So fistulagram time again. I just had one in September and just like the last few times, I dreaded it becasue the last few times have been quite painful. And the hospital staff doesn't seem to care much that it's painful. So I started out the day at 6:45 am at Gonda 2. Stop there, it was weird that they were having me at Gonda because I'm always at St. Marys, but like the very first time I had it, it was at Gonda, so anyway, I got called back about 7 am and Jessica was my nurse, very nice girl probably about mid 20s. After I had gotten in my gown and was laying there, they had the curtain partly open and I noticed Lindsey and Beth from dialysis there. They had a guy (Kevin) come in and start the IV which he did right away. He did a great job. Later after all the usual questions, an anesthesiologist came in and I explained about getting better drugs like I did when I had the bone marrow aspiration (Non had written it done for me) and he said it would be no problem. Emmanuel was one of the guys that explained everything about the drugs and said they would give me an additional drug-propofol would help make me more sleepy. A Dr. Sharp came in and had me sign a consent form and explained all the risks and everything. Then after awile Beth came in and said she would be the one administering the drug and that she would take care of me. So Emmanuel comes to take me back to the room and we get just about there and Dr. Sharp stops him and says to take me back to the prep room because "we're working out kinks and we may not do it today." So pretty much everyone was confused, but they took me back to the room and Dr. McPhail came to talk to me about how he looked at the ultrasounds and how my fistulagram is very narrow closer to my heart and how if they did it here (Gonda) and something happened they just don't have the equipment to handle it safely. He mentioned several times about how they couldn't SAFELY do it at Gonda and how he had talked to Dr. Albright. He said that most likely they would have to put in a stint. I got really upset at that and asked why they couldn't just balloon it open and wait. And he said because it wouldn't last very long. I asked if they could still try to do it at St. Marys because I already had the IV in and he said absolutely that he would make some calls and try to get me in today. When he left the room, I started crying even more, almost sobbing because to me a stint is permanent and I thought it would make it worse. Jessica asked if I wanted Dr. Albright to come talk to me or if she could get him on the phone and I said yeah, so she paged him and I talked to him for a little bit and he tried to explain that the stint would help keep it open longer and would be better in the long run, then Dr. McPhail talked to him a little and explained he didn't stay for sure that I would have to have a stint. Then Dr. McPhail told me they could shuttle me over to St. Marys and get me at some point today. He was very nice and explained everything very well to me. Emmanuel came in and said that they would take care of me at St. Marys....boy was he wrong! :(
So I wait for the shuttle and take it to St. Marys and go up to Joseph 6 and when I check in, it's Renee VanNurden (Joel's mom) and that was the nicest person there. I get checked in and change into my gown and then get taken back to the room and get hooked up. Then the nurse explains that it will probably be about an hour or more because they have to work me in and I'm not assigned to a room yet. So I'm watching TV and fall asleep and get woke up by an anestheologist? and I explained to him about getting the propofol and it seemed like he was ok with it. Then about 15 min later, a nurse came up and said she was looking over my file and that I've had about 20 of these(which isn't true) and that they were going to proceed with the regular RN med push and I said no and explained AGAIN about how painful it's been and about what they told me at Gonda and she kindof argued with me about well did it hurt all the other times and I said yes at least the last 4 times it did and I felt like I just kept repeating myself, so she went away (I think her name was Mazy, something like that) then another lady showed up and said basically the same thing AGAIN about me having 20 procedures (again, not possible) and why I needed it this time and I explained about the pain and the Gonda people again and I said I really feel like I'm not being heard. Her name was Andrea and she was an anestheologist and had me do all the normal stuff so that I could go through with this drug and explained all the possible risks and stuff that it would probably sting. Then some dr. came by and didn't really talk to me was talking to the other people and then went away. Then Andrea came back and took me to the OR. The guy in there said hello and that was it. I mentioned to Andrea that I'm claustrophobic and asked if she could give me some drugs beforehand and she said that she would give them to me as soon as they got me settled in. She asked about putting a oxygen mask on me and I said it was ok and a couple minutes after that I woke up in back in the original room and I had some guy named Terry who had the worst bedside manner. He said he had to take some stitches out and I had to stay for about a half hour for observation. He took the stitches out and asked me if I wanted anything and I said just ice and he brought it and gave me two spoonfuls and then left. After that I started crying because I just wanted to go home because there was no caring from these people. He came in and wiped my face with a paper towel. Andrea came in for a couple minutes because I had broken blood vessels around my right eye. She said to Terry my nose was somewhat bloody and that I was itching my face during the procedure and squirming because I was in pain. (The good thing is I don't remember any of that) When they brought me back I squeezed Andrea's hand and thanked her because she gave me the drugs. After she talked to Terry though, she didn't say anything to me. After Terry wiped my eyes, I said I just wanted to go home and he said ok, took my IV out and took me out to the lockers. I got dressed, then waited for Mrs. B, when she came I broke down crying again. How can you have such nice people at one place and such unkind people at the next??
