From: "Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>
To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [Homestead] Healthcare question
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:20:41 -0400
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.