Lived Experience Forum

[BlueBay]

Today I wrote to the local hospital to complain about my treatment on the weekend.
When I first arrived in ED I was treated with care and empathy. Due to my physical complaint and my mental illness I was reassured each time a test was being done by the doctor. Then I was transferred to short stay unit. Again I was given great care. But during the night I got worse temp went sky high I was dehydrated snd almost fainted.
The nurse called a dr to come and see me. He was the rudest doctor I have ever had. He was short abrupt and said "oh you only have a cold". Had he checked my notes he would have seen I had to have a ct scan for possible blood clot. And that I had to speak to CAT team. And that the doctor in ED wrote down high heart rate and wheeze in chest. He spoke to me like I was a little kid.

I feel that because of my mental illness I wasn't treated right. I never want this doctor to treat me agsin. And it's the second time I've had him and both times he was terrible. No bedside manner at all. So after thinking about it today I decided to write and put my complain in writing. I don't need to be treated like this.

I'm hoping to hear back from the hospital.

[Former-Member]

I'm sorry about your experience. It's good that you are being assertive and taking action . you're probably not the only one who's been through this.

[Decadian]

That is really rough @BlueBay - no one deserves to be treated like that - surely the man could read your notes

So did anything get resolved while you were in short stay

It's a good idea to write to the complaints department of the hospital - I have done this to few public hospitals over several years -

Sometimes being treated for chronic pain is similar to being treated when one has MI I think - as if we are incompetent - not able to understand.

I am glad to say I have had better treatment in later years -

This is important - complaining about inadequate service is good for our own self-esteem and but it keeps the administration on its toes

I'm sorry you have had more of the run around again - but if you write a letter they way you have written here it will be excellent

Dec

[BlueBay]

Hi @Decadian
I have to see my GP tomorrow. Nothing much done in short stay. Dr discharged me when I was still feeling crap. I'm off to my GP tomorrow so I'll get him to explain the results. Every time I cough my head hurts so much. And still wheezy.
Yes I emailed letter to hospital. Basically what I wrote on here plus a bit more, even thanking the doctor in the ED who was so kind and caring to me. Let's wait and see what they say.
I just had to write a letter because I felt I wasn't treated right or with respect.
How are you @Decadian? Xxx

[Decadian]

It's good you are seeing your GP tomorrow - @BlueBay - he sounds really kind and helpful

I am okay - it was too hot for me today but I stayed inside most of the day - and realised today that I have to get some sun screen - I remember cleaning out that shelf in the autumn and ditching all the sunscreen and other stuff because it was past the use-by date

We had a cool change this afternoon though - I guess you had that too

Dec

[Former-Member]

I'm really sorry too how you were treated by this Doctor, and I hope you hear something back from the hospital soon. Good luck with your appointment tomorrow @BlueBay

[BlueBay]

Hi @Decadian
Even though I felt not great I took jersey down the beach in the morning and she loved to play in the water. My son came with me and I even did a small walk alone which was really nice.

It was hot but I don't think it reached it where I am. Cool change came and it was beautiful.
Yes make sure sunscreen is in date. It amazes me how much we had last year that was out of date.

[Change123]

Hi @BlueBay

Doesnt it stink when they treat you like that, I hope you get a result.  I'm suppsoed to hear about my complaint by mid December so will be interesting to see if they take it seriously or not.

Glas to hear you are feeling better and had a nice day with Jersey.

[Decadian]

Hi @BlueBay

Yes - I have it on my list to get sun-screen today - I have very fine skin - though not that fair - and it is sun-damaged from many many years ago when people didn't think that much about skin cancer

You are sounding much better - it may not feel like much to you but it comes across in your writing -

Getting as angry as you did with your psyche and saying you would change really seems to have shifted your load in some way - this is such a good thing

Changing ourselves is the way - I heard from my doctor that my psychologist is using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - I asked him what that was - and I will look it up later - and it seems that - yes - I can remember the past but to graduatlly replace my bad memories with better ones - and strangely - we are talking more about my son than my mother - and with my son she has given me what seems like a "post-mortem dx" which might seem strange but makes sense to me. No one ever gave me a dx for him but she let me talk about him for what seemed like ages then asked some important questions.

My son had very acute hearing - and it drove him crazy at times - and also he could smell things that no one else could until they became more potent and they would be making him really ill. He also had no depth perception - his eyes did not focus in the normal way and the world was flat to him and he would walk or run into things and really hurt himself

Living in his world really drove him crazy - this is hard for most people to understand - I didn't see all of it until my psychologist explained it - and I really knew him - I thought he had a disorder and she thinks he had BPD and I think you have that too.

So I get it regarding you if this is the case - it is hard to explain your world to other people who don't experience the world the way you do - I know I don't but because of my son what you have been writing about your world has made good sense to me. And people have been cruel to you

But not here - people here are so understanding - I have found this the case and you are much loved - just reading how people write to you

I feel it too - totally accepted being who I am and how the world has hurt me

So this morning the air is fresh and clean after the rain last night

Thanks Baygirl

Dec

[BlueBay]

Hi @Decadian

I think this time I have finally being heard by my psych.  Going into hospital twice in one week made the doctors there look up and actually sit and listen to me.  I have the most wonderful doctor yesterday in ED.  She sat and just listened. And she was the one who made the phone call to my psych.  He too, was very understanding when I got there in the aftrenoon.  He said to me that anyone with that much stress and worry that I have at the moment plus add depression and anxiety - it would cause what I am goiong through at the moment.

Anyway, you know how I wrote a complaint letter to the hospital.  Well yesterday afternoon i received a reply saying that they take my complaint seriously and are now investigating this with their senior doctors.  They will get back to me with the outcome of the investigation.  

While I was in ED yesterday a lady who volunteers and makes coffee/tea for visitors came up to me to say hello .  she asked why i was in and i told her.  told her i was in saturday and didn't like such doctor.  she said describe him because i think i know who you mean.  it was the same doctor.  well, she told me that the night before she saw a lady come in with severe vertigo and he told her 'are you sure it's not all in your head".  What a stupid thing to say as a doctor.  This lady said that she didn't like him either, he comes across arrogant.  That reaffirmed what I thought, which was good to hear.

So, now I'll wait to hear back.  And if I do back to ED and he is there, I do not want him to treat at all.  

To be treated unfairly twice by this young doctor is enough.  I'm not going to be treated like that again.  I know my own body and how I feel.