Busted in Cleveland

Arrived at surgicl building first thing to find fifty other people that when they called the schedule we all filed down a corridor like a herd of cattle, that was strange.  I was sick, sick and immediately layed on the gurney waiting for the nurse to start iv, etc.  She came after 45 minutes.  Took my vitals to find a temp of 104, hr 144, lo BP.  Anesthesia and Dr. Stocchi came in the discuss possible reschedule but it was decided that it was the inflammed diseased colon that needed to come out.  Surgery went well.

Recovery room was horrible.  I was in excrutiating pain upon waking up and they just kept telling me to push my button.  The morphine just wasn't doing it for me.  Finally, they switched to dilauded but it still was more pain than I was expecting and was unable to move myself in bed.  The nurse never hooked up my SCD's--leg pumps to dec. the risk of blood clots, no one ever offered me ice or turned me off of my back.  I layed on that hard gurney for seven hours straight before they had  a room for me.  Unfortunatly, the room was a short stay room not a room on the colorectal floor.  So now I was being care for by nurses who knew nothing about stomas, post-surg procedures/pain management.  My pain was unbarable and I could not get relief. 

This is where I believe Dr. Stocchi failed me as my surgeon.  He did not listen to my pain complaints and think to further investigate.  In fact, he was ready to discharge me post-op 2nd day.  2nd DAY!!  I hadn't even been on the colorectal floor, hadn 't had the ostomy education, hadn't been able to even walk the halls d/t horrible lower belly pain.  He left on vacation?conferece?something? and my care was resumed by a Dr. Carrin who also was hell-bent on getting me out of the hospital.  On Saturday, after explaining in great detail my abd pain he reiterated the fact that I had a lap surgery and should be dischared today.  I gave up.  No one would listen to me.  After he left tey took my vitals and I had a temp of 104, HR 160, BP low and now I had their attention finally.  He decided had an infection and opened my lower abd lap site AT THE BEDSIDE.  I asked for sedation, he said no, I asked for pain medication and he said morphine, I asked for Fentanyl and he gave me 25 mcg which equals about 2 kisses.  He opened me up and immediatly drained thick tan mucous, drainage.  They placed another stoma bag to catch all the drainage and I would be spending a few more days in Cleveland.

In short, my pain was never under control and that is unacceptable.  I did not receive all the teaching that I was hoping from the Cleveland CLinic, "the birthplace of ostomies", and I was discharged with a large infected wound that I was packing myself and they didn't even bother to send a script of antibiotics.  What's wrong with these people?  They were operating at max capacity.  They had high levels of patients and were kicking them out lt and rt in order to keep the revenue increasing.  It is a surgery mill and one that I will never visit again.

I have since traveled somewhat uncomortable (understatement) back home and met my GI on the medical floor of my hospital.  A wound vac was placed to my incisioin site that is approx 2 inches by 2inches, re-hydrated, iv antibiotics, and thank the good Lord, I finally got relief of my pain. 

So, I had a complication post-surgery which Stocchi assures me happens sometimes and it is described as when the rectal stump blows up in the abd.  It probably would have been an ok experience had it not been for that set back.

Pain management is a very big deal in assisting you in the healing process.  Mine was never controlled and I think that my complications were further complicated because I was in so much pain.  My advice, communicate your pain expectations w/ your surgeon prior to surgery and all the way through your hospital stay.

I've been to a few really lousy hospitals too. But, never in the serious situation that you were in. I hope you are feeling better. And, I hope the ostomy eventually improves your life as it did mine.