"My stay in hospital"

I had waited over 12 months for my upper GI (gastrointestinal) general surgery. It was a frustrating time as I was to be given no more than 10 days notice for the procedure, which proved very tricky with my work. My operation date was given, did pre-op, then 6 days before my operation it was cancelled due to a patient with more priority. 

Eventually, I was given a new date and operation done. I was put on a ward with 4 people.

I had extreme nausea for the 4 days I was in hospital and felt very unwell. I was on a restricted diet and was in pain.

The person in the opposite bed was a nightmare. They had a very large family. From 6 am in the morning to 10 pm at night they had constant visitors. There was not a moment in the day when they didn’t have visitors. They all spoke very loud and I got no rest. In the evenings they got up to 15 visitors at once. All around their bed and even chairs pushed against my curtain encroaching my area. People with colds and coughs arrived; the noise was horrendous and I felt compared to being at a party. This was loud and constant, shouting and laughing. I lay in bed and cried most of the time I was there.

I mentioned to the nurses a number of times about the noise and amount of visitors they had and I felt the nurses were not interested. They said there was nothing they could do about it. I had my son visit one evening and it was questioned if he was family... (being that he has dark skin and I do not). I had a small amount of visitors who brought me flowers to be told they had to take them home, yet another patient in the room was allowed to keep all the flowers that were brought by their visitors.

I had a nurse and student doctor appear to put a new line in my hand. I questioned were they sure it was for me and they insisted it was. I was a bit uneasy as I had not been told of this. After being poked and prodded, covered in blood, and no line able to go in as the student doctor couldn’t find the vein, another nurse poked their head around the curtain and told them they had the wrong patient. They apologised and quickly left me.

I asked one of the nurses to send someone to explain why this had happened and no one came. It was not mentioned to me again. I felt too ill to make any more fuss about it. I was given no explanation. This could have been a dangerous mistake.

I was just so glad to get out of there and get home. I felt it was a hospital stay from hell.

I couldn’t fault the consultant though, their work was excellent, and one young nurse who was very caring.

I dread the thought of staying in this hospital again at any time in the future.