DID I SAY I HAVE CANCER & I'm ON CYTOTOXIC CHEMOTHERAPY
with a platelet count of 34 that is falling and clear signs of infection!
Hi,
I'm sitting in a consulting room in The Royal Gwent Hospital where I arrived at just after 20:00hrs. yesterday and it is now about 05:30hrs. and in a disgusting display of utter incompetence of the management structure of The NHS under the devolved irresponsibility of the super annuated Welsh Council they STILL have failed to find a bed for me!
This is where I have been since I arrived for urgent medical attention at the request of my Consultant's staff at Velindre 9.1/2+hrs. ago:
I was unable to sleep past 09:30hrs. on the 06-May02011 after about 4.1/2hrs. sleep so that is over 20hrs. without sleep so far and so far one coffee, no food and iced water from the cooler in reception since about18:00hrs.
Did I tell you I'm here 'cos I'm not well and my Consultant's team believes I need prompt and competent attention - perhaps someone can tell me how this level of abuse by the management of the NHS can be other than damaging to my health and possibilities of survival?
So in boredome lets consider The Velindre NHS Trust YELLOW CARD!
I will scan the card when I get home but here is the text:
Front Cover:
VELINDRE NHS TRUST
I am a patient on Cytotoxic Chemotherapy
NANE DETAILS NUMBER etc.
DRUGS: CARBOPLATIN & GEMCITABINE
CONSULTANT: LESTER
If you are unwell or are admitted to
another hospital for any reason contact
Velindre Cancer Centre aany time day or night
Telephone: 029 2061 5888 and ask for the
nurse with the chemotherapy pager.
Inside Front Cover:
Information for patients
You must contact Velindre Cancer Centre
immediately any time day or night if:
You have a temperature of 37.5C or above
flu like symptoms, chesty cough or any
other signs of infrction
shivering episodes
unusual bruising or bleeding
vomiting more than once in 24 hours
four or more bowel movements, or 4
episodes of diarrhoea in 24 hours
mouth ulcers or soreness that stops
you eating or drinking
you are admitted to another hospital
for any reason
Information for healthcare staff:
This is a Velindre patient receiving chemotherapy
treatment and is at risk of
Neutropenic sepsis
Treat all infective episodes seriously and promptly
with antibiotics.
If febrile will need urgent FBC and blood cultures.
If signs of shock or obviously unwell:
Do Not wait for blood results, administer IV
antibiotics as per neutopenia protocol:
www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/home.cfm?OrgID=357
commence IV fluids
take serum lactate, glucose and clotting screen
monitor urine output – may need catheter and
hourly urine measurement
adminsiter 100% oxygen
consider referral to critical team
Contact Velindre immediately if this patient
is admitted for any reason. We have 24 hour
access to medical records and oncologist advice.
Telephone: 029 2061 5888 and ask for the nurse
with the chemotherapy pager.
The back page:
this page is not very relevant as it is just contact addresses that Velindre Cytotoxic chemotherapy patients might need!
Well its 04:30hrs.
No bed no antibiotics and I've just had a chat with one of the nursing staff and voiced my concern just think what The Yellow Card says!
Last Monday I came in and YES I had a very minor infection but a judgement was taken that my bloods were OK to cope with this but to keep an eye on it at home and monitor my temperature.
Clearly SOMETHING was going wrong sufficient for Velindre to require hands on checking and care – my platlet counts are down to 34 when norm is 150 to 300 – I have clear signs of infection showing in the blood and a Consultant on the phone is happy to let my infection rise and do nothing until after more bloods sometime in the future without checking with Velindre, without clear explanation and without seeing me!
This does look like crass irresponsibility and at this stage I may well take some very serious convincing that this is NOT utter irresponsibility.
I just want to say sorry for copping out at times and leaving Lee and friends to cope!
Any help and support YOU can give her will be hugely welcome.
I do make a lousy patient!
.If YOU want to follow my fight against Cancer from when it started and I first presented with symptoms see The TAB just below the Header of this Blog. called >DIARY of Cancer< just click and it will give you a long list of the main events in chronological order.
.
Thoughts and comments will be in chronological order in the main blog and can be tracked in the >ARCHIVE< in the Right Sidebar.
You may find the TABS >MEDICAL LINKS< and also >CANCER LINKS< of help. . YOU are welcome to call me if you believe I can help in ANY way.
.
Posted by: Greg Lance-Watkins
tel: 01291 - 62 65 62
Wow, this is really interesting reading. I am glad I found this and got to read it. Great job on this content. I like it. Club
ReplyDelete