I LOATHE Pre-Op Testing!

Emory University Midtown Hospital MUST streamline their pre-op testing! :angryfire2: It took 4 hours to take my vitals (twice), get 4 vials of blood, and update my medical history (twice).

My appointment was for 9:10 AM we got there 10 minutes late, which considering what time mom got up and the traffic we encountered was a miracle. I thought I was gonna have to reschedule; but fortunately they were already running late.

Apparently my doctor is very particular. So before going to Pre-Admission Testing on the first floor, I have to go up to her office on the 18th floor. The nurse weighs me, takes my blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen, and pulse. She then goes over the list of my current medications. Then she takes me down to an exam room at the end of the hall. Where I sit and wait and wait. Finally, a resident comes in, introduces herself reviews my list of current medications, takes a family illness history, and explains the procedure to me. She seems curious and concerned about my thyroid issues. I'll blog about my thyroid nightmare another time. Then I sign a few forms and she gives me paperwork to take downstairs. It is now 10:03 AM

Downstairs they ask the usual questions, like if necessary can we give you a blood transfusion, do you have a living will, would you like a pastor to visit you before surgery. etc., etc. FWIW: I don't have a living will, I am afraid of, but not opposed to blood transfusions. If necessary I expect them to move heaven and earth to save my life. I sign more papers and they send me down to the room at the end of the hall. A room which I have come to hate. It is now 10:25 AM

There is a woman sitting behind the sliding glass window stapling papers. It takes her a full 4 minutes to acknowledge that I am there. I hate that. When a patient comes to the window, she should immediately say, "I'll be with you in a moment." Anywho she needs to make a copy of my insurance card and drivers license, which they just did down the hall, and also upstairs. Then mom and I sit and wait; along with the rest of the wretched, huddling masses, yearning to be free. :mad:

At 12:55 PM they finally call my name. I follow a nurse with a Susan Powter haircut into exam room 6. I can tell she is having a bad day, but she is making an effort to be cheerful. So I do the same. She notices I am reading a Janet Evanovich book and we briefly chat about the crazy antics of Stephanie Plum and who should play who in the movie. She weighs me, takes my temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and pulse. Oddly, My blood pressure has increased by about 16 points both systolic and diastolic. :rolleyes: Probably because I am now annoyed, tired, hungry, and I have cramps. Plus I am stressing about getting caught in Friday afternoon, Atlanta, rush hour traffic. IMHO, It's as bad as Manhattan & Houston combined, only worse because it's in such a small space. Did I forget to mention I have my period? I'm not supposed to have it right now because they have me on BCP's.

Then she takes a complete medical history and asks for any prescription meds and vitamins I might be taking, I give her my list. She is suitably awed and grateful. I have an alphabetized, color co-ordinated list of all my medications, vitamins, and past surgeries. On the back I put all my docs info and the phone and fax numbers to my preferred pharmacy. An anesthesiologist comes in and asks if I have ever had surgery before and if so did I have problems with the anesthesia. I tell her no. Not quite true, but I learned the hard way, that if you tell them that you once had trouble coming out of anesthesia, then they don't give you enough and you feel pain before you leave the hospital, let alone get home. The anesthesiologist takes 4 vials of blood as per my surgeons orders. She then tapes some gauze to my arm and I am sent on my merry way. It is now 1:30 PM, the whole process took about 4 hours.

Just to re-cap, they:
reviewed the surgical procedure I will be having and asked if I had any questions
took 4 vials of blood
weighed me
took a complete medical history
updated the list of my prescription medications and vitamin supplements
took my blood pressure
took my temperature
took my pulse
took my blood oxygen

So now I am all set for my second hysteroscopic myomectomy in 3 months. God willing this will be the last time I have to do this.

