"Mixed emotions"

I have had a previous difficult surgery at Prince of Wales Hospital around 8 years ago, I feel things have really gone downhill since then. 

I understand everyone is tired, overworked, and stressed out, however, as a patient, that’s not my problem to fix, and I shouldn’t have to deal with it. Many times, it was all too much to ask to get assistance to go to the bathroom, to get pain medication, or to have my bed changed once during the day. I was told, can you wait 10-15 minutes, I’m just in the middle of something. I even had a nurse I believe, roll their eyes at me. This same nurse, questioned my physio when they had to ask if they could change my sheets while I was up and moving because I couldn’t get up later to have them changed, and they didn’t get changed the day before because I couldn’t get out of bed. Now when moving is almost an impossible feat, and you’re busting to go to the toilet, yes, I feel being asked to wait 15minutes is too much to ask. 

The pain on night 2 was completely unbearable. My night nurse said I just need to get some sleep because I’ve been up all night. I couldn’t sleep because I was in such excruciating pain. We had just stopped the PCA that day so the oral meds were yet to be controlled and set in their correct dosage. The nurse said they'd have to call a doctor for a review to get me some more, but I felt made it quite clear that was a major inconvenience and would take a long time. 

Day 1 of PCA out and a review from the pain team gave me much needed relief. Part of the problem before this, however, was that I would push the buzzer for pain medication and I would be asked, what’s the matter, what do I want. I would say I’m in desperate need of some pain medication, I can’t move I just need it to be able to get up and go to the toilet. I timed these many requests and it was 28 minutes, 40 minutes and 30 minutes before I was given medication after asking on these occasions. To which I was told, I’m so sorry, it’s just so busy or when I would ask, I would be told, I’m going to be honest with you, I’m really busy so I won’t be able to get there for a while.

Based on my experience, when treating pain for a major reconstructive hip surgery, another 40 minutes is like a lifetime and by the time the pain medication does finally come, it’s not enough to take the edge off because you’ve been waiting so long with so much pain. This also extended to getting help coming out of the toilet. I was still on a big walking frame and was made to get back by myself, and/or sit on my bed for 10 minutes before somebody came back to get me back into bed. This was such a painful experience, I just sat on the edge of the bed and cried. This time again, I was met with, I’m really sorry, I got caught up doing something.

I have been lucky to have my parent here to shower me, take me to the toilet and just help out with the everyday tasks that are so impossible during this time. They have had to clean the toilet and shower chair every time I use it because it’s always covered in urine and poop. It constantly smells like urine because it piles up on the toilet floor. I only noticed one cleaner in the early hours of the morning.  I’ve cried many many tears over the pain, thinking I couldn’t make it through the days. It’s been a very mentally challenging experience. One of which will remain with me for a lifetime. We think we finally have to move from the public to the private system just to get some basic care. 

I can’t thank only 2 nurses who have taken me seriously and taken great care of me, my pain, and all of my daily needs as I recover from this intensive, life-changing surgery. Thank you Jessica (Jess) and Lisa on the orthopaedic ward. Both of which are extraordinary nurses and have never made me feel like I am an inconvenience, that asking for pain medication was too much to ask, or that the other things like, heat rash from the bed, the chaffing from not being able to move my legs much, or new sheets because I’ve sweated these ones out already - were impossible for their overworked schedule. 

Public health, and Prince of Wales, you’ve really let me down. I’m educated and I stand up for what I need; but on too many occasions I have seen my neighbours being taken advantage of because of this lack of compassion or care for their needs. I have also had to be their mental support so that they can be guided and encouraged through this period of intensive pain while the staff treat us like they’re too busy for us to press the button. So we continue to suffer in silence.