The miniscule Goliath

Found this old post-----This was written one year before my diagnosis...I was in a great deal of pain while taking care of my Mom after bypass surgery.

Wednesday, March 21, 2001
The miniscule Goliath
March 21st- Wednesday- Rather than leave the Cardiac ICU today, Mom must stay. She had a very bad night; her heart was irregular most of the evening. She swears it was due to a nurse giving her the Nitro Patch, she said immediately afterward her heart began racing. The nurse already in her defensive mode declared 50% of all heart/bypass patients experience this; she said the Cardiac Surgeon ordered the Nitro patch. Needless to say Mom thinks the nurse is trying to do her in, which is making Mom far more anxious than she should be. I’m concerned, Dad’s concerned, and Trisha is concerned. That's more than enough for me

I become my Mother’s legs & mouth. I ask to speak with the nurse outside, she assures me that this is normal, she tries to reassure me that the Nitro Patch has nothing to do with her heart racing, I remain skeptical. Mom said she believes she overheard one nurse say to her nurse “ I don’t think you should of done that” Mom of course is now untrusting & extremely leery of this Nurse assigned to her. There was something I didn’t care for myself her defensiveness was too quick, as though she had time to prepare to defend herself which told me she has done this before, she was accustomed to defending herself or rather that she truly didn’t care what we thought. This nurse was hardly attentive to my Mother; this nurse was rarely where she should be. Every other nurse prior had sat directly outside my mother’s room or better yet was in her room monitoring my mother. This nurse need to be hunted down each time Mom needed something, I felt it too. I did not like her nor trust her based on what she showed me. We had been told in the Cardiac ICU it was one Nurse to a patient, she on the other hand was busy with a gentlemen next to my mother or busy talking to other nurses. She peeked in once while I was there. One strike & your out, when my family or loved ones are involved I make the rules! I found a house phone & paged the Surgeon.. He responded quickly' as i had hoped. I handed the phone over to Dad who informed the doctor to what was going on, needless to say the doctor immediately took action. I followed up with a complaint to the hospital. She (the BAD NURSE) was out & a new nurse took over. This is my Mother-her health and safety is my priority-worry about offending anyone or worry about stepping on anyones toes- PLEASE!!!!!! Family first- I live & breathe.

With the BAD NURSE GONE' Mom seemed pleased & less anxious. It infuriates me, still, if a Heart Patient no less feels uncomfortable, untrusting of their Nurse that Nurse should be removed, My God the Bypass patients cannot get up & leave, they have little voice, there is little for them to do to make changes. Mom spent two days in Cardiac ICU, she was very upset & concerned with the rapid heartbeat, we were too. We still have not seen the surgeon, nor has Mom. God Forbid they take a moment, five minutes to speak with the person they just opened up. After all this all has come as a shock to Mom I’m certain had he taken a moment of his time to speak with her, she would be calm. Counts blessings! I appreciate his fine work, I appreciate that Mom has come through surgery without any major complications; I appreciate her second lease at life. Thank You God!