Sucky Birthday To Me

I thought last year topped the list of suckiest birthdays of all time. I turned the dreaded 3-0 and I was spent the day barfing my guts up (and, no, I was not hung over). However, today managed to top even that, culminating with my leaving the hospital AMA.

DD started getting sick late Sunday night. I spent the night with her in the guestroom and got basically no sleep, but I didn't have any classes Monday, so it was ok. By Monday night, she seemed to be getting better, so Tuesday (today) I went to class, and assumed she would be going to school. Unfortunately, she barfed all over the sitter this morning(whom I have not fired, but probably wishes she had quit before this episode), so off to the doctor we went this afternoon. The doc said she was partly dehydrated, and since I couldn't say how much fluid DD had taken in while with the sitter this afternoon, it would be a good idea for her to get some IV fluids. The small regional hospital adjacent to the doc's office was full, so we were sent to the Big City Hosptal (BCH), which, incidently, is supposed to be one of the best hospitals in the country.

Let me just say BCH sucked. We went to a special part of the hospital like a mini-ER you can only go to on a doctor'r referral. We were there an hour before they even did an intake exam. Then they still didn't have a room, so we waited another half hour . Once we got a room, a doc finally saw us. She did the same basic exam the ped. had already done this afternoon, but this doc determined that my DD was not sick enough to warrant IV fluids. She just wanted to wait half an hour to make sure that DD kept down half a popcicle, and then we could go.

Ok, by this point I am getting pretty peeved. Why the heck did the ped. send me over here if they weren't going to do anything? Like I don't have anything better to do with my time or money. Anyway, I am grumply biding my time, and DD is snoozing, when she suddenly wake up and starts barfing the popcicle. There are no nurses to be found--no call button in the tiny closet room. I have to clean up DD, then carry her down the hall to notify someone of the situation. The desk receptionist goes to look for the doc, while I clean up the room.

Now, its not that big a deal for me to clean up after my own kid, but nobody ever asked if we needed any help or anything. In fact, I told the doc that we needed a new table covering that never appeared, so after that point, DD couldn't even lie down anymore andwas stuck sitting up in a hard back chair.

The doc informs me that despite the fact that she is not able to keep any liquids down, she is still not dehydrated enough to require fluids. I told her that she needed to come up with a proactive solution, or I was leaving right then because waiting around in the hospital was not improving the situation. She grudgingly agreed to give the IV fluids, while repeating that it was not going to solve the problem. I asked her what would solve the problem, but she couldn't really anwer that.

The doc left, presumably to put in the order for the IV fluids, and we were left waiting again. After 20 minutes, there were still no fluids, and no one had ever showed up to replace the table covering, so DD was still sitting up inthe chair and wishing (like me) that she were home. A nurse came in, and I thought that something was finally going to be done, but no, she was only taking a machine out of our room that was needed for someone else.

At that point I was fed up. I gathered up DD, and headed for the door. I did stop at the desk to pay the stinking co-pay (only so that they didn't try to come after me for theft of service or something). The desk clerk scrambled for the doc and managed to produce her in record time. I calmly explained that I was leaving because I had been there three hours and nothing whatsoever had been done to help my daughter, that I was extremely disappointed in the level of service, and that I expected more from such a highly regarded institution. Since the doc didn't seem to think my DD needed to be treated anyway, I don't think that she was too upset by my departure. She did however try to get me to sign a form stating that I was leaving AMA and releasing them of all liability. Of course I refused. She said, "then we are not discharging her." I said, "I am taking my child and we are leaving now." And we did.

I have no idea what the potential consequences are for removing a minor from a hospital AMA. I have the tiniest fear that the sheriff will come knocking at my door and drag us back there. I just couldn't imagine wasting any more time there. When I'm sick I only want to be in my own bed, and I know DD was glad to be out of that miserable place.

And just so you don't think I'm a totally irresponsible parent, we are speding the night in the guest room again so that I can keep an eye on her, and I will call my doc first thing in the morning.