"My Discharge from hospital"

I was admitted to Busselton medical campus on a Thursday night into the short stay ward with an extremely painful shoulder after several falls and an MRI I had had a few weeks earlier showing inflamation, some tendon inflamation, bleeding and arthritis. I was to be re-evaluated in the morning by a Physiotherapist. If I was not safe to go home I was to be admitted into a ward.

I ended up being admitted on Friday morning.  I had been having a lot of falls and in fact I had injured my left arm fro. 2 falls within weeks.

The physio found a walker that I could use with one hand and also said that I needed to get some assistance and support at home.

I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis,  Osteoarthritis,  Fibromyalgia and Addisons Disease. I have had a knee replacement and 2 revisions of that surgery as the prosthesis came loose. Currently it feels like it is loose again and is very painful and I cannot put my full weight through it and it is giving out.

While I was an inpatient I could not fault my care from the Drs, nurses and domestic staff.

I had  CT scan and it was organised for me to have a steroid injection into my shoulder.

That happened on Tuesday morning. 

I was told not to move my arm fir 48 hrs to allow for the steroid to settle into my shoulder. 

The Dr came to see me late in the afternoon to see how I was.

I told him the pain was worse as was expected.

He also asked if I thought that I was ready to go home.

My spouse was with me at the time and we both agreed that it would be best to wait 1 more day to be safe.

On Wednesday morning my spouse left work to go to the courier to collect one of my medications that the pharmacy was supposed to order but didn't. 

My spouse then had to change cars to drop of my medication , drive home again, pick up their work car and drive all the way back to work.

Probably less than an hour later a physio came to see me. They got me to walk a short distance and said ok you can go home now.

I tried to explain that we had talked to the Dr but they said you have nothing medically wrong with you so you need to leave. 

I expressed my concern at being at home by myself and feeling unsafe.

I then rang my spouse and told them that they would need to leave work again, go home pick up our car and then collect me.

My spouse spoke to the ward coordinator and I think the Ward Manager came to see me .The manager told me they didn't know what had been arranged as they had just got back themself. I have to say that I felt they were very rude and abrupt and made it very clear to me that I had to go now.

My spouse then arrived but my paperwork was not ready, so more time off work. 

I was just handed an envelope and nobody went through the check list with me.

When I got home I discovered that one of my own medications had not been returned. 

My spouse had to go back to the ward and was initially told that it wasn't there, that it had been returned.

My spouse was adamant that they were still there  and they were finally found.

I feel that it was just not right to discharge someone with no warning when I had been told that I would be there for at least another day.

Nobody asked a Social worker to talk to me about what help I may need at home.

So here I am at home again with no support to help me be safe in my own home.

I am trying to cook, clean, and do the washing with Rheumatoid Arthritis,  Osteoarthritis,  Fibromyalgia and Addisons Disease.

An extremely painful shoulder which I have been told will need surgery,

Spinal Fusion from T11 to L5 S1. A failed total Knee Replacement with 2 revisions. The knee is still not stable and is very swollen. 

Maybe some support could have been arranged on the Wednesday so that it would have been easier and safer to return home.

Once again I cannot fault the care I was given by the nurses and support staff.

When I first presented at ED on Thursday night I did tell the Dr that I had a really sore wrist on my left side that was also swollen.

The Dr assured me that it would be included in the CT he had ordered.

The results of the CT states that they could not rule out fractures of the Carpel bones.

Nobody mentioned that and I still have the swollen sore wrist.

I feel very disappointed that my concerns were not listened to and the way I was spoken to by the Physio and the ward manager.