After the surgery...

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rayinpenn

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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I'm sitting in my hospital bed the day after knee replacement surgery and friendly nurse comes in and says "I going to give your another shot antibiotics". "Funny but I don't remember getting a shot of antibiotics". The nurse get a puzzled look on her face and says "I'll check". She comes back and says there must have been some kind of mixup because it looks like you didn't get the antibiotics prescribed before this...

My surgeon stressed the danger of infection and what could happen if I got one ..frankly it scared the heck out of me. The swabbed my nose With a thickened red surgical solution, they took a preoperative swab from my nose for Mirsa and washed my knee countless times. Now they dropped the ball big time.

I ask the nurse to bring the head nurse in so she could explain how this happened .. more for the next guy or gal who comes also... in the just an honest mistake ... hey do you think they will forget the bill too?

I should say they were extremely nice to me...
 
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Ask if you got the first dose of antibiotics in the OR.
 
rayinpenn said:
I did but the second was missed?
Click to expand...

The first dose in the OR is crucial. At least you got that.

Tell the head nurse you will be asking about every dose from now on. And don't let anyone touch you without washing their hands.
 
No, they will bill it anyhow....

My sister was telling me about her husbands bill... she looked at the drugs that were 'administered' and said that if they had actually given him as much as they billed he would be dead :facepalm:....

She fought the bill... and guess what? They finally agreed with her and then gave the money back.... TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY!!!
 
Did they repair the correct knee? I bet they told the nurse to say OK Mr Rayinpenn, time for your medicine, and leave off the word "next". Sometimes when they mess up my food order they throw in a free egg roll or something next time. I wonder if they will give you some lotion or tissues to take home as an olive branch. If you want, give me the phone number to the nurses station, ill say i have been retained by you and want them to waive your copay.
 
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Blue Collar Guy said:
Did they repair the correct knee? .
Click to expand...

From when you walk in the door until you hit the table you will be asked your name, date of birth 15 times.. oh and "right knee right?" The left already has a prominent scar. Then they will write something on the correct knee with a sharpie - twice.

So yesterday i am post op I'm sitting in a recliner in my hospital room.. there's a commotion out side I hear a nurse say call security.. who comes in force and tosses some out some unruly visitors. It only occurs to me then just how helpless I am - I can't even run and hide...

Sometime Saturday night I get hit with a wave of indigestion - not surprising given all the pills I was asked to swallow.. I ask for some tums... head nurse says happens all the time.. it has to be approved downstairs and out in the system. An hour later they are giving me alternatives... "that should work.." no biggie mind you but if it happens all the time why the fuss?
 
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rayinpenn said:
From when you walk in the door until you hit the table you will be asked your name, date of birth 15 times.. oh and "right knee right?" The left already has a prominent scar. Then they will write something on the correct knee with a sharpie - twice.

So yesterday i am post op I'm sitting in a recliner in my hospital room.. there's a commotion out side I hear a nurse say call security.. who comes in force and tosses some out some unruly visitors. It only occurs to me then just how helpless I am - I can't even run and hide...

Sometime Saturday night I get hit with a wave of indigestion - not surprising given all the pills I was asked to swallow.. I ask for some tums... head nurse says happens all the time.. it has to be approved downstairs and out in the system. An hour later they are giving me alternatives... "that should work.." no biggie mind you but if it happens all the time why the fuss?
Click to expand...
Ray i enjoyed your posts, i wanted try try to make you smile during your difficult time. I wish you a speedy recovery.
 
rayinpenn said:
From when you walk in the door until you hit the table you will be asked your name, date of birth 15 times.. oh and "right knee right?" The left already has a prominent scar. Then they will write something on the correct knee with a sharpie - twice.

So yesterday i am post op I'm sitting in a recliner in my hospital room.. there's a commotion out side I hear a nurse say call security.. who comes in force and tosses some out some unruly visitors. It only occurs to me then just how helpless I am - I can't even run and hide...

Sometime Saturday night I get hit with a wave of indigestion - not surprising given all the pills I was asked to swallow.. I ask for some tums... head nurse says happens all the time.. it has to be approved downstairs and out in the system. An hour later they are giving me alternatives... "that should work.." no biggie mind you but if it happens all the time why the fuss?
Click to expand...

