Guest guest Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 Hello Friends: Some may know, other's may not and for that we are sorry. I have been in hospital since Saturday evening ...... released today Wednesday. The doc's have checked out the 'ticker' (heart) and said it seems OK They are sending me (outpatient) to see a Cardio in Launceston for further evaluation. I have been well looked after, loved, cared for and prayed for...... thanks heaps for that. I am truly amazed at certain aspects of our health care system... but KNOW that I have no complaint about Emergency Room Service/care. I was in immediately and under constant supervision and evaluation. Sadly the first issue/problem occurred when I was handed over to ? internal medicine - the Doc who evaluates all the information collected by the ER team, and decides if a patient should be admitted or sent home. Doc decided I should be admitted overnight for observation and a further blood test for cardiac enzymes early the following morning..... so far, so good! Then he tells me that (a) I would be given CLEXANE (http://www.appgonline.com.au/drug.asp?drug_id=00021456 & t=cmi ) which is a type of Heparin used to keep the blood thin, and is under serious scrutiny by the TGA in Australia and other bodies worldwide..... http://www.tga.gov.au/alerts/medicines/clexane.htm... following that revelation he advised me he was (b) putting me on a Beta Blocker medication.... and that is when I asserted myself... SAID NO WAY MATE and then had to explain to him that this type of medication caused the heart rate to slow down.... asked him to check his readings just recently taken of my heart rate, and explained to him that if he gave me this medication, I could and probably would end up unconscious, as he had in front of him records showing I already had a low heart rate! He grunted and wrote on my chart 'patient refused medication'. Up to the ward, where most of the nurses were fantastic...... long story/short version: Over the following couple of days Sun-Wed I had numerous tests, including wearing a halter monitor... which gave the ICU department instant access to my heart rate and condition etc....... I lost count of the blood tests performed by the ever smiling vampires. Registrars and students came daily, sometimes more often to converse with me.... checking up on various allergies and medications. Of course I was asked why I did not take statin drugs.... and I was seriously surprised - happy YEH!!!! when my answer of """adverse reactions to them all""" was duly noted as 'patient is allergic - myalgia' in my hospital records and NO further pressure was applied to get me to take them. The Medics asked me to keep moving about whilst on the heart monitor.... which I was happy to do, cruising up and down hospital corridors when Ken came to visit etc..... but they still insisted on wanting to shoot me in the belly with CLEXANE (see above) so as to prevent a blood clot etc....... I kept refusing, explaining that (a) I was not bed-bound...... they had asked me to keep mobile and (b) I was a bleeder........ which they had forgotten...... Then they wanted me to use the GTN spray (nitro-glycerine) for angina pain..... it gives me a colossal headache so they prescribed a low dose patch for me to wear which WILL NOT (I was assured) give you any discomfort...... GARBAGE!!! my head thumped big time and required pain meds to alleviate it.... so NO MORE patch thanks Doc!.... OK OK...... today was GO HOME DAY and on discharge they always give you a few of the hospital prescribed medications to use at home until you can get to your doctor for a prescription etc...... they piled me up with all of the meds I had refused.... and people ask why is our health service in such a financial mess? I refused them all again.... much to the angst of the pharmacist at the hospital...... NO ONE LISTENS! So I am home, tired but well loved and cared for. I will make an appointment to see the cardio in Launceston soon and he can follow up on the two stents I have already in my artery. It is just possible of course that this was NOT cardiac related.... it could be gastro related.... to do with the gluten intolerance etc.... which is all together another story to tell .... you would think/hope that a hospital would understand what it means when a patient is gluten free because of allergy etc...... believe me THEY DON'T! HEY enuff already........ Thanks for listening and caring. xxxxxxxxxxxxx Clare in Tassie http://www.grisoft.com Anti-Virus Scanned this message Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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