Wednesday, April 15, 2009

My Adventures as a Patient

Recently I had my thyroglossal duct cyst removed. It is an embryological remnent of head and neck developement that should have closed off but in some people like me persisted as a potential space. I first noticed a lump on my neck about 4 years ago, but when I look at pictures it has been there longer then that. I'm sure I made the ENT's day when I walked into his clinic and said I wanted it out and had already done all the workup.

That being said, doctors make horrible patients. I told the aide taking my tempurature that she had done it wrong and had bounced off the wall instead of the tympanic membrane. My husband says "Stop being a doctor." I didn't tell them again when they were doing it wrong, but I did argue with the anesthesiologist about breastfeeding and general anesthesia. I had researched it and post-op pain control. He did put me to sleep kinda fast. After the surgery when I asked for pain and there was no order for what I wanted I made the nursing staff call and get it ordered. I kept dumping the output(urine) after noting how much and then would just tell the nursing staff, finally they brought me the sheet to chart input and output. The computure in the room to track medication kept spinning up and down so I put it on standby. I made them turn down my IV without an order because I was having some much output. I stripped my own JP drain. I made them take out my IV without an order and told them how to bandage my wounds. I am sure the nursing staff was very happy to have me go home.

2 comments:

jenimur said...

Love it!

Gina said...

They shouldn't complain, you made their job easier! We love you and you look even more fabulous.