"Apaling Aftercare"

I came in for surgery to my shoulder.

I was supposed to stay in overnight as I have a lung disorder and need several hours of oxygen post surgery.

When I came up to the ward, after taking quite some time to come out of the anaesthetic someone came round to do my obs.

I couldn't breath properly and I told the 'nurse' - she took no notice except to lower my headboard to try to make it easier.

The male 'nurse' put the oxygen saturation clamp on my finger and it read 88% (I was already on oxygen by his point!)

He turned the alarm off because it was 'annoying him' and put the clamp onto another finger.

He then declared that the machine must not have been working so went to get another one.

Clamp still on wrong finger.

Put new machine on and declared after about 3 seconds that I was up to 100% oxygen levels.

With my lung problem I NEVER get to 100% - EVER!

And that's when I can breath properly.

I was practically bullied into eating and drinking.

No physio came to see me, as they should have done.

I was practically ushered out of the hospital.

As I was eating the female 'nurse' came in, saw me eating and said "Oh!

Finish what your eating then get changed and you can leave"

She came in with my 'discharge' papers and was extremely curt!

She pointed out that everything she had told me had been written down in such a manner as if to say 'you can't complain about anything because it's all written down!'

Well it wasn't and I am complaining.

I had to phone two days later to ask what to do about my stitches to be told that I didn't have stitches.

I had to ask what I did have and was told they were steri strips.

So what do I do? "They are removed after 7 days"

By whom? "Just take them off after 7 days"

My consultant was SUPPOSED to call my husband to let him know what he'd done.

I'm still waiting for that phone call.

It was the Physio who told me 9 days post op what they had done.

Physio were supposed to see me on the ward, and I had to tell them that they would be hard pressed as I was literally kicked out JUST over 3 hours after coming back up to the ward - still not being able to breathe properly.

If I EVER have to have surgery again I will avoid this hospital like the plague, and I am telling ANYONE I know who has to have surgery NOT to go there!

I wonder if they would have treated me like this if I were paying for my treatment?