how hospitals treat you

[jenagade]

I'm in hospital at the moment, having seizures daily and almost hit status epilepticus this morning. I missed the forum while it was down!

So given the treatment I have received here I'm curious to hear what other peoples experiences in hospital have been like?

Mine started badly, despite having a seizure at the admissions desk the doctors didn't seem to be taking things seriously, they just wanted to put me back on my old medication and kick me out the door. It wasn't until I had three seizures in an hour that they actually started listening to what had been going on for the past few weeks and pushed a new AED, keppra, little worried about that because of the things I've heard about keprage but so far it seems to have reduced the number of seizures.

I guess to sum things up it feels like maybe the standard medical staff aren't that informed on how to deal with seizures, and the neurological staff are looking for something easy to change to get me out the door.

 

[jenagade]

One thing I do have to say though is the hospital pharmacist has been awesome, he sat with me while I was getting IV keppra to make sure I wasn't having any side effects and told me all about how each AED affects other medication. tegretol being the biggest culprit to the point that it can actually affect the breakdown of itself which I didn't know

 

[kirsten]

I've had really good experiences in hospitals--maybe too good for my taste. On the one hand, I have been wildly lucky to have received care from my own neurologists in their own wards, so they knew my case and did what was needed. Doctors here always visit their hospital patients every single morning and they stay as long as they need to. You can't get an early morning appointment in their rooms because they're doing their hospital duties, whether you're dealing with a GP, a neuro, or whatever. On the other, I usually felt I was being kept too long. I've generally ended up walking around the parking lot with my drip stand, and then getting shouted at by my neuros when the nurses told on me. Other than the one hospital ward, where the neuro ward is right next door to the burns unit, the wards are always kept really calm and quiet and dark.

 

[Belinda5000]

I've been admitted to hospitals before and have been having what I call my screaing sz's and I've had nurses tell me I'm upset other patients like I can control what's happening.

 

[jenagade]

I've been admitted to hospitals before and have been having what I call my screaing sz's and I've had nurses tell me I'm upset other patients like I can control what's happening.

That's not nice, its hardly like you can control it. I have noticed the reaction differs to what kind of seizure it is. I have absence seizures and loose muscle tension do if I have one while standing I find I'm surround by doctors doing OBS and putting oxygen on me straight away, but if im lying down, when obviously I wouldn't drop, they leave it to my fiance to make sure I come out of it

 

[N Sperlo]

I haven't spent much time at all in hospitals, but just wanted to pop in to say, don't worry about the kepprage right now. Worry about getting better because for many people, the effects of the meds are not that bad.

 

[jenagade]

I haven't spent much time at all in hospitals, but just wanted to pop in to say, don't worry about the kepprage right now. Worry about getting better because for many people, the effects of the meds are not that bad.

Thanks [emoji4] you're right of course. Hopefully I can go home tomorrow

 

[N Sperlo]

I'd rather lay sore stiff in my own bed and watch real TV. Not that junk they have there.

The only stay I've had in a hospital was for a video EEG, so I was surrounded by specialists. That didn't make the food any better, though...

 

[valeriedl]

I've been in the hospital quite a bit for things epilepsy related and not. The nurses and I are actually on a first name basis. I generally have a good experience with them. I recently was in there after having back surgery and had a catheter in. It was a nurse who was still in training that took it out. A little while after I noticed that the bed was wet. When another nurse came in, who I'm friends with, I told him. He looked and saw it was pee and was caused by the way the catheter was taken out. He said he needed to change the sheets. I told him that I wasn't sure if I could get out of bed but he said it was no problem because he could do it with me in bed, and he did.

I have problems, I don't know if it's epilepsy/medicine related, but if I'm abruptly woken up I'll throw a punch. I've hit people at times. They normally hang up a sign saying to wake me up by saying to and not to shake me awake. It's probably because I've hit a few people.

The only thing that I don't like now is at my local hospital the dr who put you isn't there isn't the one who comes and checks on you to see how things are going. I know it's a new thing that was just started. I'd rather be seeing the dr that did what ever I'm in the hospital for instead of the hospital dr (if that's what they are called). I go to a different hospital for my epilepsy and I don't know if it works that way there or not because it's been a while since I've been in there.

 

[jenagade]

Oh here the doctors always seem to change I think I've seen 10 in the last few days. The nurses have been lovely and I'm in good with one of the orderlies because he bonded with my partner over football (soccer). Also now that I've given everyone a right scare they are certainly taking things more seriously. About to have an EEG soon too, bring on the cyborg medusa!