Day 6 Rude Awakening 3 The Eviction!
Following my Q&A session that morning I was told that pending blood test results taken earlier I may be able to go home later that day. This was my 6th day in hospital and I was feeling really rough and very tired and fed up so the thought of home was wonderful, even though I knew I’d be back soon. After lunch I fell asleep. I was in an all female bay of 6 which was on a mixed renal ward. At that point I had a cannula in my hand for morphine pain relief but the catheter had been removed. What happened next still shocks me and those whom I relay this to. I was woken from what must have been a really deep sleep by a sharp pain in my hand and could hear someone saying my name. As I came round there was a Health Care Assistant by the bed removing things from the side cabinet. Standing over me was a nurse who was removing the cannula (hence the pain). As I started to wake I asked what they were doing and was told I was being moved to the discharge lounge to go home. By now they had my legs out the bed and all my cupboards were emptied onto the bed. The HCA was trying to put my trousers on and I’d started to cry – the first time since I’d been there. I told them I’d not had my blood test results or phoned my husband but they dismissed this and continued stuffing my belongings into carrier bags. Then a smart man in a suit arrived by the bed and introduced himself as the surgeon who would be removing my kidney. The nurse and HCA stopped what they were doing, obviously not expecting him to be there. I was perched on the edge of the bed, trousers round my ankles and belongings stuffed in bags around me. Awkward silence… The surgeon then asked if I was ok, was on on morphine (I was crying so probably looked a mess). I managed to get myself together and said I’d been woken by the cannula being removed and told I had to leave. The surgeon then addressed the nurse and HCA and said I’d not be going anywhere at which they scurried away. The whole bay was silent and watching. The surgeon then proceeded to introduce himself properly and explained he’d been on holiday and as he now had a list to follow my operation wouldn’t take place for 10 days. He said normally after an embolisation they would remove the organ as soon as possible but unfortunately this hadn’t been possible. He said that due to the embolisation the kidney would be swollen and may stick (not sure what to) and so surgery could take longer and dependant upon what they found may be open surgery although keyhole was planned. All of this information was being given following the rudest awakening from staff at the hospital and so I was understandably distressed. As the surgeon left he went to speak to the sister, presumably about my treatment as he was not happy. I took myself off to the toilets and for the first time since arriving at the hospital sobbed and sobbed. Looking back I think that the seriousness of my condition had just hit me full on but it was obviously not helped by the rude and thoughtless nature by which I was being evicted from my hospital bed. When I returned to the ward the other patients were also visibly upset and I sat with a lady who comforted me as others expressed their disgust at what had happened. The mother of a young girl in the bed opposite said she’d only ever seen this sort of thing on hidden camera footage on the TV, it really was awful. Then the nurse who had woken me returned with the HCA who was also very upset and the ward manager had been called. They asked me to go back to my bed and speak to them which I did but refused to have the curtains drawn around. The nurse said, ‘I dont think you understood us we weren’t making you leave’. That was it, the lady next to me said ‘Yes you were we all saw it’ and the mother opposite joined in. The staff were obviously worried I’d complain and were desperately trying to cover their tracks. I assured them I was fully aware of what had happened but that I had no intention of complaining. What’s the point it wasn’t going to change my situation. I could see the HCA was genuinely upset and knew she was only following orders as was the nurse. I understand the pressures placed upon them and the need for beds, what they did to me wasn’t personal it was just badly handled. I’d get over it. Following this I was visited by two other senior nurses, one a sister who both asked if I was ok and if I had any complaints. The truth was that if the surgeon hadn’t arrived I would have been sitting in discharge lounge waiting for my husband to collect me. My blood test results came back ok and later that evening I was discharged and my husband collected me from the ward. Leaving the others in the bay was really emotional, strange the bonds you form in such a short time but I knew I’d be back but next time for surgery.
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