"My Admission"

After having an absolute nightmare admission to Maroondah Hospital previously, when I got sick again the other week, when my Specialist told me that I needed to go to Maroondah ED and have my problem hit hard and fast to prevent any further deterioration, I was absolutely determined not to go. Of course, my Specialist made me see sense, and off I went to ED. 

From the moment I was triaged, very professionally from Nurse Helena? to Doctor Krushna, the Surg Reg, to Nurse Helen, to PSA/Orderly Tony, they all really listened to me and understood how easily things with me can deteriorate so quickly. They were all absolutely amazing and straight on it.   Especially as this is an ongoing saga with me. 

They were all so nice, empathetic, professional, everything that needed to be done was done right, in a timely fashion, even though ED was packed to the gills. 

Unfortunately on a negative note, I had this time, was that the Wound Nurse could not be found for input into my problem. No one knew whether they were even at work, or when in fact, they did work. Even Reception didn’t know if they had picked up their Pager, or when they work. I was faced with having to stay in another 5 days in the hope that the Wound Nurse would at some stage turn up. They didn’t even know if, in fact, they had returned from holidays.  

The OT (Ceriss- who tried 100 times to contact the Wound Nurse) was absolutely brilliant and very empathetic and helpful, trying to help me with no Wound Nurse there. And one Wound Nurse for the whole hospital as I believe it has been for years is totally ridiculous. Better wound care equals quicker discharge, less infection and any further wound break down. Who has this person's roster? Why doesn’t the front desk have a copy of their roster?

I feel it is ludicrous that in a hospital that size, that is allowed to happen and has been happening for years.  

Then I was told by the Dietician that I would have to pay if I wanted Arginaid Drinks? Um, I’m a T1D, with a breaking-down previous pressure wound I feel was caused by Maroondah Hospital and you refused to give them to me unless I paid in a public hospital? I told the Dietician not to bother, I’d buy my own. And for their information, on discharge, even with the cushion, my wound continued to break down further until my Arginaid Drinks arrived and I changed the wound management myself in order to get it to heal.