Starz - I'm so sorry to hear about your surgery as well as the treatment you received. I hope you start to mend soon.

I have to say, after reading these posts, I feel so fortunate that when I had my emergency surgery last December, I received excellent care. Not only did they stick to my medication list/schedule, the surgery put me in a flare and they said I could take my lorazepam every 6 hours to help with the spasms I was having and brought it in with any other meds I was taking just in case. I stuck with my once a day dose and only once did I ask for it at a time other than my regular time. (Side note: lorazepam works well for me. Valium and baclofen are both too strong.) My medications were written on a white board with the times I could take it (i.e. every 4 hours XX mg, last dose at whatever time my last dose was). In addition, they regularly checked to see if I needed more pain meds and were surprised when I would refuse them or asked for something light, like Tylenol 3, which worked fine for me being the light weight that I am. If I needed anything, more often then not it was the nurse who came in not an aide. I was in the hospital for almost the month of December and really was lucky with the care I received. The only times that I really have no clue what went on was the first few days after the surgery. It's my understanding I had one on one nursing because the ICU was full and they put me on one of the surgical floors that didn't have many, if any, patients. The nurse gave me meds via the IV. I have always had good luck at this hospital as they are very conscientious of patient's other medical issues, in my case, MS. They were very aware that between the severe infection and the surgery, I was at a greater risk of an MS flare and checked me regularly for neurological symptoms as well.

I am so sorry to hear that so many of you have had issues with the care you received while in the hospital(s). It saddens me that the health care industry has slacked off with their care. I can't say that it's all the nurses fault because it is not. Aides, techs, doctors, etc. all have a role to play in a patient's care. They all have standards of care to maintain and it's sad when a hospital doesn't ensure that their medical staff is upholding those standards of care.