(Before I start on my rant, two things: my computer charger broke so I've been a little MIA lately because I hardly get a chance to get on the husband's computer, and secondly, I will soon be blogging about some cookie dough cupcake goodness!)
I am beyond frustrated right now.
About three weeks ago Pat and I wrote a letter to the hospital. The day we were discharged we were told that they were going to figure out what happened with the epidural and why it took the nurse anesthetist three hours to come look at the epidural pump and let us know. Well over two months had passed and we hadn't heard anything and we wanted to draw attention to the fact that the hospital had dropped the ball and to let them know we were still awaiting answers.
Here are a few exerts from the letter I received today:
"A review of the procedures revealed that all normal protocols were followed." - Seriously?
"Although the pump beeped and displayed a message that the pump was empty, Dr. G*** assured us that the pump did not malfunction or empty completely as there is a reserve." - The pump was saying it was low at 7 pm, you're telling me in THREE hours the reserve was still there?!?!?! Obviously it did malfunction because either there was medicine in it and it was saying it wasn't (their story, which I have a hard time believing) OR the pump shut off because it didn't have medicine in it anymore (which is what actually happened as my husband SAW it)... either way you cut it, there was a malfunction!
"Our records state that L***, the nurse anesthetist visited you promptly and regularly to attend to your labor pain."- This one really pisses me off the most! I saw that witch twice the entire time I was there. Once when I was admitted, to place the epidural around 10 am, and once around 10 pm, even though the nurse called her at 7 pm to come to my room. Is three hours prompt? Certainly not to me! And don't even get me started on her piss poor attitude!
I had to get this out as I am not going to go into a 'letter war' with the hospital as it is obvious to me that they don't think anything happened outside the norm. All we wanted was a 'my bad, sorry it took so long, we were having problems with the pumps... etc.' but instead they act like we made the whole thing up! I mean if what I went through it their normal care then I truly feel sorry for the women that go to that hospital.
Lesson learned: I will NEVER go to ANY SSM hospital/facility again.
See this whole experience really makes me mad, both for you and for me. As you know, my husband works at that hospital and he probably won't be leaving anytime soon which means when it comes time for us to start a family, I will have to deliver at an SSM hospital (I'd rather deliver at St. Luke's or MOBap). maybe we should switch insurance to *my* work when that time comes...
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you're still having to deal with all of this & then get that kind of response. I don't believe that's good patient care or service. I'm a RN and I don't believe that is an appropriate response to your concerns & questions. Again, I am just really sorry you had to go through that whole ordeal.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you've had to deal with it and then that they didn't acknowledge even that they COULD have been wrong. I'm sad it turns you off of SSM b/c I've worked at another SSM hospital all through school and I love it. Although I know there are problems with the one you were at.
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