Recovering from Internal hernia repair #2...(long)

This is my luck is about all I can say.....had to have the first internal hernia repair done Sept or maybe Aug 08....exact dates are a bit fuzzy.  It took attacks of intermittent extreme abdominal pain and numerous MD visits and diagnostic testing that finally lead to exploratory lap surgery to discover the culprit.  Fixed it as outpt, home the same eve, healed without problems and was fine up until this past Sunday.....while at work I had a sudden onset of extreme abdominal pain, with nausea, dry heaves, gas and unreal bloating.  I couldn't sit, standing was horrible....i literally was pacing around the nurses station.  I had just finished eating some turkey and kinda figured it was not getting along with my pouch...so I proceeded to chew a bunch of papaya enzymes, took some gas x, and paced.  Would have gone home, but of course I would have had to find my own replacement, and I was in NO SHAPE to make calls to do that.....so I toughed it out.  After about 90 minutes of misery.....things calmed down.  I remained bloated, but the severe pain had subsided.

Told hubby that if it happened again, I would be going to ER as the pain felt way too much like the pain I experienced with the first hernia.  Well another attac****urred Wed afternoon, this time immediately after eating a ground beef patty with cheese.  Against my better judgment, I went to the local ER....I could not make the 2 hr drive north to be seen at my surgeons hospital ER.

Well got to the ER, frantic with pain......they insisted i stop and give them my insurance info!!!!  Oh man, I know they need this stuff, but come on......I cannot speak clearly, stand still.....besides I told them my hubby was parking the car and would be in with that info....no matter....I was forced to give SS# and wait 10 minutes before being taken back to triage for vital signs and a dozen questions regarding health history.  3 different nurses came out of the ER, walked pass me, clearly seen something was wrong, but never bothered to offer help, or even inquire if I had been helped!!!!  As a nurse myself....i can honestly say I would never have walked past someone that so obviously was upset or in need of immediate attention.

Triage nurse was pissed and gave attitude because he couldn't get B/P since I was unable to sit still for the machine to read properly.  He ripped off the cuff and stated he would just have to get someone else to get it later.....GEEZ ya think????

Finally seen by ER MD who was leaving in 10 minutes, her shift was ending.  Triage nurse came in started an IV.  A 2nd nurse came in and finally gave me Dilaudid and Zofran.....no gloves worn and did not wash her hands.......I later confirmed that with my hubby.  Dilaudid not touching pain, 5 minutes later, same nurse came in and gave more Dilaudid, again, no gloves and no hand washing done...finally taken back for a CT scan, back to ER room, given Benadryl IV push because the Dilaudid made me itch like crazy and more Dilaudid because pain was not at an acceptable level.  While awaiting CT results.....I was hooked up to IV fluids, again....no hand washing and no gloves.

New ER MD entered room, said I had a small bowel partial blockage and that I needed fluids and pain management and they would go under DR. %%%% because my primary DR. was not on call.  I said wait  a minute.....so I am being admitted??  What is the plan of care.....he rudely said I just told you the plan of care!!  I then said if surgery might be an option, then I want to go North to my bariatric surgeon.  He said rather rudely....."was I talking too fast, did you not understand me?"  "I didn't say surgery, and to be honest, this late in the evening, arranging transportation and getting you up there will be next to impossible, and besides, even if we could get you up there, they will A:  do no more for you than we would here, and B:  there is no guarantee that they will even admit you"  He proceeded to speak....."in cases like this that are non-emergencies.......(yes he said it was not an emergency) it is common for the bowel to come out of it with total gut rest.

I asked him to leave the room, i wanted to call my surgeon and speak to her or whomever was on call with her group and get their opinion.  Well he left the room, not happy, but that was the least of my concerns.  I had my surgeon paged, she called me within 5 minutes.  I explained the situation and the diagnoses, what testing had been done ect.  She asked if a bariatric surgeon was *****ad the CT results and if I was consulting with a bariatric surgeon.  I said no....she said I needed to, if not her then someone locally.  I said the only bariatric surgeon locally is not on call and therefore they will not page him.  I said besides, if this diagnoses is true, I figure surgery will be needed and I wanted her to see me.  She told me to leave the hospital ASAP bring my CT scan and lab work results and meet her at St. Vincent ER, she will call ahead and have a room ready for me.

Local ER NOT happy....tried to talk me into staying, I proceeded to get dressed while MD was talking.  They made me wait almost an hour for the labs and CT disc......I said I need them asap....the MD smarted off and said...."of course, they are yours, but it takes time"  he proceeded to say...."you can go ahead and leave and we will fax the info up in the morning"  I said NO...I am not leaving here without it, my surgeon wants it brought up tonight"  and he said "then you will wait"

Got to St. Vincent, Dr. Cacucci arrived within 10 minutes, looked at CT disc and said "gotta do lap surgery just like last time....and it is not a small bowel obstruction, it is an internal hernia like the last time.  I asked her if it indeed was "not an emergency" and she said, "I wouldn't be in here at 1 am prepping for surgery if it wasn't"

After surgery, she told my husband we did the right thing....waiting all night and controlling pain and giving me fluids would have killed me.

So...moral of my long story.....learn from my experience,,,,,never ignore severe abdominal pain, demand that a bariatric surgeon review anything that relates to the abdomen and acute pain/ diagnoses / treatment plan.  It could save your life.  I did mine!!!!

 

Surgery took 90 minutes, I stayed in the hospital until 1 pm and was discharged.  Recovering in my own bed, with the help of pain meds.....living and breathing, thanks to my insistance on a 2nd opinion from my bariatric surgeon.

missy

Glad everything came out ok, you are soooo right about this.  We will never be "normal" again and we need to be on top of things!!  Thanks for sharing your story.

Vickyruth

I am so glad you got the care you needed - and so sorry your local hosptial wasn't able to provide it.

I have also heard that it is a good idea to do research before vacations to find where the closest hospitals with bariatric units of excellence are located in case problems develop when we are away from home.