAMO they were in the 60's. So I guess there is a little over 5 months between finding out and having surgery. My brain is more wrapped around the idea right now, but when I first found out I was a fruit cake. Just ask anyone here or go back and look at some of my old posts

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you that your next surgery can go forward as planned.

[Susie*Bee]

Lacey-- I am super impressed with your effort to respond to everyone who posted! That is "above and beyond"-- but also very nice of you! I'm afraid I tend to lump together and respond that way...

Your mom sounds like a real blessing-- how wonderful of her to stay there in the hospital with you-- and to lead you to the forum, etc. She obviously loves you very much!

Since you will be in a different hospital for this next surgery, that sounds like you can start with a fresh slate regarding nursing staff expectations-- and go in hopefully armed with surgeon requested pain management requests (as in every 4 hours rather than as needed) etc., to alleviate the problems you had before. I have read others' accounts of similar problems and each time I am so thankful that wasn't my experience at all. ALL of the staff where I was were sooooo attentive and good. There was just one nurse (in 11 days) that wasn't "nice"-- but she still provided the care I needed. Hopefully your next stay will be more like that. It really surprised me to read that nurses can be rotten to other nurses! I would have thought it would be the opposite-- that if a nurse was a patient, her attending nurses would go out of their way to be the best for one of their own. I guess it goes back to human nature not being what it should be or something, but it seems pretty strange-- and very sad.

Keep us posted with how you're doing and the status of your surgery. I'm so glad you found the forum! Susie

[lacey]

trishthedish

Trish,

Your right I have learned a lot in a patient’s perspective and will definitely approach this surgery differently.

I can’t believe that whole PCA screw up happened to you too, yours being so much worse. Wouldn’t common sense tell a person if I patient is lying there crying and begging for help for hours that something terrible must be wrong. I just don’t get it!

By the way I love your screen name! That’s too cute!

Lacey

[lacey]

CurvySAT05

I did complain to my Doctor who was pretty upset with the situation but probably would have gotten a better response had I spoke with an ombudsman or patient advocate. I will keep that in mind if I run into problems again, which I doubt I will, I think I had enough with the first surgery to last a while.

Thanks,

Lacey

[lacey]

debbei

During these five months are continuing to progress like I did or do they feel you are pretty stable right now.

And how is the pain, are you experiencing a lot and is it being controlled.

Lacey

[debbei]

Lacey,

I'm not sure if I'm progressing or not. I really have no clue. I just know I can't afford to wait years for this surgery because God knows how I will be by then. I should have figured that maybe it was happening over the last few years, but I thought I was just getting fat. I noticed that when I'm driving, I feel 'rolls' under my braline in front where I never did before. I have gained a few lbs, so it is probably a combo of both factors. I also see much more 'love handle' on one side than the other. How disgusting is that? ICK-iepoo. Again, I thought it's because I've gained a few pounds.

For 2 months now, I have been using my treadmill 3/4 times a week, and a few weeks ago started using my total gym to get myself strong muscularly (sp?) and aerobically. My back pain has not increased, and maybe decreased since I started working out, but I do think some days that my thigh pain is increasing. That's what got me back to the Dr--the thigh pain. Little did I know it was coming from my back. I thought my lower back pains were part of normal aging. I am feeling overall stronger since I started working out again.