Venting about tree hospitals

Tomorrow is the big "Welcome Home" party where I get to see the family and friends. Good thing there's a party- Thanks to Jeff & Sheri for having it at their hacianda! I've been so busy shopping for things that I can't get in hell and seeing friends. To top it off, my Mom is in the hospital. She's OK now, but I need to vent. I took her to the neighborhood hospital. That's the one that was named after tree cord and would do much better treating inanimate objects. I have an issue. It's bad enough that I took her in for chest pain and they left her in an area that they named triage, but should have been named mortuary. First, triage implies that patients are sorted by illness for treatment based on severity. Chest pain would be pretty close to #1. Add the fact that it was radiating down her arm, making her nauseous and she was profusely sweating with difficulty breathing. That should have given her extra snaps. The paramedic did perform an EKG, slap on some oxygen to my severely wheezing mother and told her she was not having a heart attack and went away never to be seen again.  Nice of him to diagnose that without consulting a doctor who was MIA anyway. She was left to lie there without treatment or further care.

I was taken back an hour later because they forgot about me. If they had known what a pill I would be later, they would have forgotten much longer. I found my mom in pain, but breathing easier that lasted for about 15 minutes, then the wheezing returned and the chest pain was worsened and now radiating to her back. I checked the oxygen and it was out, so I went in search of more. I found SIX paramedics at their computers playing games. I immediately went into Supreme Anna-mode, (the one where my head spins while shooting darts out of my eyes and poison out my mouth- where I earned my nickname Angeltwins), and that was enough to make them jump and run! They got a fresh oxygen tank...and I asked questions- first, about the paramedics doing basic chest pain protocol stuff- like morphine to relief her pain or at the very least checking her blood pressure. The paramedic told me no treatment without doctor orders. WTH? What do these guys do on the road, let their patients die while they wait on an order? WTH? (when I'm venting you get 2 WTH's). He had the nerve to say my mom was #10 in line for a room and then would see a doctor. He left to abuse a poor old, helpless man who couldn't even move his head off of the rail on his bed. He was crying that his legs hurt and the moron threw up the sheet and told him, "there's nothing wrong with your legs," then walked away. I took her elsewhere.

The new hospital rushed her back to a room and went to work. History and vital signs while doing an EKG, Oxygen, breathing treatment, IV's, drugs, Blah, blah with workers all around! That's what I'm talking about! Treat like it's your family.

While I understand busy, I do not understand lazy, meaness or ignoring patients or their basic needs. No one deseves to be treated badly! Please all, remember that you pay BIG for health care and never accept less than the best. I'm so glad she is getting better. She had a multiple of problems that could not wait and as a desert medic, I'm very glad I listened to me!