"Hip replacement admissions"

Had both my hip replacements at RPH and was admitted to the ward. In both admissions several problems arose: 

Patient care - as a special patient with MRSA/ anaphylactic reactions & many intolerances, I felt several staff members got a bit defensive/upset when I tried to let them know beforehand if they, for example, needed to take blood, that I react to alcohol disinfectant and the white dot bandages and those can't be used.

That I had very specific meal requirements - example; allergic to sulphur in medication and intolerant in food items. Given meal staff my medic alert pass and written what I can have. First meal I get a cherry custard which contained sulphites and was written on the lid.

Post-op I had problems understanding and recognising staff due to mandatory masks. Could not tell certain staff apart or had side effects from medication that impaired my cognitive understanding and speech output and could not explain myself properly. Dosage of tramadol was charted as 100 mg and I had difficulty focusing. Oxycodone 10mg I tolerated better.

Got so confused in who was coming into my room and which service they are from. Physio, pain team, doctor, phlebotomist, orderly, cleaners & who I have to ask my questions to, that I had. I felt like a hand me down. Saw physio but OT never came to see me and I struggled for 2 days in pain getting my leg into bed as did not know about a tool called leg lifter until 2 hrs before I was discharged.

On day 2 I got febrile, and a cause was looked into why. On day 3 the pain team came to my room and asked if it was true that I had a steroid injection before surgery into left S1. I stated yes, and they wanted to see it as they did not know about it and could be source of infection. I made pre-admission aware, told staff on admission, told surgeon on day of surgery who ordered test actually. After that the physio came and I mentioned it to them that they apparently did not know of injection but it was actually mentioned in my notes as I believe they had seen it.

Day of discharge - pain team came in and evaluated medications and one staff talked in a very loud and, I felt, irritable voice tone. I was asleep before and had tablets of tramadol and needed a moment to adjust and try to understand the subject. As they talked and irritated me profoundly, their other colleague stepped in and I could understand the other staff better and give more precise answers to the subject. Then the first staff spoke again, asked me about normal and slow-release meds, I got very confused and overwhelmed.

Another nurse stuck their head in and I said to them, please help, please help me, I don't understand. The first staff then, I felt, snapped the chart closed and I believe said well that's it then and seemingly stomped out of the room. The second staff member stayed, I apologized if I have offended their colleague but I was overwhelmed by 3 people standing at my bed, the subject talked about, the meds, awoken from sleep and being irritated by the staff member's, I felt, loud voice that I felt like I was being yelled at.

On discharge, one nurse opened my bed site drawer with my own medication that brought in & stated that there was paracetamol in there from the hospital. I informed them that I brought that in and had put that in the green bag that I was given on admission. They then stated that this is hospital Panamax. I stated no it can't be, as I purchased that in my pharmacy as I frequently use it and put it all in the bag the night before admission. They again replied well, than have it and returned it to me with the rest of the content of my own medication. The strip was not marked as RPH supply or had a sticky label on it. Several minutes later I had a mini melt down and started crying. That nurse showed compassion and gave me the time to recompose and calm myself.

During my admission I was given clexane for DVT precautions and on discharge, I was prescribed tablets which I never had before. As being anaphylactic to sulphur & have a bleeding disorder, I googled the tablets the next morning after I took one. I gained info that it contained sodium lylac sulphate, causes depression & anxiety, which I already take medications for, causes more bleeding and has a list of side effects that are a mile long.

With all the meds that I have been prescribed, I was not prescribed any  panto prazole despite me mentioning it that I take it currently since the about a month ago. I only received tramadol as pain relief, paracetamol and stool softener.

As a patient with a difficult and complex history, I found awareness for staff beforehand might be beneficial but unfortunately on both admissions that I had at RPH it was not the case. In my opinion, the majority of the staff where quite rude and most friendly conversations I tried to have about my complexity was not received well nor appreciated or, it seemed, received as me telling them about their job, which was not the case. I wanted to make it easier to know about my sensitivity of alcohol rub, certain bandaids and dietary requirements etc.

I didn't feel well cared for as so many misunderstandings came up that I believe it is too long to list them all in my complaint. 

Unfortunately, I am also a staff member at another service and might be a bit spoilt to be a country patient, to be listened to about my complex medical needs, history & allergy profile. I am sorry if I am too complex and the standard approach does not apply to me. I thought up-front information would be helpful and appreciated but it seems it annoyed or scared staff.

Lastly visiting physio came to hotel accomm recently and tried to get me booked for a dressing change as not mentioned in discharge summary and follow up is not until over 3 weeks away. On calling the ward, the conversation with the clerk was, in my opinion, so embarrassing to witness that the physio recommended seeing the nurse practitioner in a week's time to change the dressing.