It Makes Me Sad

It makes me sad that for about a week or so I was taking painkillers that I was allergic to at the hospital. That is probably why I wasn't getting better, and had to stay another week, until I refused treatment. What makes things worse is the doctors released me with these painkillers, and are refusing now to switch them to something else that I'm not allergic to. Because according to them I was 'fine' at the hospital while taking them. But, I wasn't fine. They even said so, themselves. That's why they kept me there an extra week after everything was said and done. It's a really big let down, when you can't even trust professionals, that are suppose to be unbiased, and there to help you. Ah well. That's life.

 

Will your family doctor prescribe something that you aren't allergic to?

 

I have Tramadol. It works for the stomach pain, but not the neck pain, considering I had surgery there too.

 

Hundreds of thousands of people die from medical malpractice every year.

I appreciate modern medicine, it saved your life and it has saved mine before too, but at the same time I dont really trust it.

 

Medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States, although they aren't properly documented as such. (http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/03/476636183/death-certificates-undercount-toll-of-medical-errors).

It's tough to think of doctors as regular humans, susceptible to all the flaws and shortcomings as the rest of us. Bad days, anger, greed, personal trauma; it can all affect the decisions that medical professionals make moment to moment. Any scientific innovation, conducted by people, is going risk experiencing major flaws.

I'm really sorry to hear about your bad experience, though. The inevitability of mistakes is no reason not to strive for perfection.

 

The only thing you can do is make a new appointment with them and state your case. Or find out if there are other doctors covered by your insurance and switch doctors. This is frustrating because it can take months to get an appointment. My doctors office has what is known as a "nurse practitioner" which I think is like an intern. They can see you much sooner than a regular doctor. While I know they can make a diagnosis, I'm not sure if they can write prescriptions. You should call and find out the ins and outs of such a scenario. See if it will work for you; I know it did for me on a few occasions, but again, perhaps not for prescriptions.

 

Are the pills registered that you are allergic to them? Or are you assuming that they are what made you feel ill?
It's unlikely that they would keep giving you them, if it's in your med file, you are allergic to them.
Do you think bad of them because they are not giving you the anaesthetic results you want?
If you genuinely believe your allergic to these pills,you need to be tested, and have the results added to your file!
If your painkillers are not enough, then you need to mention this to your local health doctor, people don't always realise, these are the people who take over your care, when discharged from hospital, you don't have to wait to see the consultant...good luck, and get well soon!

 

Didnt you leave the hospital and refuse further treatment? basically spitting in the doctors faces

 

It's in my medical file that I'm allergic. But, the pharmacy says that doctors and nurses don't really read the file. I even had a wristband, but again the pharmacy said they don't really notice that stuff.

 

Lol, it wasn't that dramatic. But, yea... I left the hospital against medical advice, kind of.

I feel better. So, I'm fairly sure the extra week of feeling like shit was me having an allergic reaction to the painkillers that they were giving me.

 

Really? Then sue!
If you knew you were allergic...why take them? Tbh, it doesn't make sense!!

 

I didn't know at the time what I was taking was a painkiller that I was allergic to. I found out after I was released and went to my local pharmacy to pick up my medicine. There the pharmacy told me that they needed to call the doctor to see if it was okay to take the painkiller, because on file it states I'm allergic. But, I told them to not do that. To instead call the doctor and have them switch me to something else, because after the surgeries I was feeling good, then the doctors switched me to these painkillers (I was taking morphine beforehand), and I started getting sick again. So, I just felt like it was connected. I stayed in the hospital an extra week, having the doctors run test after test, not finding anything wrong. Until I requested to leave against medical advice. And then when I was released and stopped taking the painkillers I felt better. So, it's too much of a coincidence. It had to be the painkillers. Anyways, when the pharmacy got a hold of the doctor they stated that I was taking these painkillers in the hospital and I was 'fine'. So, they didn't want to switch them to something else, and they just told me to take the painkillers. Which I didn't and I haven't.

As for suing, no. There is no way in hell that I will win over a big institution like a hospital. Even if I had died from the painkillers, I still wouldn't win the case. It's little me against a whole hospital. And with my bad luck, suing would be more trouble than it's worth. Just no to suing. I don't want to rock the boat. I tend to get hurt when I do.

I just feel emotionally destroyed by the callousness. That is all. And I just wanted painkillers that I wasn't allergic to.

 

What was the drug? and what was the reaction?

Trust me Drs and nurses do take note of allergies in medical files, so that is not fair of your pharmacist to say that about two entire professions. And as youfreeme said there is good and bad people in all professions, just happens that healthcare workers are expected to be superhuman or something.

The last couple of weeks at work have seen me deal with utter bullshit and bad behaviour from people that just don't want to help themselves or they are just angry at the world, add in trying to deal with really sick people and a huge multidisciplinary team and you can see why sometimes mistakes get made.

I'm glad you are feeling better and maybe you should get a medic alert bracelet for your allergies, especially if it happens to be a rare life threatening reaction.

