Started writing a post earlier and didn't hit the post reply, probably was a good thing I suppose. Really feeling my lack of patience. Friday after making it all week is a hard and tiring day, glad to come home and chill. Tonight I needed a chiropractor appt for my back which has been bothering me and to get up to have my dressing changed for the wound vac. Chiropractor appt went fine, ordered supper to go while I went to have the dressing changed and the waitress taking the order put me on hold and never came back, should have taken that as a sign, went for dressing change and regular nurse who's been wonderful was off for the night, and I know she informed others of her absence and that I would be coming in, it was like no one was eager to help do this dressing change. I was put into a room and waited a half hour after my scheduled time, by the time she did come in this other nurse my blood pressure was running high....I was ticked. ( my time is worth something to me ) She didn't understand the directions left my the regular nurse, I had to help walk her thru it even tho she said she's done wound care treatment before. ( I had my doubts ) Really hoping she found all the inside wound packing, it is small pieces I know she found one ( it bothers me, so I look away ) and she thought she found the other piece but it seemed really small. A measurement of the wound should be done each time, it didn't happen today. Hoping the dressing change holds up till Monday, I was thinking the whole time, I know how to do this myself, I've seen it done about 7 x's at this pt. The only thing that would keep me from even trying is it needs the tunnels in the wound to be packed at this point.
I am just frustrated with my care, I'm not asking for any special treatment, I am just asking that I get waited on in a timely fashion, by people who know what their doing. It may be a inconvenience for them, but it's even more so for me, bathing is difficult, walking is hard as my leg is so strapped up with this dressing to hold the packing in place it's hard to move the leg like it should be moved. Why is it other hospital staff don't seem interested in helping me, even wondering if the one I had was qualified. It's not a good feeling when you feel like you know more than the person caring for you. My regular nurse deserves her time off, I believe there should be someone qualified to replace her, if not would it be wrong for the hospital to schedule someone to pick up that duty on her day off??? I know she probably asked a good week or more in advance to have off. I know all business try and get by and cut as many corners as possible.
On the plus side, the wound looks good, and today I thought it looked like it is changing and changing in a good way. Finished my antibotics, see the wound care dr herself on Wed this next week.
Glad to see the healing taking place, it's the one silver lining to it all, otherwise everything else has been one headache after another. Seen my family the other day and hadn't seen them since before I went back to work and they didn't think my wound looked good when they saw me, but I kept telling them my surgeon says everything is ok, it's going to heal shut, no extra treatment is needed. I said to them the other day I should have listened to you better, I also should have followed my own gut feelings on things not feeling right. I see the surgeon again at the end of Oct, it's been a while since I have personally seen him and alot has happened during that time. Some things were out of both our control, but over all I do think him and his staff failed me, do I confront him on this matter and speak from my heart on how much extra heartache and expense this has cause myself and my family??? ( I think of the extra cost to my insurance company and some of it will probably end up being cost out of our pocket. ) Also many of you spoke about how you thought P/T was tending to my wound care when it should have been the surgeon or nursing staff taking more of a role in the wound care phase. Or do I let it pass, my thinking is if I confront him on my care and my feelings, it may be helpful for the next patience he has in the future to be more mindful that if he's not available he makes sure a associate is there to pick up the slack. That wound care decisions not be left up to P/T contacting the surgeon that the patience be a bigger part of the healing process. As always those of you that have taken the time to read my rant, it's deeply appreciated.
United Kingdom
