Friday, July 10, 2009

Hospital Visit Gone From Worse To Better

I know, that sounds exciting! Ha ha.... :)

I had already talked about my other hospital visit where they said I had a kidney stone. I kind of had my doubts about it because I've experienced so many kidney infections and know what they feel like. I mean, I've had kidney stones. I just wasn't sure about this time. A couple days later, in the morning, I was bent over and my back was going from sore to unbelievably horrible. By the time we got in the van the pain was so bad it was just like when I was in labor before. I cried all the way to the hospital, which was a half hour away, to the one I liked. Where I gave birth to all our babies. I told my husband just to drop me off in the emergency room because I knew it would be too hard for the kids to be there. When I got there, they immediately got me in a wheel chair and I went straight past to the labor and delivery since I'm 7 months pregnant. When I got there, I thought "whew, I made it". Not so. :( They called my doctor who is majorly mean. I quickly found out within this last month. I didn't know that in labor and delivery, they are subjected to the orders of your doctor. I was in the room for EIGHT hours with no IV and no pain medication. I cried and cried. I twisted all over. I needed help so bad and I was throwing up water. They tried monitoring my contractions but because my whole body was so tense, they couldn't pick them up correctly. I was definitely having them. After the test the mean doctor (who was only dictating over the phone the whole time) told them I was fine, had a urine infection, and to just send me home with antibiotics with NO pain meds. I just cried when the nurse told me that. I couldn't believe it. In fact, she told the nurse to just give me some Tylenol. My labor with my last baby wasn't even that bad because with contractions, you at least get a break before the next contraction comes. The pain was that bad. I begged them to give me an IV but they couldn't because my doctor wouldn't allow it. She believed I was FAKING it. My mean doctor. I had recently been in the hospital a couple days prior and they found no infection (which is why they diagnosed a kidney stone) so my doctor thought I was just wanting some Vicodin. Even worse, she ordered I be tested for drugs right then and there. I was so offended I just broke down crying. To be whittled down to just a "druggy" who's faking it to get medicine was so insulting. Of course my drug test came back clear. I wasn't a Vicodin druggy. Finally, 7 hours from the start, as they were going to release me, I was so hopeless and in pain. The hospital's rules are that a physician within the hospital has too see me and my condition before I am to be released. He came in. He looked so kind and he had a nurse with him. He took a look at me and said "you don't look good"! He asked me how I was feeling. I just told him that the pain had got to the point where I had to just focus on the wall and try to make my self delirious to handle it. I told him I had not held down even water since the day before. He felt my back and asked where the pain was. I jumped when he hit the part over my left kidney. I told him that I've had so many kidney infections that I can recognize it right away. He said my test only came out that I had a urine infection but he said that since I've had so many kidney problems, he's gonna trust me. He said, "I'm gonna go have a word with your doctor". He called her and told her she needs to come out and see me for myself. He was not happy about it. Whatever he did worked because the nurse came right in and said, "we're getting you some medicine". They took me back to my own big room and admitted me. I was immediately hooked up to an IV and given pain medication. At first they gave me Percoset but it kept me up and wouldn't let me rest. I was so relieved though! It still didn't totally take away the pain. But still, it took eight hours, but I finally got relief in that way. Later, since the medicine wouldn't let me sleep, they gave me the same medicine that they give C-Section patients (Toradol) along with another pain killer and it worked so wonderfully and even better. That's when I just completely passed out. I was out of it for the next day also. They saw I was having contractions so they had to keep giving me Toradol to relax my uterus. They told me a sign of a Kidney Infection was a fever and since I didn't have one yet they were just waiting. Sure enough, the next night after I was admitted, I had a really high temperature and while I was passed out they rolled me over and put me on a cooling pad hooked up to a machine to keep it cool and then they pack me with ice (inside wraps) all over me. I was so passed out that I vaguely remember it. Ha ha! Good thing too because that would be incredibly uncomfortable. For basically 4 days I just slept and I only woke up when my phone rang next to me. The good Dr. saw that I was telling the truth and believed me. I was ever so grateful. I told him he was my angel and I couldn't imagine what would of happened if they had sent me home in my condition. He told me he couldn't believe my doctor accused me of drug abuse and especially after "drug" tests came out completely clear. The nurse's were all talking about it because they couldn't believe it either. Adding insult to injury, my mean doctor had a drug counselor come and question me the next day after I was admitted. The problem was that I was so out of it and exhausted that I could barely talk to her. They had wanted me to sleep because my body had been through so much. She kept trying to get me to admit that I overly loved Vicodin. I tried telling her that the only time I used it was when I had oral surgery (one week) and then when I had to go in the hospital last week. THAT WAS THE ONLY TIME. She kept questioning me and questioning me to the point that I just couldn't take it. I was too exhausted to argue with her. My husband fired my doctor of our service when he found out. He was so angry. A nice doctor came and checked me out, told me I in fact had a kidney infection and needed to stay in the hospital several days. She offered to take me under her wing and I gladly accepted. She was a high risk pregnancy doctor. I was so happy. Especially because no mom wants to continually be put down like that and accused. It was so hurtful to me. All I was asking was help for the pain and an IV. Throughout that time, they were feeding antibiotics into my IV. One night I woke up and my hand was swollen so badly that the tape on my hand became too tight. Turns out that the IV had saturated under my skin and saline was leaking out. It was pretty funny looking. LOL. I kept looking at it. It looked like when you take a doctor's glove and blow it up like a balloon. So they had to switch hands. 5 days later I was released. They wanted to keep me 6 days but I wasn't sure at the time who was going to care for my kids one more day. Thankfully, my mom came the next day and completely took care of everything while I slept in bed. She woke me up a few times to feed me which was so nice because I would've just starved myself! :P The next day she cared for me again. I'm ever so grateful. I'm feeling better day by day. I'm just so grateful for my angel doctor who rescued me and my new angel doctor who'll care for me and baby till end of pregnancy. :)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that you are better. What a horrible ordeal!! I am sure you aren't the suing type, but I would be really tempted if I were you. So grateful that you have a new doctor. Let's pray you don't have any more pain for the rest of your pregnancy.

Blessings--Bonnie

Chris H said...

When I have an IV in my arm it ALWAYS makes my arm blow up like a balloon in about 6 hours! It is awful, so I know how it feels!
I am so glad you and baby boy are going to be OK.

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

HORRORS!!! What an awful doc! I hope when you are able you will tell your insurance company of your troubles.

Virginia Revoir said...

I know, my husband was tempted to get a lawyer because if she had sent me home I could of delivered baby at 27 weeks or had kidney failure. Even the hospital knew how badly I needed help and they were so relieved when the other doctor came along and rescued me. My husband just doesn't want that doctor doing that to anyone else.

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Yes, please do report this doctor to whoever does the reporting thing. I'm concerned for the other Calebs out there. Charles was looking out for this one. :]

May God bless Charles and Caleb today. And you, too, resting Momma!

Daddy Forever said...

I'm glad you got rid of the mean doctor. What a jerk. I wouldn't want that doctor in charge of delivering our baby.

Amber said...

That's horrendous! I'm so very sorry you had to go through all that! Thank the Lord for the nice doctor, the new doctor, and your husband.