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Intensive Care Unit


pafc4life

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My mum was rush into hospitals 2 weeks ago today with a suspected gall bladder infection, and gall stones. The surgeons said it was better all round if she had her gall bladder removed which would be done using keyhole surgary.

 

The operation was initially thought to be a success but on thursday she began to complain of pains to my dad whilst he was visiting. Three hours later she phoned my dad and said that she had been calling for the nurse but nobody was coming to help her, my dad then phone the ward and had to tell the nurse that my mum was in pain and needed help. She was given pain relief but had a very rough night.

 

They next day me and my dad tried phoning my mum several times both on her mobile and on her personal hospital phone. In the end i rang the nurse's station and was answered by an obviously harrassed nurse who told me my mum was fine and that she was still due to leave the hospital that day. My dad went up for visiting at 3 pm that afternoon thinking that my mums was fine but tired as the nurse had said, he was greated by a team of doctors and my mum screaming in agony. The surgeons then decieded to take her back down to theater and check where the gall bladder was removed to see what was going on. They found nothing wrong but decieded my mum needed to go to intensive care as the could not get her blood oxygen up enough and her blood pressure was dangerously low.

 

By the time i was allowed to visit the next morning my had to had have CPR and large amounts of drugs to control her blood pressure she was sedated and was on a ventilator. We have been called into the hospital now two times as they thought my mum would not make it through the night. The doctors found that she had a blood clot on the lung which stopped enough oxygen going to the heart, which in turn caused a infection around her heart and excess fluid on the lungs. She is now on dialysis machine as her kidneys have stopped working as a result of her low blood pressure.

 

I am sorry for this rambling thread but i really needed to vent, and was wondering of other people experiences of intensive care units.

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My mum was rush into hospitals 2 weeks ago today with a suspected gall bladder infection, and gall stones. The surgeons said it was better all round if she had her gall bladder removed which would be done using keyhole surgary.

 

The operation was initially thought to be a success but on thursday she began to complain of pains to my dad whilst he was visiting. Three hours later she phoned my dad and said that she had been calling for the nurse but nobody was coming to help her, my dad then phone the ward and had to tell the nurse that my mum was in pain and needed help. She was given pain relief but had a very rough night.

 

They next day me and my dad tried phoning my mum several times both on her mobile and on her personal hospital phone. In the end i rang the nurse's station and was answered by an obviously harrassed nurse who told me my mum was fine and that she was still due to leave the hospital that day. My dad went up for visiting at 3 pm that afternoon thinking that my mums was fine but tired as the nurse had said, he was greated by a team of doctors and my mum screaming in agony. The surgeons then decieded to take her back down to theater and check where the gall bladder was removed to see what was going on. They found nothing wrong but decieded my mum needed to go to intensive care as the could not get her blood oxygen up enough and her blood pressure was dangerously low.

 

By the time i was allowed to visit the next morning my had to had have CPR and large amounts of drugs to control her blood pressure she was sedated and was on a ventilator. We have been called into the hospital now two times as they thought my mum would not make it through the night. The doctors found that she had a blood clot on the lung which stopped enough oxygen going to the heart, which in turn caused a infection around her heart and excess fluid on the lungs. She is now on dialysis machine as her kidneys have stopped working as a result of her low blood pressure.

 

I am sorry for this rambling thread but i really needed to vent, and was wondering of other people experiences of intensive care units.

 

First of all, wanted to wish you all the best and I hope the situation improves.

 

I have not had any direct experience of ICU but I've had a couple of family members who have. By and large, one couldn't call the experience enjoyable but the level of care has been to the standard you'd expect, unlike what you're describing. (I could interject a rant here about overworked/underpaid/not enough NHS staff, but that belongs in the politics thread) From what I gather the staff are very busy and giving them the benefit of the doubt here, maybe she was looking on the mend when your Dad had called only to worsen by the time he went visiting.

 

I truly hope this all turns out with a happy ending mate

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I am lucky and have no experience of it, but i just wanted to wish your mum all the best, i hope she's feeling better soon and is home and out of hospital. I hope you and your dad are coping ok too, my mum is in remission from breast cancer, i know its hard when your mum is ill, my thoughts are with you x

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Your poor mum :( I really hope she improves. Blood clots are nasty things, they can put your life in serious danger in seconds without warning. I have worked shifts on the ICU and it was a mixed bag. It used to be a quietly intense experience, where even though we were very busy and lives were in our hands we still had the time to look after patients properly (bedside care, spending time with them, talking to family) But then they hacked into the staffing levels creating a place that I would refer to as hell. Remember that staff are doing all they can for your mum, I know it doesn't help much but she is still in the best place and try and stay strong for her. Sorry if I've come across as a bit heartless.

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The ICU staff have been absolutly fantastic they have alot of time for the family. And are very honest in there explainations of what has been happening. Went into this morning to see my mum and i found that the ventilator has been removed and she is now awake which is great news! I dont blame the ward staff for what happen to my mum, i know they are way over worked and short of staff and i just cant bring myself to be mad at them. After all they did think my mum was being discharged that day.

 

Thanks for the messages of support by the way they are appreciated! Hopefully mum has turned a corner now and she will start to improve!

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