Because some one might be the small percentage where it doesn't happen. I too had nausea and vomiting after my knee replacement, in fact I stayed an extra day in the hospital because Dr wanted to make sure my meds were agreeing with me. believe me you want to be able to take your meds.

But my sister?? not so much as a "upset" stomach. go figure :rolleyes: girlfriend and take darn near an elephant tranquilizer with a Jack Daniels chaser without blinking an eye. so unfair. :)

good for you for asking.
 
That is why all patients need an advocate . Someone to watch and make sure the right things are happening . After my SO had his second total knee they said he had an infection and were going to transfer him to infection control . I had to fight with them because I saw his urine report and there was no infection . Finally they found the error . No way was he going to infection control and being exposed to all those bugs . He would have signed himself out before that happened .The best thing you can do is get out of the hospital as quick as you can.
 
Moemg said:
That is why all patients need an advocate . Someone to watch and make sure the right things are happening . After my SO had his second total knee they said he had an infection and were going to transfer him to infection control . I had to fight with them because I saw his urine report and there was no infection . Finally they found the error . No way was he going to infection control and being exposed to all those bugs . He would have signed himself out before that happened .The best thing you can do is get out of the hospital as quick as you can.
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Are u in the medical field? how did you know about this urine report and its implications? As soon as they told me i was going to infection control i would have told my wife to call the funeral director..
 
Blue Collar Guy said:
Are u in the medical field? how did you know about this urine report and its implications? As soon as they told me i was going to infection control i would have told my wife to call the funeral director..
Click to expand...

Yes, I was a nurse for 40 years and I knew they had some concerns because he had a urinary infection before but I saw the results of the repeat urine test and knew they were negative .
 
I agree to get out of the hospital the sooner the better, I thought that's why they now let women go home much sooner after childbirth. Plus it probably saves them money.
 
Ray, hang in there and wishing you the best!

Damn, I'm scheduled for a meniscus repair to my right knee very soon and now you all have me on alert. Knowing it's not like Ray has experienced, but it's still surgery.
 
@rayinpenn

You're lucky it was "just" antibiotic. I have had 2 major surgeries. Gall Bladder (the hard way) and bowel resection (crohns and also the hard way...LOL they are all hard)

The gall bladder was first. i come out of Recovery to my room. I barely remember Recovery. But get in my room and am in excruistating pain. Scale 1-10 it's an 11. (m)urse doesn't really know what is going on. Mrs Scrapr finally looks and there is no morphine bag. It took another 45 mins to get that straight. Call down...of course we sent down a bag. Where is it? etc

2 years later it's time for a bowel resection. In pre op I'm joking with the nurses "make sure you send the morphine down to the room" Ummm, no. They forgot...again!

If they hit the trifecta ticket I'm a gonna ask for a free surgery ticket
 
I agree with having an advocate. I caught a number of issues when DW was in for knee replacement and also for lung surgery. I don't think they were life threatening, but pain management and rehab might have been ignored had I not been there to raise a ruckus. While DW was in for the knees, the staff dropped a patient on the floor. The whole concrete floor shuddered all the way into the waiting room! Never heard how it turned out, but the chaos that ensued made it certain that DW (and just about everyone else) was ignored for over an hour.

One problem with DWs lung surgery (debatable whether it was more serious than open heart surgery) the surgical wing had 16 patients at night with one nurse for all. Her main duty was to restock all of the linen and equipment cabinets on the floor! She did great when you could get her, but she needed roller skates! YMMV
 
Scrapr said:
@rayinpenn

You're lucky it was "just" antibiotic. I have had 2 major surgeries. Gall Bladder (the hard way) and bowel resection (crohns and also the hard way...LOL they are all hard)

The gall bladder was first. i come out of Recovery to my room. I barely remember Recovery. But get in my room and am in excruistating pain. Scale 1-10 it's an 11. (m)urse doesn't really know what is going on. Mrs Scrapr finally looks and there is no morphine bag. It took another 45 mins to get that straight. Call down...of course we sent down a bag. Where is it? etc

2 years later it's time for a bowel resection. In pre op I'm joking with the nurses "make sure you send the morphine down to the room" Ummm, no. They forgot...again!

If they hit the trifecta ticket I'm a gonna ask for a free surgery ticket
Click to expand...
too funny. sorry it happened but it was a great read.
 
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