Well, here I am on the other side of brain surgery. I'm sorry its taken me so long to update this thing, but I didn't bring my laptop to the hospital (which was fine because I wouldn't have gotten on it) and since coming home, I've been exhausted. But I'm about to head to bed so I decided to write a little and let you all know how it went.
Surgery was scheduled for 730am on February 3rd. We checked in at 530am, got registered and sent into pre-op to change into some oh-so fashionable clothing (Nursing gown with no back? Check. Compression tights? check) and then got "wired for sound" as my mom and I kept saying. I have never had so many cords come out of me before, not even with chemo! It was completely insane. So after being set up, all the doctors and surgeons came by, marked me, talked to me and let me know what was going to happen. The operation nurses were amazing and really made me feel comfortable. At 715, I was given some happy drugs and said goodbye to my mom and was rolled into the operating room. I kept telling jokes to the nurses and just being myself when they pushed the rest of the happy drugs into my system and put the mask over my face and it was like a light switch was it. I was GONE!
From what I was told, surgery lasted 4 hours and everything went AMAZINGLY! They ended up not having to cut any nerves and the tumor came out very easily. What I remember next is quite vague really. I remember them waking me up in post-op and immediately throwing up (at least I think I did) then I was really cold (which is normal) then I next remember being in SICU and hearing my mom and brother's voices and feeling SO MUCH PAIN! It was like a migraine times a trillion times infinity...it was awful (to give you a hint, my blood pressure was 150/121). So my mom is telling the nurse to get me some pain meds. Here's the convo:
Mom: She needs pain meds.
Nurse: Uhm Dr. Medary didn't order any.
Mom: Well you better call him then.
Nurse: Umm he's in surgery right now.
Mom: Well they called me 4 times from the operating room, so OBVIOUSLY they can get messages in there. CALL HIM!
(10 minutes later...still screaming)
Nurse: Alright, he called in some pain meds.
Mom: (stares at her)
Nurse: (clueless)
Mom: Well...then GO GET IT!
Finally got some flippin' pain meds and was able to calm down a bit. I was so dizzy though that I didn't even open my eyes most of the day. The clueless nurse would come in and check on me and sometimes give me pain meds. She then decided that I'm supposed to go on pills instead of injections, so she switched me from Fentenyl (stronger than Morphine) to Loratab 5's (a little above Tylenol) and then when I complained of being in pain (I know, shocker!) she told me that I shouldn't be in this type of pain. Um..excuse me? Someone just CUT into my BRAIN and you are saying I'm not supposed to be in pain?! So when the critical care doctor came later that evening, I told him that I'm in MAJOR pain and this Loratab s**t isn't working. So he put me back on the Fentenyl and I tried to get some sleep. Then the shifts switched and it got ALOT worse.
My nurse that night in the SICU was a man named Jason. He is hands down, one of the rudest, most unprofessional people I have even had to deal with. Every time I would call for him, he wouldn't show up for 5-10 minutes (this is INTENSIVE CARE which means maybe two patients to a nurse) and when he did, he acted like I was interrupting him. Dude, this is your JOB! I am your job! So I was due for pain meds every hour until the morning so I would get the shot, sleep for maybe 45 minutes then wait to call for my pain meds. One time I called, the lady said he would be in shortly. I swear to you, I waited for 15 minutes and he never showed. So I hit the button again, and literally seconds later, he poked his head in and said, "You still have 10 minutes!!" in the rudest tone. Finally came back and gave me my shot.
Then around 5am, they came in to take me to CT scan. My nurse failed to give me pain meds before they started moving me, so the pain was just unbearable. Then the two people taking me were obnoxious and made the whole trip horrible. When I finally got back to my room, the tech helped me used the restroom and got me comfortable then left. So I laid there and realized I was due for pain meds so I went to find my button. Nowhere. So I hit the nurse button on the bed. Didn't work. The techs forgot to plug my bed back into so I had NO WAY to get a hold of my nurse. I told my heart monitors off, no one came so I started screaming. I scream for 10 minutes when the heart tech FINALLY realized my monitors were off. I was crying I was so upset so my nurse came in and gave me pain meds and the heart tech plugged everything back in. Then it was time for shift change, which happens at 7am. Now I know they have to report and paperwork and blah blah so I didn't expect to see my nurse til 730ish. My mom came in at 8am and still no nurse. Dr. Medary came in and switch me to some pills but stronger and they are to be taken every 4 hours plus some Valium to help me get some rest. Still no nurse. She finally comes in at 830 to give me my meds and check my vitals. I asked her to dump out the toilet next to my bed and she said she would do it. Didn't see her again for 3 hours. After that, I just ignored it, knowing I was going on the floor later.
