Soo Looking Furrward to Surgery!! [GOING Home..]

[NoahsMommy]

"They wont admit or preform surgery without consent"

Oh yea?? I've both worked in and stayed in hospitals as well and I've seen it happen where that is NOT true. When dealing with humans, things fall through the cracks. If it were up to the doctors, of course no one would do surgery without first having all forms signed, thats a HUGE liability. It happens.

And Phred is correct. If Gina went into this surgery, knowing FULL WELL that in the past she's faced not having an interpreter provided to her by the hospital, why did she not go get one herself????

I've faced MANY a medical challege due to my chronic illness and as a result I PLAN for EVERY hospital stay. Granted, I can hear. But, I do have other limitations that I have to overcome that I wont go into here because well, its very private. The point is, I PLAN ahead of time so that I'm not stuck time and time again relying on other people for my comfort, for my safety, even for my medication or even FOOD for that matter. You're responsible for yourself as an adult.

I was under the impression this surgery was elective - as in, she needed it to relieve pain, but it wasn't life or death. You'd think that if an intrepreter was THAT important, she'd arrange one. If she couldn't do that via her own support channels, she'd postphone the surgery.

And this doctor REFUSES to write down instructions and updates for his patient? Um, what kind of person DOES that to a deaf/hearing impared person (I'm sorry, I'm unsure on the proper term ) ??? Where do you find these doctors?? You are aware you can ask for the department heads, right??? Hospital heads??? ASK FOR THEM!!!!! Don't just sit there and become a victim, people treat you the way you ALLOW them to treat you.

Please get well and get the HECK OUT OF THAT HOSPITAL Gina.

[NoahsMommy]

I used to Work in In/Out/ER Hospital Admitting and have practically memorized those stupid consent forms...

Basically, you are signing for the following:

1. Your siggy gives up your right to sue the hospital for anything the MD's do to you! (FUN!!! Although, there is usually a way around this one, I think you can sue nurses, or the hospital for neglect and all that fun stuff. In Gina's case, for not providing an intrepeter when she obviously needs one.) {I think this one is a combo of two points, actually.}

2. You are giving consent for the hospital's billing dept. to bill your insurance company(s). If you owe more than what your insurance company will pay on this/these services, the hospital will then bill you for these services.

3. If you have a co-pay or deductable, upon admission, you must pay these.

4. While there are many, many doctors that use the hospitals facilities, they do not work FOR the hospital. (ie: Radiologist, Anesthesiologist, Pulmonologist, Gastroenterologist, your Surgeon, etc.) As thus, they will be billing you and your insurance seperately from the hospital.

5. Do you have an Advanced Care Directive or a Medical Power of Attny? Would you like info on this?

6. We are a teaching hospital and so you may witness students helping your nurses or doctors at times. This is in no way a threat to you or your care/safety...blah, blah, blah...improves the future of healthcare...blah, blah, blah.

7. Due to being a teaching hospital and in the course of surgeries and tests/procedures, there are photographs taken of ...pretty much the insides of people, or the removal of organs, or laprscopic surgeries or scopes, etc....that remain the property of the hospital. Just an FYI, we may use them. (I always thought this one was soooo odd and this was the one people would ask me about...I never knew what to say to them!)

OK, I'm forgetting the rest...but those are the main ones. Fun stuff you have to sign while terrified, drugged or in pain, huh?? This is why its good to have, like Phred kinda suggested above, FRIENDS or FAMILY with you of good, sound minds that can help you with the admitting process.

OK, done hijacking the thread.

[Daisy and Delilah]

OH--KAY.

The doctors said the problems could have been the meds she took at 3am. And he would not write things out for Gina. A clerk, who was not very educated, tried to help and write things out for her. She even stated she could not write everything out that the doctor said because she didn't know the terms.
I had asked the doctor NUMEROUS times to write down what he was saying for her and he wouldn't do it, that is why the clerk tried to help. Every person that walked into the room said....we need to get an interpreter in here. And a consent form or anything was not offered. Gina is ABLE to understand IF the doctor would have written things down.

WOW!! This is unreal. What kind of a hospital is this? Is Gina still in the hospital? How is she now?

[Catsnclay]

I used to Work in In/Out/ER Hospital Admitting and have practically memorized those stupid consent forms...

like Phred kinda suggested above, FRIENDS or FAMILY with you of good, sound minds that can help you with the admitting process.

OK, done hijacking the thread.

Kelly-

You did NOT hijack this thread, you would think with all the medical problems & hospital stays Gina has, she would know this by now.....deaf or not.

If she didn't ask for an inturpertur, then they understood she read everything that she had to sign. As a hearing person I have asked questions before I signed, and I have read everything before signing - or my husband is there, reading, before anything is signed - regardless if it is a hospital or not!

Never, ever sign a document before reading AND understanding it. It is just good common sense.

[sandragonfly]

I'm starting to wish I hadn't this surgery.. just went through some screaming spasms anf fell again not long ago.

gunshot pains and my foot keeps getting swollen and purplish.. I swear I'd rather have my knee amputated now. delilah, am not in the hospital now and can promise I won't ever go back there.

three of you posters, you're getting it all wrong. you all even spelt interpreter incorrectly and it was not even about the surgery.

please don't even bother to speak before the unspoken story of the survivor.

[lbaker]

Gina, people are only trying to help. There is no cause to be rude to people that are caring and thinking only of your health and well being and to chide them for mistakes in spelling of all things.

[Craftlady]

three of you posters, you're getting it all wrong. you all even spelt interpreter incorrectly and it was not even about the surgery.

please don't even bother to speak before the unspoken story of the survivor.

