Long story short but my husband is under going chemotherapy and for the last week has been admitted to a cancer ward at a local hospital.
Today’s care has been… found wanting and I’m wondering whether it’s actually even worth complaining and if so how without putting his future care in jeopardy.
1. they want to transition him from IV antisickness to oral. But he struggles to take tablets. (He would rather suffer a headache than take tablets, he retches at the thought). When they presented him with his morning meds, orally. He refused to take them. They (rightly) said he refused and offered no alternative. (Said as he’s eating and drinking there was no reason). So he missed his morning meds. When I arrived at 11am I asked what was going on. Explained to him it’s to transition him to get ready for home and he said ok. They then brought the tablets and explained they could be dissolved in water!!
2. Doctor came on ward around 1pm. Prescribed fluids. Nurse didn’t start them (and actually said she didn’t know he had) at 5pm.
3. Around 2pm he was sick. It was only a little bit, but it wasn’t nothing. I buzzed to inform them (as previously agreed) was told by the person who responded she’d see the nurse to see what he could be prescribed. Didn’t hear anything.
4. when she came to give his antibodics before the IV Drip at 5, I mentioned that he’d filled 4 stoma bags (closed) and that was unusual for him. She said one of the antibiotics could cause it but that she’d get a stool sample bottle for the next time I changed him. When she came with the drip I asked if she had it. She hadn’t, thanked me for reminding her, and said she’d go get one. She didn’t. My mother in law requested one about an hour later when I changed his bag.
5. and now - I’ve come home (visiting hours are over else I’d have just stayed the night!) and I get a garbled text from him (he’s really struggling with fatigue) to say he had to buzz a nurse three times to ask for his stoma bag to be changed - he can’t change them on his own. He does the cleaning at home but I put the new ones on. Whilst in hospital he cannot do any of it, he struggles to get out of bed. By the time the nurse did come to change it, it was that full it had leaked everywhere and he says he’s now in a gown. This is despite having plenty of sets of clothes for this exact reason.
As if him being in hospital isn’t stressful enough, I’m now sat worried that he’s completely dependent on them and how much are they not helping his recovery.
Sorry to hear about what you have both been through.
Hopefully now you know about disolving the tables in water that might help a bit, with our son we found putting them in yougurt helped.
You can ask to speak to the ward manager and expain what happened, sometimes that can help highlight issues more widely on the ward and can actually help bring some extra support for the staff.
Hopefully today will be beter.
<<hugs>>
Steve
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