I finally got into a regular room at 6pm. My nurse was great but was only there for another hour. But my mom got me in the shower and changed me into some clean clothes and I got meds. Then the night nurse comes in, does vitals and whatnot and that's about it. I was given my meds at 11pm and tried to get some sleep. At 4am, I woke up in pain and asked for my nurse. Nurse tech comes in and says she 's with another patient but will be in shortly and went to go give me fresh water. Around 430am, the nurse comes in and says I'm not due for ANY meds til 7am, which would make it 8 hours between doses. I told her I'm due for pain meds and to give me some, and she wouldn't. Then then nurse tech decides to come back with fresh water, 45 minutes later. So I tried to get back to sleep but tossed and turned. Then my day nurse comes in and I told her what happened and she gave me my meds, but by that time, the pain had gotten worse, so the meds didn't help. I started crying and they wouldn't give me ANYTHING to help. I was supposed to leave that day and I'm still in alot of pain. I kept telling the nurse I just wanted ONE shot to help the pain so the other pills can help but apparently didn't understand that. Finally, Dr. Medary comes in and I explained everything to him and he's like, "you only want one shot? Oh that's fine!" I got the shot, got my meds, got my discharge paperwork and I got the hell out of there.
It was one of the worst nursing experience I have ever had to deal with. Most of them were rude, uncaring and unprofessional. I have been in hospitals, my dad is a nurse, I know how it's supposed to be. Dr. Phillips Hospital is not what it should be. My surgeons and doctors were awesome, but I will never set foot in that hospital ever again.
But cut out the bad and everything went really well. I'm home, I'm healing very well and I'm trying to get into some rehab to help my balance. I want to thank all of you for the prayers, the messages, the cards, everything. My family and I so appreciated it. You are all amazing.
♥Liz
Surgery was scheduled for 730am on February 3rd. We checked in at 530am, got registered and sent into pre-op to change into some oh-so fashionable clothing (Nursing gown with no back? Check. Compression tights? check) and then got "wired for sound" as my mom and I kept saying. I have never had so many cords come out of me before, not even with chemo! It was completely insane. So after being set up, all the doctors and surgeons came by, marked me, talked to me and let me know what was going to happen. The operation nurses were amazing and really made me feel comfortable. At 715, I was given some happy drugs and said goodbye to my mom and was rolled into the operating room. I kept telling jokes to the nurses and just being myself when they pushed the rest of the happy drugs into my system and put the mask over my face and it was like a light switch was it. I was GONE!
From what I was told, surgery lasted 4 hours and everything went AMAZINGLY! They ended up not having to cut any nerves and the tumor came out very easily. What I remember next is quite vague really. I remember them waking me up in post-op and immediately throwing up (at least I think I did) then I was really cold (which is normal) then I next remember being in SICU and hearing my mom and brother's voices and feeling SO MUCH PAIN! It was like a migraine times a trillion times infinity...it was awful (to give you a hint, my blood pressure was 150/121). So my mom is telling the nurse to get me some pain meds. Here's the convo:
Mom: She needs pain meds.
Nurse: Uhm Dr. Medary didn't order any.
Mom: Well you better call him then.
Nurse: Umm he's in surgery right now.
Mom: Well they called me 4 times from the operating room, so OBVIOUSLY they can get messages in there. CALL HIM!
(10 minutes later...still screaming)
Nurse: Alright, he called in some pain meds.
Mom: (stares at her)
Nurse: (clueless)
Mom: Well...then GO GET IT!