 

I don't want or expect professionals to be superhuman. I don't even understand what that means, exactly. I just wanted them to be considerate enough to have looked at my chart to have known that I'm allergic to that drug before they gave it to me. As for what the pharmacist said, that's what they said. I didn't say it. They also said that this happens a lot, that someone is often prescribed and goes home with medication that on file states they're allergic to. I guess that's just how it is.

Before this happened I also had a failed attempt at being helped by a 911 operator, when I called them. I don't want to talk about what happened, but let's just say that the 911 operator wasn't there to help me. I understand they don't give a shit about me, and my situation. But, they're in this profession that entails helping people, so I think they should do their job, which means helping people. I don't need them to save me, care for me, or anything that has to do with humanity... because apparently that's too much for them, but at least have them do their job.

 

Society has a huge expectation that health care workers will make less mistakes than other professions. Or that we can be there the minute someone needs us.

All in saying is that it's unfair of your pharmacist (never implied it was you) to say that Drs and nurses don't really read the files because that is bullshit. I don't know how it works over there either but before patients get discharged from a hospital here their discharge medications are reviewed by a clinical pharmacist so that mistakes are not really that common.

Again, what drug did you have a reaction to? Occasionally things will be put down as an allergy that are not true allergies rather uncomfortable/unwanted side effects.

 

...Before this happened I also had a failed attempt at being helped by a 911 operator, when I called them. I don't want to talk about what happened, but let's just say that the 911 operator wasn't there to help me. I understand they don't give a shit about me, and my situation. But, they're in this profession that entails helping people, so I think they should do their job,which means helping people. i don't need them to save me, care for me, or anything that has to do with humanity... because apparently that's too much for them, but at least have them do their job.
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Then why call them, they are for emergency use only?
I'm allergic to penicillin..and no medic has ever missed that I am, and I'm a fair bit older than you..but they would know if I was given it..believe me!
Codine is a pain killer that makes a lot of people feel sick, but if it's mentioned that you feel sick, an anti sickness drug is given to combat the sickness. Perhaps the side effects with your drugs, out Way the benefits..
I would hate to be your nurse lol

 

Oh, no... don't worry. I didn't think you meant me personally. I'm sure you know me better than that by now. So, I think you know I try to be a reasonable person, therefore I don't expect professionals in any field to be perfect. They're human too. But, giving a drug that on file states one is allergic to isn't a simple mistake, isn't about not being perfect, or not being able to be superhuman. That, to me... is just not doing a job correctly. All I'm saying is that I want professionals to do their job. Anyways, codeine is what I'm allergic to. It causes fatigue, fevers, vomiting, low heart rate, and my body starts to swell, like I look bloated. When I first was diagnosed with the allergy I had a seizure, that's how the doctors knew that I was allergic.

 

....

Then why call them, they are for emergency use only?
I'm allergic to penicillin..and no medic has ever missed that I am, and I'm a fair bit older than you..but they would know if I was given it..believe me!
Codine is a pain killer that makes a lot of people feel sick, but if it's mentioned that you feel sick, an anti sickness drug is given to combat the sickness. Perhaps the side effects with your drugs, out Way the benefits..
I would hate to be your nurse lol

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You would hate to be my nurse? Why? I'm not acting unreasonable. And when I was in the hospital I didn't act unreasonable. It's a simple request. Look at my chart, see that I'm allergic, and don't give me the drug that I'm allergic to. That's the job that they're suppose to be doing, any ways. As for the other event, like I said I rather not go into details as to why I was failed.

You two do know that professionals do actually commit malpractice, right? Cops, nurses, 911 operators, doctors, etc... not all of them do their job, or do it correctly. Now, I wouldn't go that far in this situation. I don't think it was an act of malpractice. It wasn't that serious actually. I just got really sick again, and stayed there an extra week. But, it's an event that makes me feel bad. Because it could have been avoided if they had simply done their job. I can't be sad? Disappointed? Really? I'm not screaming injustice here. I just want professionals in any field to do their job, that's it.

 

Please don't say "you two" i am well, WELL aware that health care professionals fuck up all the time. It sucks balls if you were given a drug you are allergic to, it sucks even harder that they then tried to discharge you home with it.

Nobody said you can't be sad or disappointed but if you're going to post on a public forum you are going to hear differences of opinion from other people's perspectives and experiences. My experience just so happens to be from the other side of the bed where I work my ass off to try and deliver the best possible care, take the time to do extra things that aren't even in my job description, advocate for people that can't do so for themselves if need be, yet still very often get treated like crap. To be honest it's usually not the sickest people that call you all the fucking cunts under the sun, it's disheartening to say the least.
So many times I come home from work and just have nothing else to give, physically and emotionally.

Anyway like I said, I'm glad you are feeling better.

 

Well, I said you two because you two are the only ones that are 'questioning', for lack of better wording the situation I was in. No one else is doing that, so that's why I said "you two". Also, I never said that you two told me not to be sad or disappointed. I was asking you two, if I'm allowed to be sad or disappointed.