When Medical Staff Just Doesn’t Listen, 05/06/2014

Since the early 2000’s when mom first stepped into a cardiac surgeons office because she

was having issues with breathing, is when we found out she had what is called Edema, or a buildup of excess water the  body is unable to expel and hers was now pressing on her lungs causing her breathing issues.  Along with this episode and the many other times she was placed on medications to help with extra fluid (one appointment her water weight and the eight or nine times I can count that she has been admitted to be put on and IV of medication, to help her body expel the fluid so she could breathe with ease.  We also know from these events, from a lung surgery, a double valve replacement surgery that when her edema flared up, every medication for aiding the human body in removing all excess fluids, they had tried them and all but one has been unsuccessful.  Now you would think that if you have been introduced to the medical staff from the start as your carees care provider and that you have power of attorney (POA) in case something happens, you’ve handed them everything about your caree in the Medical Information Sheet you provided and you’ve visited your caree 24 of the 30 days she’s been there for an average of 3-1/2 hours a day, that they just might listen to you about certain things?

 

Well, when it comes to mom’s medications it seems that the rehab facility’s in-house doctor decided

on her own to change mom’s water pill and not tell anyone not even the patient.  She removed mom from the Lasix and put her on a pill that is supposed to be 4x better.  We discovered this by looking at moms legs (I did not just say that.)  When she was admitted here there was real give in her skin, easier put you could press on the shin and make an indentation now there’s no give in her skin at all, it is as tight as the Botox injections on Cher’s (singing idol) face.  The problem is, when mom was having her heart surgery they also tried mom on this med and within a week of being on it, she had gained 20lbs, could not hardly breathe non the less walk 10-15 feet without having to stop for 4-5 minutes to catch her breath.  We ended up in the emergency room and eventually spent a week in the hospital on an IV of wait for it, wait for it….LASIX.  So when we found out the water pill had been switched on Friday mid-day, the nurses told mom they would contact the doctor and see about putting her back on the Lasix medication.  “Insert Benefit of the Doubt Here” Saturday comes and I’m there to drop off cloths, pick up outgoing mail and I ask the med nurse if the script had been changed and to my un-surprise, it had not.  I make my way up to the nurse’s desk to talk with the lead nurse who will be in touch with the on-call doctor who is supposed to be calling in between 9-10am.  I explain the situation and express an urgent need to get mom back on Lasix and why.  I hear her say as soon as the doctor calls she will discuss it with her and she will come down to moms’ room and let us know.

 

9:30am, 10am, 10:30am, its now 11:00am and  I approach the head nurse again and without saying anything she tells me that the on-call doctor still has not called.  I feel the need to “and I do,” let her know that, “I am not leaving until this is resolved and I will be back every ½ hour to check in until we hear from the doctor.”  She acknowledges and now we wait another 30 minutes.  This little game goes on for three (3) hours, it is now one o’clock and I have been told that they are waiting for the on-call doctor to call in and to my surprise they have yet to call the doctor.  Now let’s get this straight before we proceed, an “On-Call Doctor” from what I know is a doctor that is “On-Call After Hours” and is contacted if there are any concerns. 

Not a doctor that calls in whenever he/she wants to follow through on cases.  So then why are we waiting for the doctor to call us when they have not even called the doctor to notify him/her that there is an issue in the first place? What’s on second, I don’t knows at home, a Laurel and Hardy plug for those that don’t know.  It is now 1pm and the charge nurse is “Finally” going to call the doctor.  I guess you could say I hovered around the nurse’s desk messing around on my iPad mini^** just waiting to hear something, anything about moms Lasix.  After walking back to mom’s room the lead nurse walks in directly behind me and begins talking and I can already tell, she not going to get Lasix.  She starts telling us that the doctor wants to try the new medicine along with compression stockings, elevating moms feet as much as possible, limit her fluid intake to 1.5 liters a day (50.721 oz) total.  So take into account all the fluids including those to take her meds (5x a day), coffee, soda, ice tea, any water with meals and juices and it adds up real quick.  Trying this idea goes on from Saturday (pm) through Monday morning when the doctor came in and right off tells mom that they are, “Putting her back on Lasix and they have no idea who authorized the change.”  Really, if the facility would have listened when we first found out about the change and began telling them we want her back on the med we knows works mom would not have had to go five days with all the excess fluid and now have to wait for the Lasix to start working and get her weight back to where it should be.  Doc just one comment, Next time listen, we do know a little about the people we care for.

Richard’s final words, stand your ground, don’t give up and make noise if you need to.  It took us 5-1/2 days to get mom back onto the medication we know works, it should have only taken one.  Be involved with your caree’s medical because if you’re not, who will be?