My Spinal Tap

Hi everyone, first off THANK YOU Mare for the kind card from you and Mike and to Andrea for the sweet message.  Also thanks to everyone else who sent me well wishes on the thread Mare started yesterday.  Ok as far as yesterday there is reason its called Cape FEAR hospital... I was already nervous and wound up and wanted to take a valium really bad before we left the house but I was told *an IV will be started and if you have any anxiety or pain we can give you meds*.  We arrived on time and checked in and then they had me put on a pair of scrubs and sit in a chair for the IV to be started.  As most of you know I have the name Baby Veins from Mare because I have the worlds worst luck with IV starts because my veins run and hide from needles.  As soon as I see them come in with the IV stuff I start getting ansy.. I know really silly but ever since I was little from any hospital visits or operations its been the same thing.. dig, dig, dig.  These people didnt even shoot my hand up with Lidocaine so I got to feel EVERY dig.  The first nurse came in and I told her that Im hard to start a IV on.. she said *Im the best I never miss* well she stuck me twice and I know by law they cannot do it again.. my hand was sooo sore from her digging it made me cry. For her digging I got a *Clifford the big red dog bandaid visible in the below photo*  She went and got *the IV surgical nurse* she stuck in my upper arm and couldnt get a vein.. for that I got a *Hello Kitty bandaid* I have a total and complete freakout phoebia of anyone touching the inside bend of my arm... its a long story but comes from years of pain so it sets off instant anxiety and panic attacks for me.  So *The IV surgical nurse* then goes to my hand and sticks and shoves me so hard I start screaming and almost break my husbands fingers and tell her to STOP STOP.. I was being tortured and almost passed out from the digging, she pulled the needle out and put the big piece of gauze on my hand below Clifford the big red dog band aid. My husband actually had tears in his eyes watching me get torturted like this and I can usually take a lot of pain, but not this kind. Ok so then they called in a *senior staff nurse* Sandra... she asked why I was crying and why couldnt she start a IV in the middle of my arm, and why was I scared and I was a adult now and I needed *to get over it* I wanted to slap the **** out of her because Im being treated right now for anxiety and panic attacks and felt it was none of her business nor did she have the right to talk to me like that, she stuck me once and couldnt get it then one more time and FINALLY the IV was ready.  But they hooked it up to NOTHING.. I was told it was there for pain meds ect, I told them I really really needed some valium to calm down or else I would not make it through the procedure.

I was then taken into a xray room with two very nice guys who were xray techs who explained the procedure.  My biggest fear was the huge needle that was going to be put near my spinal cord and I was scared.  The guys were really sweet and I told them that the nurse had come back and told me the Doctor WAS going to give me something to calm me down.  The doctor walked in said his name was Dr. Smith and asked if I ever had this done before, asked if I had any allergies and told him Morphine (I had a big red Morphine bracelet on) asked me what happens when I have Morphine I told him I throw up everywhere... he then said lets get started.. I told him I was told I could have some valium or I was going to jump off the table and run because my heart was beating out of my chest and I was scared to death.. this unproffesional doctor who I am going to report by the way said the following  *Ill step out of the room then and come back later when your calm, you have attempted to start this dialog with the nursing staff and trying to start it with me by getting everyone all worked up*  I asked him what was he talking about? he said *you said you throw up everywhere when you get Morphine and the more correct thing to say would be I become nauseated and vomit*  I could NOT believe my ears as he continued to ramble on how I was attempting to CONTROL the situation by creating DIALOG with the nursing staff.... First of all its not MY fault the nurses could not start a IV.. I NEVER ordered or demanded any drugs, I simply made a request to make everyones life (especially mine) easier. I was scared, afraid and had to resort to begging him to please give me some valium for my nerves so I could calm down and get this over with.. he says *If I give you the valium are you going to continue to try to create Dialog and control the situation and keep asking for more things?*  (umm like a gun maybe?)  I started crying and he says *There is NO reason for you to be upset, now stop that crying and act like a adult, Ill go order the valium and come back in 15 minutes*   a nurse comes in and gives me the valium and another comes in bless her, and gave me some tissues and talked to me like a HUMAN about the procedure and then the valium kicked in and I was fine.

