bbbdirector's current condition

[mainframe]

I'm glad your mom is improving. She's had a long road to travel and hopefully can return to the comfort of home soon.

 

[epstns]

Dear bbb's daughter,
I'm so very glad to hear mom is doing better. Moms are special people -- and so are daughters.
Thank you for being there for mom. It makes a world of difference.

 

[bbbdirector]

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

Why are there so many setbacks when it comes to my mom??? Fluid took over her body in the past week, it wasn't going into her blood vessels so they're once again slowly removing the fluid from her to not upset her kidney's, heart & lungs. The drs keep saying its such a delicate balance w/ the fluid intake/outtake.

It's very frustrating, Mom is agitated and scared. She hasn't been able to ween off the ventilator due to the fluid overload. She was able to get a couple of days of physical therapy and her appetite has picked up for the first time since the surgery.

Al: Yes...all of these has come from complications from the heart surgery.

We're praying and believing that she will recover and get back to the comfort of home!

 

[Bryan B]

It's very frustrating because we see that this hospital is a 'teaching' hospital and we have to deal with a number of different 'residents' speaking with us which we have yet to get a clear understanding of what they're doing and plan to do with my mom. This is my mother's life and having students try to figure out how to make my mom well is really weighing on me and the family.

bbb,

I did not read any of the posts past your first post. First I want to give you a hug because all of my heart treatment for my whole life has been at teaching hospitals. Communication at Duke Medical Center sucks (where I have had my 2 surgeries and all of my heart care since 2004). I do want to clear a few things up. First of all I know your Mom was at Cleveland Clinic...but remember that CC is the best heart hospital in the country...it is not fair to compare them to other hospitals. Secondly...residents are not students...they are doctors. I had surgical residents assisting my surgeon during my surgery in OR. I had a surgical resident pull out my chest tubes and temporary pacing wires. We wouldn't have great surgeons if we didn't have great residents learning from them. Even interns are not students, they are MD's who have graduated from med school. Students are just that...students still in med school who would never be responsible for any patient's care.

I'm not trying to be insensitive, but being a patient and having 2 OHS's at Duke...a teaching hospital...I have met several residents (who are doctors) that were MUCH more competent than some of the "doctor doctors" I have met. Communication problems are a systemic problem with big hospitals like teaching hospitals. It IS very frustrating and I have been very frustrated with Duke's lack of communication...but considering where I live I would never go anywhere else but Duke for my heart care despite their communication problems.

If you think that GW is not giving your Mom the competent medical care she deserves than I am all for raising hell with GW or moving her to a different hospital. If it is the communication problem that has you so frustrated...talk with one of the "head honchos"...nursing supervisor, lead cardiologist, someone in a high authority position...and raise holy hell with them. I guarantee you will see better results. Why? Been there...done that.