Mini-Drama
When the Susan Powter look-a-like was done, I went back to the waiting room and didn't see mom. I thought maybe she went to the cafeteria or the bathroom so I started walking down the hall in that direction. I'm not 10' from the waiting area when I see a woman collapesd on the floor and 3 people standing around her not doing anything. I ask "what's wrong?" and was faced with shrugs. I ask if they called a nurse and they said, no. I quickly go back inside and tell them a woman has passed out and needs help. Some idiot clerk says 'on the floor?' I said yeah rather sarcastically. Fortunately someone with a brain heard me and 2 nurses came running to help this poor woman. From what I could hear she was diabetic and had been waiting soooo long in the lobby for pre-op testing she got woozy. She was on her way to the cafeteria when she passed out. To make matters worse her right foot was in one of those grey plastic surgical boots. I was afraid she had re-injured herself from the fall. :frown1:

So to make a long story longer, I was not exaggerating. The pre-op testing process at Emory University Midtown Hospital is ridicuously long. Anytime you have people passing out from hunger, the wait is TOO long! They should be ashamed of themselves. I understand that depending on what your surgery is you may need to give a urine sample, have an x-ray, an EKG, and/or an EEG, in addition to the things I had done today. Regardless, that should not be a 4 hour process. It just doesn't make sense. :no:

Comments

I'm quite fond of you and admire your writing talent.
Why do you do the myomectomy polka every 3 months? If your done with baby making I think a total job is in your best interest. I say this lovingly and respectfully.
crossy
 
crossy;bt17764 said:
I'm quite fond of you and admire your writing talent.
Why do you do the myomectomy polka every 3 months? If your done with baby making I think a total job is in your best interest. I say this lovingly and respectfully. crossy
LOL I didn't mean for it to happen again, it just did. :irked: Uterine fibroids for some reason happen more to black women than any other ethnicity or race.:mad: It would take a lot for me to have a hysterectomy knowing what I now know about them and the after effects.

I have often joked this summer that if I could get my garden to grow veggies as well as my uterus grows fibroids I would be overrun with produce. :tongue:

To answer your question, because I haven't had any babies yet and am still hoping to have at least one. Also recent research indicates that the uterus is more than just a womb. When women have hysterectomys it can adversely effect their overall health.
 
Praying_Mantis;bt17765 said:
Just wait until these processes in the hospital are "free" and you'll be praying that 4 hours is all you need to wait. This is what the time frame is for people who mostly pay for their services. Many who cant afford them or never got checked out to know they have them are all at home not waiting in line with you.
Was there a point to your post BHR, other than to be snarky? :confused: I believe there are three threads in the politics section dealing with healthcare, I suggest you post there.

FWIW: I've had great insurance and I've had bad insurance. I currently pay a little over $300 a month for my health insurance and I consider this coverage to be at best mediocre.

As for the people who never get checked out, many are the working poor. The problem isn't just that they have no or minimal coverage. They can't afford to even take a morning off work to go for a check-up.
Definitions for the USA and Canada
In the USA and Canada a person is working poor depending on his revenues compared to an absolute poverty level. Officially, in the United States, the working poor are defined as individuals who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force (working or looking for work), but whose incomes fell below the official poverty level. Often, those defined as "working poor" have negative net worth and lack the ability to escape personal and economic contingencies.
 
Praying_Mantis;bt17773 said:
NJQT, i think you entire minute by minute log of how everyone treated you was pretty snarky. You expect a red carpet rolled out everywhere you go. There are a million people ahead of you in line, they are doing the best they can.

But if it helps your mental status to presume everyone is out to make your experience bad on purpose. By all means.
I don't expect red carpet treatment anywhere. However, when I have a 9:00 AM appointment I don't think it is unreasonable to expect to be home by noon. Beeyotch! :mad:

As for me not working, I am the full time caregiver to my 81 year old dad who has Parkinson's Disease. It's kind of hard to hold a job when in between picking him up when he falls, giving him 3 meals a day, plus snacks as he is diabetic. Oh and keeping my 79 yr old mother off of ladders so she doesn't fall and need another shoulder surgery. In addition I have a number of physical disabilities; I am waiting for my SSI claim to go through. It's not like I quit my job to make YouPorn videos with my boyfriend and then bitch about how all these strange men are PM'g me. If you don't like my blogs or my posts then YOU need to put me on ignore. :irked: :angryfire2:
 
I have been through similar situations, at the dentist for example. The dentist took so long to get back to me I had to request another shot of the numbing agent they used. (I was having a crown done and I am a sensitive bitch.)

The fact that a patient passed out from waiting so long is suspect for me. Four hours is far too long to be waiting for anyone anywhere.

NJ write the administration of the hospital and tell them, just as you wrote here in your blog about the length of time it took.

Your blog did not come off to me as you feeling or expressing privilege. Many people in this country are experiencing the same issues with the health care system you have written about and worse!

I am just happy that it was not your mother falling out AGAIN at the Dr's office. LOL

xoxo
 

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