Dr. Feelgood came back in and asked if we were finally *ready* I said *yes we are* he put betadine on my back, injected me with Lidocaine which really burned but only about 20 seconds and then I NEVER felt him put the spinal needle in.. when the dye was shot though I had horrible terrible pain in my lower back and lower leg area.  Dr. Feelgood asked if I was in pain and I said YES can I have some pain meds please it really hurts... he didnt answer me and told me it was *normal* to feel that *pressure*  they took the xrays and I was just trying to pray to god to get me through it this... he then said he was done and left... the two xray techs took me down to CAT scan and a lovely nice nurse did a CAT scan on my head then I went to recovery for three hours.   I had a headache and lower back ache and had to ASK for some pain meds.. I was given Tylenol after asking five times.  I want everyone here to know I AM NOT A PILL JUNKY I do not like taking meds and was just trying to make myself feel better.  Hubby drove me home and I watched movies and slept most of the day and today I have a bad headache and the instructions say I should lay back down for another 24 hours... uggghhh

I did get to talk to the first nurse that attempted to start my IV about Dr. Feelgood and she said that he got mad at her for *giving in to the patients wants for anxiety* uh hello but I am being TREATED for PTSD and anxiety and they should of been a little more caring and gentle with me.  She gave me a phone number I can call and report how I was treated by him.  I think he was unproffesional and horrible and it made my fears and anxiety even worse off then it was before I got in the room.  Thank you everyone for your kind words and listening to my ramblings and babblings.. Im still upset from yesterday and when I saw everyone who signed Mares thread it brought tears to my eyes that YES there are normal people in the world who dont like to hurt people or bring them down when they are already scared to death... I hope everyone has a great weekend, Im going to go lay back down.. below is my Baby Veins photo in all its glory LOL I have tried to insert this photo on this editor but it wont do it so now I am putting my link to the photo..

 http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm306/darcieclark/capefea rsucks.jpg

Is that all we get?  One picture?  Where are the deets!  At least you got a really cute band-aid!  When will you know the results and what they're gonna do to make you all better?

no no I just typed all the details LOL

Darcie I am so glad that it is over for you.  Cape Fear?  Thats in Fayetteville right?  My mother-n-law goes there when she needs hospital attention.  I hate it there.  But anyway.....  I am so sorry that you had to go through all that.  Its like the nurses and Doctor didn't even go through your chart to see your PTSD and anxiety as a part of your history.  I work in a hospital ER and we always care for a persons needs.  Honestly, me, myself, this screams out lawsuit for pain and suffering for the short period of time you were there.  Hope everything works out for the best.

OMG, what a horrible experience!!!  We are like two peas in a pod...I can handle shots and stitches and c-sections and broken noses, but when it comes to lab work or IV's, I lose it....I too have the worst veins...As a matter of fact, many times as a child they had to use a scalpel to cut down to find a vein.  I NEVER EVER EVER let a nurse start my IV's if I can help it.  I always have anesthia do it and only with the litocaine.  Even they have to poke 2 or 3 times, but at least it's numb.  I am sooo...sorry you went through all of that.  I am literally so afraid of IV's that if my surgeon won't guarantee me that anesthia will start the IV, I WILL NOT HAVE WLS.  I know it sounds crazy, but I just cannot do it. It's experiences like that one that make it even WORSE the next time you have to have something done.  Glad you're resting!!!  Try to have a great weekend!!!

((((((Darcie)))))),

Oh my goodness!!!! I'm so very sorry that you experienced such a difficult time. Having to have the spinal was bad enough, but having jerk for a Dr and problems with the nursing staff is unbelievable!!! I certainly hope that you'll be contacting the hospital and maybe your insurance re: the care you got ... and didn't get.

I hope that your spinal headache gets better soon and most of all, I hope that you get a diagnosis that will help cure the headaches you've been suffering.

Barb

Darcie, This sucks big time. Follow through on filing a complaint this is unexceptable bedside manner on the nurses and doctor.                                             Annie Zenny sends birdy kisses

Darcie,     So sorry you had such a bad experence, Some medical personal forget how to treat people!  I too, am a "hard stick." I have one vein in my upper arm that is great and it dosent even hurt to stick but do they use it? noooo...they always say Oh I can get it but they always take about 5 tries, diffrent people, and usually end up using the vein in my upper arm that I had showed them to begin with!    H ope you find the answer to your headaches and feel better soon.....~Mary~

Hey Darcie: So sorry you had such a hard time.   Think even without PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks, i would have been ready to kick the crap out of them as they would have caused them with their actions!   Don't even understand how ppl like this can be medical professionals.    I also have difficulties with my veins and don't even both to donate blood after 4 or 5 sticks and huge bruises on the insides of my arms and they still couldn't get anything.    Hope you get your test results and it will make this CAT scan worth it so they can fix whatever is wrong. Take care and get some rest! Pam