St. Alexius NewStart Hospital

It was not as dirty in the room as the areas where pre op testing were, but things like the sides of our tables for our trays and stuff like that were dirty. The large persons chair in the room had a leg missing.

It was so hot in there that the nurses had to wipe sweat off themselves before touching the patients. I got hot and sweaty and smelly every day. I had a fan they provided but if it blew on me I was chilled and if it blew past me it was too hot.. They were good about changing my sweaty bedding and washing/ showering me. Morphene was not working and they were not very sympathitic. My Dr. came in and changed the pain meds and I was Ok after that. I was Screaming in pain and passing out when they made me move before and they were telling me to buck up. The next day my pain button came unhooked from the back of the machine and I could not get any meds, and they were doing it again acting like I was being a baby, when I was telling them I was not getting any pain meds. When the night shift came in she found it and hooked it back up.. No one appoligised to me for making me get up and move with out pain meds.

I blew out one IV and they moved it to the other hand, and it blew in a couple of hours.. My sister-in-law threatend to take it out herself and the nurse told her i just did not want it in my hand. She said well I would not want it in my hand either if my hand was swelling and burning. So with My sister-in-law on her heels she called one of the ER nurses up to put the IV in my arm where it stayed the rest of the time and I never felt it after.

I know the nurses are human and that things happen.. so the best advice I can give you is if you think something is not right complane.. LOUD if you have too, until it gets right. Be a baby if you need too.. heck you are paying enough to be there that they have to put up with you... I was a good patient if I was not in pain.

They give you a private room which was wonderfull.. that way if someone stays with you they have room to be there, and you can even get them a cott. You also get one meal ticket a day for one meal in the caferita for one person staying or visitng. So it is a good Hospital for the most part.

This is a caring hospital for obese people having this surgery. They totally understand your needs and wants and they help you all they can.

Poor

At first I had my reservations about this facility, but as they took me in, they truly treated me very well!! The nursing staff was great! I have absolutely no reservations about this facility.

Knowing the history of this hospital, I was a bit "spooked" at first; but, the new facility is not bad. The place is small, but clean enough and close enough to SLU or Barnes that I felt I could be transferred there if something catastrophic occurred. The old hospital, which has been torn down, was the location of a real-life exorcism in 1949. It was actually sanctioned by the Vatican and was the basis for the book & movie, The Exorcist. Creepy, huh?

My only real gripes were that they poked my IV in at least 4 times. It's been 3 months and I still have a swollen hard vein in my left hand!

The nurses ruined everything for me. On more than one occasion when my pain med or iv went dry....I was told that I needed to wait till shift change and ask then. Sometimes this being several hours off. When requesting anything it was always followed by a 'sigh' what now? My husband stayed in the room with me (and took care of most of my requests) in a foldout sofa chair thing that took the staff many many hours to hunt down. And then during the second day there some other employee of the hospital tried to take it from him. The nursing staff were the most hateful people i have encountered in my life. During my first attemt to use the bathroom after surgery, one of the nurses actually stood and stared at me the entire time. This fact seems to infuriate the director of nursing when i told her this bit. I adressed my concerns with her and she seemed very upset and promised to address the issue.

I was not taken to ICU following surgery, there was no room. However, I did go to a private room. I was not turned, moved, or anything for over 24 hours following surgery. For them to be so concerned about pneumonia and blood clots, I felt that this was really strange.

My night in ICU the nursing was wonderful. When I went to the bariatric floor I had some not so good nurses but overall a good experience.

I thought the nurses were excellent. They were so helpful and very sincere. The first night when I stayed in ICU they allowed my mother to sleep in the room they were going to move me into the next day instead of sleeping in a chair in the ICU waiting room. I thought that was awesome.