Lunch with a friend

I had lunch with a friend the other day.

I was a bit surprised when she e-mailed wanting to get together, as I had seen her recently, and I knew she was very very busy as her Mother recently broke her hip.

It turned out, she had a lot to tell me.

During the many visits with her Mother in the rehab unit, she noticed numerous errors in her medical records. Furthermore, her Mother kept passing out due to low blood pressure (which is probably why she fell and broke her hip), yet she was on medicine for high blood pressure.

As she was recounting all the things which had been done incorrectly, she said "The nurses weren't too happy with me, and I realized I was beginning to sound like you!".

While this didn't sound like a compliment (true friends can get away with these things), I told her one of the reasons I have been telling everyone what I have experienced, is, so others will learn to question medical professionals.

Medical professionals are not accustom to being questioned by patients. However, even the medical community it attempting to encourage, and even require, participation and questioning by patients. It is now standard practice in hospitals to tell the patient what pills they are being given and what they are for, at the time they are administered.

When my b/f was in the hospital, he took this procedure very seriously. And, for good reason.

A few times they were going to give him a pill which he should not have received prior to having dialysis. He would send them out of the room to check the chart, or even call the Dr. if necessary. You could always tell the good nurses, because they didn't mind this double check.

And the ones that do mind, well, then you know you really have to keep an eye on them.