Interim report, sorta
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 09:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniEDITED TO ADD: The elusive doctor showed up in Steve's room about an hour after I left for the day-job. Steve hit autodial on his cell and stuck it under same doctor's ear, with "Please talk to my wife. Her name is Sharon." So, we talked, and I now have information. It appears that there is More Than One Thing Going On -- hence the "doctor scrum" reported by Steve on his FB page yesterday. I think I have a clear understanding of what this doctor is about, and have a phone! number! in case I have more questions.
The release date apparently hangs on a question of how long Steve's fever has been low enough to satisfy the other doctor. Who I will now commence to stalk.
Thank you all for your advice and caring!
Steve is still in the hospital. (I realize that it's only been since Sunday night, but it seems much, much longer than that.) The in-house doctor has mixed his drugs around and seems to have backed off from "you can go home Wednesday" without offering another release day. This is...troubling.
Even more troubling is that I have not myself seen or spoken to the in-house doctor, whose schedule appears to be insanely erratic. He arrives and talks to Steve, but Steve is in the hospital for a reason, and I'd really like to hear what the man is saying from himself, and clear up some questions I have, based on Steve's interpretation. I tried this morning to find out when the doctor might be on the hall so I could be likewise, but the nursing staff wouldn't/couldn't commit. Steve's day-nurse did promise to call the doctor's office to see if they knew when he might be about, but she was not sanguine.
We've been very, very lucky so far in that our experiences with hospitals have mostly been limited to day surgeries and emergency room visits. I know that this has not been the case with some who read here. Strategies for coping with hospital/doctor culture are very welcome.
In other news, Hexapuma at 2 a.m. wished to report to the World and Beyond that Steve was not in the bed, he was not in his office, he was not in the basement, or the living room, or ANYWHERE. I gather that a Strong Letter of Protest will be or has been posted to the Maine Coon Cat Northeast Regional Office and that I can expect A Call.
Fans of the day-job will be delighted to learn that all data entry in hand for the deadlined search has been completed, and all filing ditto.
I don't think I mentioned here that Toni has read Ghost Ship and requested expansion of a couple scenes -- nothing too strenuous, really. Which is Good.
...and that's all the news that's fit to print.
The release date apparently hangs on a question of how long Steve's fever has been low enough to satisfy the other doctor. Who I will now commence to stalk.
Thank you all for your advice and caring!
Steve is still in the hospital. (I realize that it's only been since Sunday night, but it seems much, much longer than that.) The in-house doctor has mixed his drugs around and seems to have backed off from "you can go home Wednesday" without offering another release day. This is...troubling.
Even more troubling is that I have not myself seen or spoken to the in-house doctor, whose schedule appears to be insanely erratic. He arrives and talks to Steve, but Steve is in the hospital for a reason, and I'd really like to hear what the man is saying from himself, and clear up some questions I have, based on Steve's interpretation. I tried this morning to find out when the doctor might be on the hall so I could be likewise, but the nursing staff wouldn't/couldn't commit. Steve's day-nurse did promise to call the doctor's office to see if they knew when he might be about, but she was not sanguine.
We've been very, very lucky so far in that our experiences with hospitals have mostly been limited to day surgeries and emergency room visits. I know that this has not been the case with some who read here. Strategies for coping with hospital/doctor culture are very welcome.
In other news, Hexapuma at 2 a.m. wished to report to the World and Beyond that Steve was not in the bed, he was not in his office, he was not in the basement, or the living room, or ANYWHERE. I gather that a Strong Letter of Protest will be or has been posted to the Maine Coon Cat Northeast Regional Office and that I can expect A Call.
Fans of the day-job will be delighted to learn that all data entry in hand for the deadlined search has been completed, and all filing ditto.
I don't think I mentioned here that Toni has read Ghost Ship and requested expansion of a couple scenes -- nothing too strenuous, really. Which is Good.
...and that's all the news that's fit to print.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 01:43 pm (UTC)I agree with the other posters that the only proven strategy is camping out at the hospital. Even leaving all your phone numbers doesn't help--the message may not get to the doctor, or the doctor may just ignore it.
If you have the name of the doctor, calling his office directly (and frequently) may produce results.
Larger hospitals usually have a patient advocate or patient care coordinator who is supposed to work with the family to help them navigate the hospital system, making sure they are getting the right info especially in situations where multiple doctors are seeing the patient. Sometimes the system works, sometimes it doesn't.
The hospital may also have a discharge planner , who is supposed to work with the family on the "what happens after the hospital" plan. I've had situations with my father where the first news we had that the doctor was planning to release him came not from his doctor, but from the discharge planner. At that point, you tell the discharge planner that no decisions can be made until you've personally spoken with the doctor. The discharge planner usually leans on the doctor to meet with you, just to get you off his to-do list.
Bottom line, this will suck. You're going to need to be firm, persistent, polite but generally a pain in the ass until they realize that they need to deal with you directly. Steve, to the extent that he can, should also repeat this message, so when the doctor comes in, if you're not there he should say "My wife needs to hear this, please call her at #" or "When can she meet you?"
Sending virtual hugs and good thoughts your way.