posted by Jennie on Mar 20
This is the view from my room. Not bad eh?! It was a nice aerial view from the eleventh floor of Medical City.
One was the regular dextrose and the other one served as the one to dilute the antibiotic they gave me intravenously, which has a story in itself. Come the third day, despite my nurse insisting on still giving me antibiotics that way so I asked to speak with the resident doctor if an alternative oral antibiotic was possible. By that time I only had heplock, because my primary doctor ordered to have my I.V. detached already. She said I won’t be needing it anymore.
When it was time to inject in the antibiotic via I.V., it turned out it is no longer aligned with the vein and the nurse had to attach a new one from my right hand. It was a no-no. First, I was only waiting for one doc then to clear me for discharge, so you could just imagine my eagerness to go home that time. Second, I am right handed person. It’s practically withholding me a whole lot of my functionality. I couldn’t care less about the doc’s “standing orders” as what the nurse said. I know my right. I felt my swollen lymph had subsided a tad and I even no longer have to take pain medications (which the nurse again insisted on me taking, because it was again, “a standing order”) which was altogether ridiculous because for someone who has known pain practically all her life and have regularly taken medications for migraine, month in and month out, I wouldn’t dare say no to a pain reliever when I need it. So there. I had my way. I spoke with the doc and told her my plea and my thoughts were justified. I am a thinking patient, as much as this may be a dismay to the nurse who handled me.
That’s the food hubs and I shared during one of my meals on the first day. Yup, hospital food sucks! Big time this time because I was on a hypo-allergenic diet. I have almost complained to the nutritionist how tasteless the food they serve me on an everyday basis. Since there was nothing I can do to change that, hubby always went out to get the tastiest food from outside and bring it in to share with me, plus I always get to have a treat of banana-mango shake from the Big Chill every meal. So, that tops my every meal. I took all these shots via my mobile phone that’s why most shots are fuzzy. 
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March 21st, 2008 at 12:16 am
hey, jen. i’m so not updated. why are you in the hospital again? get well soon ok?
love,
cienna
Cienna C. Ong Ante’s last blog post..Make way for Spring
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March 21st, 2008 at 12:22 am
Hi Cienna girl! Naku sister another episode of my allergy attack. That was my third hospitalization because of allergy. It coincided pa with lymphadenitis. My lymph nodes acted up again. They do their attack on hyperactivity every other year. Buti nalang I got discharged before Holy Week. I can’t imagine spending it inside the hospital. But then again, I even celebrated my birthday in 2006 right in the same hospital. lol! Thanks Cienna! Incidentally sis, I will send you a very old photo of you and me in our elementary days.
Jennie’s last blog post..Drug Rehab Mobile
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March 21st, 2008 at 1:05 am
Hi Jennie! Thanks for visiting my site.
It sucks being in a hospital. Well, I haven’t been hospitalized, but my dad was and I was his doctor, his stay-in nurse, his orderly, his errand-runner, and the spokesperson to the relatives. And because I also work in the hospital, I know the food suck too. You’re lucky because you’re in hypoallergenic diet. Imagine if you are hypertensive or diabetic and you’re put in a low-salt, low-fat diet. You’d never get to eat anything tasty anymore. Hehe.
I could understand why the nurse would have insisted on you taking the pain medications. It just goes like this: you feel pain, you tell the nurse. The nurse will advise you to take the pain meds, as it is ordered prn or as necessary in the doctor’s order sheet for pain. If you refuse to take it then complain of pain when the doctor comes, the doctor will ask the nurse why he/she did not give the pain medications when it was needed. If the doctor is a bit “toxic”, a barrage of reprimand will follow. So, I guess the nurse was just either being very careful or merely doing an act of self-preservation. So, I hope you don’t begrudge the nurse for that.
In my practice, to avoid situations like that, I just advise the nurses to just let patients sign on the chart whenever they don’t feel like taking something, like pain medications or reinsertion of IV line or even as crucial as a “do not resuscitate” order for a relative (of course, after some lengthy explanation on the conditions and consequences of such action). Like you said, it’s your choice really. We couldn’t force you to do anything. At least, by signing on the chart, everything gets an appearance of formality, so if in the end, some problem arises, then there’s proof of what transpired.
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March 21st, 2008 at 9:02 am
Wow Doc! You were here! I appreciate it that you came to to visit me here and have given me a piece of your mind on what happened.
Yep, I took it that she was just probably doing her job. Besides, even if she insisted on those things she wasn’t rude at all, just told stuff in as a matter of fact manner. Although it could have helped if she listened intently when I told her there was not pain at all anymore. The nurses were fine, she was just the lone one who was kind of legalistic when it comes to those standing orders. I wouldn’t have minded signing one of those refusal papers, if ever.
Thanks again, doc! I got you added already in my link’s list. Blessings!
Jennie’s last blog post..Drug Rehab Mobile
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May 28th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Informative and entertaining. I’ve added your blog to my “reading material.” Keep me updated!
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