After spending the last few nights in the HKU, I would think I would be more rested and excited that we are doing so well that we have one foot out the door. This place is hell. Nights are haunting, with screams and childrens cries creeping through the walls. I can't sleep in normal intervals because throughout the night, I have to find our nurse to remind her that Caroline is due for meds and milk. The nurses here are staffed with 3-4 patients a piece. I change every diaper, but they collect over time...because no one has time to weigh them before they get thrown out. I pump every few hours and it sits close to the limit before it gets put in the freezer. We are surrounded by infected patients, and I hear coughing through their OPEN doors. At 3 am this morning, we got a room mate in a room not quite built for one. 3 am? Yeah. Who does that? Now the bathroom is shared, which is on our side. So all of their visitors get to spread their filth over here, too. Visitors, I may add, that are not numbered or monitored in any way. And it's Sunday apparently, so everyone "praying" for this family is coming by for a visit. I am praying that her 13 day old immune system is strong enough to make it home where I can at least provide a controlled environment. Oh, and I forgot to add that a homie tech came strolling in here this morning to silence an alarm still wearing his contact isolation gear from another room. What a moron. He'll be lucky if he has a job by the end of the day.
Oh, I'm sorry it's so frustrating. I know, the step-down unit is such a double edge sword. yes, you're closer to home. but yes, you're dealing with every one of the nasty things you talk about above - crying kids, sick roommates (Bodie actually caught paraflu from a roommate when he was in the hospital for what turned out to be c-diff at about 3 months old - literally, it almost killed him. I was so angry), overstaffed nurses, late meds/formula/breastmilk pick up (although I found they tended to be MUCH more on top of things at night, probably because there was less activity going on / procedures scheduled to slow them down). I just found it most helpful to really be on top of it - and ask for meds and feeds before we actually needed them. Hang in there mama - soon you'll be home and this will just seem like a bad dream!
ReplyDeleteomg omg. you have HAD it with that place. i have never had such a bad experience as i did this last time. they are overbooked out the a$$. you will go home tuesday latest i bet you. you can push for tomorrow. get those feeding people there to show off her skills, since that is all that is holding her back. it has never been so bad... i had the exact same issue... i had to wait like 45 minutes just to get MY OWN breast milk given to me while jackie screamed his head off. same with meds. i also rejected vitals, and said do not come in here tod o them. but every 4 flipping hours someone woke me up, literally shook me, so i could tell them NO again. NO DO NOT WAKE MY BABY AGAIN! before it was set on a schedule and they were not so busy. i think we should talk to someone about this... i wonder if it is like this everywhere. - katie
ReplyDeleteAt least it is heaven having her in your arms :)
ReplyDeleteLauren I am soo sorry the shape it sounds like this hospital is in but hopefully lil Caroline is getting the treatment she needs. It's wonderful to see her bright big eyes and a little outfit on!!
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