Patient Patience – Being Hospitalized
A review of my recent hospital experience
Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to afford the relative luxury of a private room in a high-end patient care facility, post-operative time spent in most hospitals can be an awful experience. I have never been in solitary confinement, but I think it might be better!
The Room
I was one of three patients with a shared toilet complete with its skimpy nylon privacy curtain, handicap handrails and an emergency pull cord, otherwise wide open for all to hear, see and smell. I was given the middle bed which was squeezed between these anemically colored drapes that separated me from my two neighboring patients. I faced a blank wall that held a white board with a “Pain Chart” (Tell me your pain level 1-10), my name, diet instructions (“Clears” meaning only clear liquids, which turned out to be unfit to digest), plus the names of RNs, Techs, and other miscellaneous data. Most of the buttons next to the bed were inoperative. The “Call for Help” button typically took several attempts and fifteen or more minutes to get a response. However, various people seemed to drop in just when you thought you might have the possibility of getting some sleep. They came by to take your vitals (blood pressure, pulse and temperature) or to give you medications that you didn’t need while looking confused when you asked for the medications you desperately needed. The room was uncomfortably warm, and the only fan was behind me to the right and was unreachable, so I was unable to control the direction of the air or to control its speed.
Television
Suspended high on the otherwise blank wall (not counting the status board), was an old TV screen. For some eight plus hours, nobody could find the remote control. I was told “We need to wait for tech support”. Eventually someone stumbled across it and we turned the TV on. The picture quality was marginal and only about six channels were available, none of which interested me. Also, when I turned up the volume to barely hear any channel, the patients either side of me complained, so I gave up on that possible option to pass the time.
My “Roommates”
To my left, with a nice window view and a hi-tech close-up TV, was this gaunt-looking Mexican gentleman who had this constant stream of visitors, as many as eight at a time. Because of the limited space, they spilled out around the end of my bed while babbling for hours in Spanish. To my right was a gentleman aged seventy who had apparently been there for two very long weeks. He was at his wits end and I could see why. He finally told everyone who would listen that “I’ve had it. I’m done, nothing is working. I’m out of here. There are too many chiefs and no Indians. I’m no better than when I came in. Either fix me or kill me”. After much ado, they had him sign all these documents and he went home at about the same time that I was able to escape. My total incarceration was less than thirty hours, but it felt like a life time.
The Sounds
It’s difficult to describe them but it’s kind of like the so-called Chinese drip torture. There is not a moment of peace. Various monitors for all three patients emit these beeps and burps every few seconds. There were drip-feeders and heart monitors, oxygen pumps and other monitoring devices. Add to that the mindless TV sounds from both my left and right, visitors in and out and the never-ending staff visits to check vitals and administer medications creates an environment in which sleep is virtually impossible. No wonder that my neighboring patient had reached his breaking point after two weeks of this!
The Nurses
These hard-working women work long shifts and have an unenviable job. During my stay, I had three on call. I don’t know how many patients they took care of but based upon the long wait time when requesting anything, I’m guessing too many. On the positive side, I must say that all three, once I got their attention, were caring, attentive, efficient and responsive. All three were also quite attractive and very professional.
Conclusion
Try to stay out of hospital recovery rooms
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