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["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

My mother (93 years old) had chest pains Tuesday night. She activated her 
Medical Alarm, which called me and the paramedics. She ended up in the ER; 
they couldn't find anything wrong, but the ER doctor said that her blood 
work was "a little off" in several categories (blood sugar was a little 
high, kidney function was a little off, etc.). "Chest pain" seem to be the 
magic words that get you admitted to the hospital, even if they can't find 
anything wrong. She was in for 2 days. I visited 5 times in the 2 days, but 
couldn't get any information about her condition, no matter who or how many 
times I asked.

Thursday night, they called me and said she was being discharged. The nurses 
couldn't tell me anything else.  They gave me discharge papers that said she 
was admitted with chest pains, a list of the medications she's already 
taking, and instructions to get an appointment with her GP for 8/13 (two 
weeks).  I called for an appointment, but her doctor is on vacation until 
the end of August. Not a single word about what tests they did or what they 
found. Nothing about her blood test being a 'little off'.

Isn't someone supposed to meet with the patient/family to tell them what's 
going on? I saw the doctor racing down the hall in the hospital, but I would 
have had to tackle him to talk to him. I have a call in to hospital 
administration to complain about the lack of communication, but I don't 
expect much to come of it.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA