Please read. I know it is lengthy (believe me there is so much more) but I am desperate for advice.
My 46 year old husband is a pain mgmt patient. 60 mg morphine sulfate (the 12 hour, not get high type) This year he has been admitted to the hospital through the emergency room seven times for intractable vomiting and diarrhea. (six, one time was for a massive heart attack). They are never able to control in the er, and he ends up admitted for 3-4 days.
The first episode happened feb 1 of this year. We have group insurance, he keeps every appt with primary and specialists and is compliant with meds, never runs out or takes too many, no drinking or smoking and an almost perfect diet. Docs dont know what is wrong. He has over nine specialists. Although meds (he is on 15 total) may play a role, they never lower or discontinue any. We ask to discharge some. Just last Sunday he was discharged with three new ones to add to the list. (fyi new meds = $120 per month)
Our problem is that the emergency room personnel only see the morphine and pain management and treat us with interrogation, disgust and disrespect. It is such a bad feeling for patients and families who need compassionate care to be treated so rudely. One doc, this last time, even told me he sees several cases like this everyday due to pain management. When I began asking questions like, what is their diagnosis?, do you have to admit them, or can we try and get him out with out admission this time?, how do they treat it so it doesnt come back? With these few questions the doc changed the subject and said sometimes something else is going on and he is going to order a ct abdomen and rule out other things.
Another thing I notice is that the docs dont come see us. We can see them sitting at the desk, but a 30 sec visit is the most we have had. I dont think a history has been taken since the first time. If I try to give info I am told they know he has been here before, they have the record. I try to tell the nurses eveything, but they are quick in and out. Also I am left to do all the vomit diarrhea work.change the sheets, keep iv line untangled, get him to the commode. It is so gross. I cry every single time. It is so stressful.
In addition to worrying about my husbands life, his diagnosis, our kids at home, how we are going to pay, How am I going to tell my boss I cant come in again���� I have to figure out how to get these nurses and docs on our side. How do I get a kind word or smile? Or just a �we are going to help�. I cant believe how much I dread going back there, not for the shear disturbance of a life on the line, but dreading the blacklist attitude.
Why should we have to contend with this? Twice they documented drug withdrawal (one time he was due to vomiting and diarrhea times three days, the other was not as the drug screening showed opiates and my husb had only missed one dose since vomiting) Another doc even wrote "frequent flyer" in the discharge summary. Is this even ethical? Does it show the bias that we feel?
I am so so sick of this. We have been referred to shands gainesville but until we find a diagnosis, we have to go there for emergency care.
Any advice?