Btw, correction in grammer........ spelt is NOT a word.
Those 3 posters who spelled incorrectly are JUST HUMAN. Everyone makes errors.

People here on PT are just trying to help you but your not seeing it because of the heavy pain medications clouding your judgement?

There are been some wonderful suggestions and well thought out explainations (for example the post Kelly made comes to mind).

[Daisy and Delilah]

Gina, I was pretty miserable until I called the doctor. He put me in physical therapy. That was the answer. I was a new person after that. Do they have PT scheduled for you yet?

Believe me, I know how you feel. You really start to feel hopeless until the PT people tell you about the exercises and what you need to do to recover as quickly as possible. I hope your doctor has PT plans set up asap. Feel better!

[Alysser]

Sorry you're having so much trouble with this surgery. I'll hope for the best for you.

[shais_mom]

please don't even bother to speak before the unspoken story of the survivor.

you of all people hardly have any room to talk when it comes to spelling!
how petty!
I know you won't believe me and that's fine - but I do hope you can find your doctor or someone that will help relieve your pain. I've been thru arthoscopic knee surgery x 2 - and know how painful it was.

[lbaker]

Here is your chance "survivor"... tell us why you chose not to have an interpreter there after all your previous experiences in hospitals.

[NoahsMommy]

please don't even bother to speak before the unspoken story of the survivor.

Here is your chance "survivor"... tell us why you chose not to have an interpreter there after all your previous experiences in hospitals.

Right on, Laurie! Please, Gina, enlighten us...give us your version of why you wouldn't set up/organize (however one goes about doing this) an interpreter when you've had so many problems in the past?? Why would you repeatedly and WILLINGLY subject yourself to this when its been such a problem that you are subsposedly SUEING the state of California over it - MY tax dollars, btw.

And I agree with the others, if you're going to be checking others out on their spelling, check yours first please. You have MUCH bigger fish to fry to be worrying about spelling, like getting better and scheduling Physical Therapy. I was in TWO car accidents in June where I totalled two vehicles ( ) and Physical Therapy was a godsend as I sprained almost every part of my body. (I never told Pet Talk about this.) Get to Physical Therapy as soon as your MD allows you, you'll be so happy you went.

Believe what you wish, these comments ARE actually made with your best interests in mind. We would love it if you had your life back to normal - no more surgery, no more moving, no more drama - just a happy, regular life.

[Karen]

Remember, folks, it wasn't the surgery she didn't have an interpreter for - it was the sickness after she came home that meant she had to go back to the emergency room - that's when the lack of translator/communication came into play.

Just a small point of information: Spelt is a word, but isn't the past tense of spell - that would be spelled. Spelt is a kind of grain, related to wheat.

[Catsnclay]

I too have to agree with Laurie & Kelly......why do you have such a chip on your shoulder? We have been nothing but nice & helpful towards you, and all you can reply is that are spelling is incorrect


I'm not sure what you were expecting after surgery, but you knee SHOULD be swollen, purplish and in horrible pain! They went in there to work on it - did you just expect to jump off the operating table and walk away? I hope not.

We have all been waiting to hear from you,and when we did all you did was talk about grammar.......not the question we wanted answered!!

And please choose your words correctly: 'survivor' is not something we would use as to refer to someone that just had surgery. You are 'recovering' from knee surgery. I also had arthroscopic knee surgery on both of my knee's, right one was done 3 times, left only twice, so I KNOW the pain you are going through and it is NORMAL for right after surgery.

You will get through this, we all have.

Believe it or not we are here for you, we are on your side....... I just don't understand why you are fighting us!

So please........let us hear your side of the story.


We are all waiting.......................

[NoahsMommy]

Remember, folks, it wasn't the surgery she didn't have an interpreter for - it was the sickness after she came home that meant she had to go back to the emergency room - that's when the lack of translator/communication came into play.

OK, I'm willing to accept this. But...I find it incredibly fishy...interesting...odd...WIERD...that an ER doctor or the Admitting doctor...at least this is what I'm gleaning from the only person that will tell us anything (Cindy as Taz_Zoe)...would not WRITE DOWN: what was wrong with you, instructions, why you were reacting, what medications he was giving you, ect. WHY would a doctor treat someone that couldn't understand him and not tell you about it??

That is basically treating someone WITHOUT CONSENT. Something that we all earlier agreed that was kinda important. Something I said myself a DOCTOR would never, ever do if given the choice. As I said before, if EVER a time when a consent is NOT signed, it was because of the patient and the Admitting staff, NOT the doctor, I'd gaurantee that, based on the doctor's malpractice policy.

Whenever I've been discharged from the 4 hospitals I've been admitted or been to the ER at, they've given me discharge orders (written) and even a write up about whatever brought me to the ER - and I've been to the ER for many things, not just my pesky Crohn's Disease - ALL in written form, which includes aftercare, phone numbers of doctors, the hospitals, includes prescriptions, treatment instructions, etc. Did I mention that this has always been in written form for me??

Editing to add:

And please choose your words correctly: 'survivor' is not something we would use as to refer to someone that just had surgery. You are 'recovering' from knee surgery.

Maybe its because of the language barrier, but maybe this can be a learning tool as well. 'Survivor' is a term used only when someone has "survived" something where they've almost crossed to the brink of death, like cancer, a heart attack, a deadly disease, a scary car accident. This is what was meant by the above comment. Oh, survivors of 9-11 or the recent Bridge Collapse...those are survivors. Just an FYI.