Health Crash.
I've been essentially housebound for a couple(?) years because of back pain, probably lumbar stenosis. I can get around our condo unit fine, and with my walker (and some terror) make it as far as our car. Once there, I can drive for 2-3 hours before I have to go home and lay down again. June 1, I dropped in to deep depression, weakness, and lethargy. This was sort of normal as I had run out of my happy pills (bupropion) and my 69th birthday was coming up June 3. After my birthday and my pills being restored, the depression lightened, but the weakness continued. June 13, I fell, and couldn't get up without a call to the paramedics. No injury, but I was shaken up enough that I wasn't able to walk out to the car and take my wife Brenda to work the next morning -- nor ever again since. Sometime during this period, I'd also begun having trouble with urination, which was becoming increasingly painful. June 17, it reached the point that Brenda called 911 for an ambulance to the hospital. Here's the letter I e-mailed to Christus St.Vincent:
6/19/2019 5:37 PM
To: ContactUs@stvin.org
Subject: Incompetent attendant
I was a patient there Monday because of an enlarged prostate and had a catheter installed.
MRN: 0000661781 CSN: 400056542176
Laurion, Owen K 6/17/2019
6/3/1950 (69 yrs) M
The staff were all friendly, professional, and helpful. Only later I realized one attendant fouled up badly. The attendant who told me I was discharged said he was going to show how to change the catheter bag. He took off the night bag I’d been hooked to and stuffed it in a trash bin (I didn’t know that was an essential part of catheter equipment that I needed to take with me) and fastened a leg bag in its place. I left the hospital, but I now think I was still supposed to have an exit Q&A with a doctor before final discharge. I have questions I would have liked clarified. About 12 hours after leaving, bladder pain was becoming intense and the bag was still empty. I examined the connection (which hadn’t actually been explained) and discovered the end clearly labeled “Top” was dangling at my knee! It had been put on upside down! After managing to install it correctly, it immediately filled with several ounces of urine, and the bladder pain was relieved!
I was too woozy from the experience to write before now, and I don’t think there was any permanent damage, but it did cause me pain and unnecessary concern, and I’m going into my third night without a night bag. I think the hospital should compensate by delivering a night bag (and if the porta-johnnie I left behind was supposed to be mine, then that too) to my home address ASAP. Zia Vista Condos, 2501 W. Zia Rd., building 6, unit 104. Gate code 221-call.
No response was ever made to this e-mail. I began sending my wife to purchase a night bag at the pharmacy when she could get a ride (she can't drive because of poor eyesight). I did not realize this would be at all difficult. It has been over two weeks, she's managed to contact 4 pharmacies and a medical supply store so far, and none carry night catheter bags! During this time I've wet the bed several times because this short-term bag I have has come unattached while I was asleep. I'll probably need to get a new mattress because of that incompetent attendant.
Meanwhile the weakness has continued, and vertigo has added to it. I have difficulty just moving about the apartment any more, and going outside without assistance is impossible. I've missed 2 doctors appointments so far because I can't get out without medical assistance. To sign up for medical assistance, I have to get to a city office in person, which I can't do without medical assistance.
This extreme weakness is not normal, and I need to see a doctor about it!
Had
a doctor appointment today. The first time I've been out of the house
in a couple months. Added to being cooped up for 4 months this past
winter, I've developed agoraphobia rather severely. I worried about
that, and the logistics of getting there, and what the doc would say or
do, all thru the night. Brenda arranged for a neighbor to drive (I could
have driven myself, I just can't stand or walk more than 2 minutes) and
help with the wheelchair, My very sincere thanks to Deanna Lilley Shaughnessy
for putting up with us. She was a good driver, so at least that didn't
shake me up -- I generally hate being in the passenger seat. Things went
smoothly enough, even took a side trip to get signed up with Senior
Services, so I can use the city's medical transport from now on. But I
was a mess. Could hardly stand up from the chair and take a step, which
was a lot weaker than normal. All psychological, but even being utterly
sure of that didn't make it any less real.
I'm not having much luck with medical stuff. The doc gave me a new Rx, and told me to be back in 2 weeks to see how it was working. But instead of sending it to the local pharmacy as instructed where I could get it picked up that day, the Rx was sent to a mail-order pharmacy, which took two weeks to get it delivered! So I rescheduled the appointment for two weeks from when I started taking the new medicine, Tamsulosin Hcl Caps 0.4MG. First night I took it, tho, had extreme chills and painful shivering.
6/19/2019 5:37 PM
To: ContactUs@stvin.org
Subject: Incompetent attendant
I was a patient there Monday because of an enlarged prostate and had a catheter installed.
MRN: 0000661781 CSN: 400056542176
Laurion, Owen K 6/17/2019
6/3/1950 (69 yrs) M
The staff were all friendly, professional, and helpful. Only later I realized one attendant fouled up badly. The attendant who told me I was discharged said he was going to show how to change the catheter bag. He took off the night bag I’d been hooked to and stuffed it in a trash bin (I didn’t know that was an essential part of catheter equipment that I needed to take with me) and fastened a leg bag in its place. I left the hospital, but I now think I was still supposed to have an exit Q&A with a doctor before final discharge. I have questions I would have liked clarified. About 12 hours after leaving, bladder pain was becoming intense and the bag was still empty. I examined the connection (which hadn’t actually been explained) and discovered the end clearly labeled “Top” was dangling at my knee! It had been put on upside down! After managing to install it correctly, it immediately filled with several ounces of urine, and the bladder pain was relieved!
I was too woozy from the experience to write before now, and I don’t think there was any permanent damage, but it did cause me pain and unnecessary concern, and I’m going into my third night without a night bag. I think the hospital should compensate by delivering a night bag (and if the porta-johnnie I left behind was supposed to be mine, then that too) to my home address ASAP. Zia Vista Condos, 2501 W. Zia Rd., building 6, unit 104. Gate code 221-call.
No response was ever made to this e-mail. I began sending my wife to purchase a night bag at the pharmacy when she could get a ride (she can't drive because of poor eyesight). I did not realize this would be at all difficult. It has been over two weeks, she's managed to contact 4 pharmacies and a medical supply store so far, and none carry night catheter bags! During this time I've wet the bed several times because this short-term bag I have has come unattached while I was asleep. I'll probably need to get a new mattress because of that incompetent attendant.
Meanwhile the weakness has continued, and vertigo has added to it. I have difficulty just moving about the apartment any more, and going outside without assistance is impossible. I've missed 2 doctors appointments so far because I can't get out without medical assistance. To sign up for medical assistance, I have to get to a city office in person, which I can't do without medical assistance.
This extreme weakness is not normal, and I need to see a doctor about it!
Owen KL is feeling drained.
I'm not having much luck with medical stuff. The doc gave me a new Rx, and told me to be back in 2 weeks to see how it was working. But instead of sending it to the local pharmacy as instructed where I could get it picked up that day, the Rx was sent to a mail-order pharmacy, which took two weeks to get it delivered! So I rescheduled the appointment for two weeks from when I started taking the new medicine, Tamsulosin Hcl Caps 0.4MG. First night I took it, tho, had extreme chills and painful shivering.
-
At the moment I'm feeling fine, but wasn't last night or this morning.
Ear ache is still there, but either pain pills are helping, or I'm just
getting used to it. However new symptoms are popping up. Chills and
extreme painful shivering for 30-60 minutes followed by fever with
delirium.
posted by OwenKL at 7:18 AM
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