Finally got some flippin' pain meds and was able to calm down a bit. I was so dizzy though that I didn't even open my eyes most of the day. The clueless nurse would come in and check on me and sometimes give me pain meds. She then decided that I'm supposed to go on pills instead of injections, so she switched me from Fentenyl (stronger than Morphine) to Loratab 5's (a little above Tylenol) and then when I complained of being in pain (I know, shocker!) she told me that I shouldn't be in this type of pain. Um..excuse me? Someone just CUT into my BRAIN and you are saying I'm not supposed to be in pain?! So when the critical care doctor came later that evening, I told him that I'm in MAJOR pain and this Loratab s**t isn't working. So he put me back on the Fentenyl and I tried to get some sleep. Then the shifts switched and it got ALOT worse.
My nurse that night in the SICU was a man named Jason. He is hands down, one of the rudest, most unprofessional people I have even had to deal with. Every time I would call for him, he wouldn't show up for 5-10 minutes (this is INTENSIVE CARE which means maybe two patients to a nurse) and when he did, he acted like I was interrupting him. Dude, this is your JOB! I am your job! So I was due for pain meds every hour until the morning so I would get the shot, sleep for maybe 45 minutes then wait to call for my pain meds. One time I called, the lady said he would be in shortly. I swear to you, I waited for 15 minutes and he never showed. So I hit the button again, and literally seconds later, he poked his head in and said, "You still have 10 minutes!!" in the rudest tone. Finally came back and gave me my shot.
Then around 5am, they came in to take me to CT scan. My nurse failed to give me pain meds before they started moving me, so the pain was just unbearable. Then the two people taking me were obnoxious and made the whole trip horrible. When I finally got back to my room, the tech helped me used the restroom and got me comfortable then left. So I laid there and realized I was due for pain meds so I went to find my button. Nowhere. So I hit the nurse button on the bed. Didn't work. The techs forgot to plug my bed back into so I had NO WAY to get a hold of my nurse. I told my heart monitors off, no one came so I started screaming. I scream for 10 minutes when the heart tech FINALLY realized my monitors were off. I was crying I was so upset so my nurse came in and gave me pain meds and the heart tech plugged everything back in. Then it was time for shift change, which happens at 7am. Now I know they have to report and paperwork and blah blah so I didn't expect to see my nurse til 730ish. My mom came in at 8am and still no nurse. Dr. Medary came in and switch me to some pills but stronger and they are to be taken every 4 hours plus some Valium to help me get some rest. Still no nurse. She finally comes in at 830 to give me my meds and check my vitals. I asked her to dump out the toilet next to my bed and she said she would do it. Didn't see her again for 3 hours. After that, I just ignored it, knowing I was going on the floor later.
I finally got into a regular room at 6pm. My nurse was great but was only there for another hour. But my mom got me in the shower and changed me into some clean clothes and I got meds. Then the night nurse comes in, does vitals and whatnot and that's about it. I was given my meds at 11pm and tried to get some sleep. At 4am, I woke up in pain and asked for my nurse. Nurse tech comes in and says she 's with another patient but will be in shortly and went to go give me fresh water. Around 430am, the nurse comes in and says I'm not due for ANY meds til 7am, which would make it 8 hours between doses. I told her I'm due for pain meds and to give me some, and she wouldn't. Then then nurse tech decides to come back with fresh water, 45 minutes later. So I tried to get back to sleep but tossed and turned. Then my day nurse comes in and I told her what happened and she gave me my meds, but by that time, the pain had gotten worse, so the meds didn't help. I started crying and they wouldn't give me ANYTHING to help. I was supposed to leave that day and I'm still in alot of pain. I kept telling the nurse I just wanted ONE shot to help the pain so the other pills can help but apparently didn't understand that. Finally, Dr. Medary comes in and I explained everything to him and he's like, "you only want one shot? Oh that's fine!" I got the shot, got my meds, got my discharge paperwork and I got the hell out of there.
It was one of the worst nursing experience I have ever had to deal with. Most of them were rude, uncaring and unprofessional. I have been in hospitals, my dad is a nurse, I know how it's supposed to be. Dr. Phillips Hospital is not what it should be. My surgeons and doctors were awesome, but I will never set foot in that hospital ever again.
But cut out the bad and everything went really well. I'm home, I'm healing very well and I'm trying to get into some rehab to help my balance. I want to thank all of you for the prayers, the messages, the cards, everything. My family and I so appreciated it. You are all amazing.
Oh and I did end up with a pretty bad ass scar!
♥Liz
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