[Wolbachc]

I just need to share with anyone who will listen. Today I went for my spinal tap. Keep in mind that I had one 50 years ago at the age of 6 and remember vividly being in pain and screaming. Of course I was anxious. This facility uses their Lumbar Puncture Team which consisted of 2 residents and a neurologist that I had never met. They knew nothing about me medically. They were there to get the job done. Sort of liked the idea that a team existed as it only makes sense the more you do something, the better you get. I was greeted by a lovely young woman and said she was the doctor.

She was smiley, talkative and upbeat. When I asked her if she was a neurologist she answered yes and said she had being doing this for 2 years. She then sort of corrected herself and said that she was a resident and left bringing back another resident as per her lab coat and an older gentleman who was the neurologist. I don't remember him even introducing himself. No questions about me or my history which is very unusual and very complex.

I was placed sitting facing the wall and the neurologist and one of the residents started to prepare for the procedure. None of which was really explained to me but I am a nurse and that was not the end of the world. I did have concerns due to a remote history of a spinal infection as a child with spinal fusion in addition to numerous herniated discs. A resident designated herself to answer the questions.

I asked the neurologist if it was ok for me to ask questions while he was working and her indicated that it was ok with him. My question involved quinolone toxicity and whether they knew of anyone that specialized in that. The resident of course not knowing anything about me asked me why I was interested and when I said that I was suffering from that immediately went into Encyclopedia mode saying that probably wasn't true and minimizing such a disorder. Unfortunately I took the bait and tried without success to tell her my story which is substantiated by neurologists in 2 different cities. In the middle of the conversation I now tune into what the neurologist is saying behind me to the resident and it becomes crystal clear to me that he is giving step by step instructions to the resident on how to perform the tap.

I emphatically say I need to talk to the neurologist now before you go any further. I ask him if he is teaching the resident how to do this procedure and he answers yes. I then tell him tearfully that I apologize and know that as a health care professional myself who was in the learning phase years ago I totally understand the need but that in this particular situation, because of my lengthy illness, stress level and surgeries over the last 8 months, I do not want the resident to perform the procedure.

His response was "this is a teaching hospital and that is the way it is done here".

I say "I know this is my right as a patient to refuse to have the procedure done by a resident and if he did not want me as his patient to perform the procedure that I would get dressed and leave. I said this crying and looking at the wall.

Dead silence for 30 seconds and finally he says to the resident that he would be performing the tap.

I was never spoken to by anybody for the rest of the procedure and they left after it was over. I cried through the whole thing because it hurt, I have sciatic neuropathy and I am depressed in general and now I cannot believe I am being treated this way. Basically I was a laboratory animal with no rights.

I was allowed to lie down for 5 minutes and was told that I needed to exit the room because they needed it for the next patient. I have difficulty walking and my friend asked for a wheelchair which was denied. I was told by the resident that if I walked in, then I could walk out and now walk across the street to the lab where blood needed to be drawn or the spinal tap would need repeating.

I am still crying as I write this. I think I have post traumatic stress disorder just from this experience alone let alone the trauma I have endured over the last 7 months of going from a fully functioning professional to a totally disabled person who spends most of her day in bed due to pain caused from a anesthetic block given during a surgical repair of a ruptured tendon last December. I just feel hopeless and I need a hug.

[SallyC]

For Wolbachc..

[Starznight]

So sorry you had such a terrible experience, doctors really should know better, and to think its a teaching hospital that is teaching young residents to disregard their patient's feelings like that... And worse still to be denied a wheelchair simply because you walked 'in'. I don't think I could have stood for it... Though you probably did better than what I would have done, which would have been two steps and on the floor, let them pick me up and put me on a cart, my fat butt would have been excellent weight training for them and believe me I would have made my weight as dead and off balanced as possible.

But please don't let this get you too down, not all doctors are the (insert explicative) that you had the displeasure to meet, and while sad that the hospital you went to is breeding such cretins... But you did nothing wrong. I hope the results come back with an answer your hoping for. Feel better soon

[Wolbachc]

Thanks for making me laugh.

[Natalie8]

Sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience. It's always magnified by the incredible stress one feels waiting for a diagnosis. Here is an exercise that might help you feel better: sit down and write a letter to the doctor and /or practice outlining why they treated you so terribly and that you deserve better.

Once I wrote a letter of complaint to a doctor (long story -- she was new to the practice and told me in the hallway with people walking by that I might have tumors on my ovaries and would have to have surgery)--it was a measly little ovarian cyst. Whoops! I cc-ed every doctor in the practice on my complaint!

Sometimes putting it on paper can help discharge the anger, fear, and sadness. And on occasion I have been known to send these letters off! A couple of times I got apologies by phone call from the doctor or head of practice. That won't always happen but it might! It can make you feel better just to vent in writing! And you control the situation -- you never have to mail if you don't want to.

[Debbie D]

I would go further and write the head of the facility about your experience. I would, however, leave out the PTSD and depression, and just stick to the experience and the horrible treatment you got afterwards. if they read that you have difficulty coping, they will for sure tune out the rest of the complaint...

Whether or not they will reply, you will feel empowered in just writing and letting the heads of what shoddy treatment you received...

Now I hope you can shift your perspective about what occurred and be proud of how you stuck up for yourself!! That was awesome, and I don't think I would have the gonads to do what you did!!

[Hockey]

Here it is, you dear soul.

Originally Posted by Wolbachc

I just feel hopeless and I need a hug.

[Frog42]

A lot of doctors don't see us as people but as patients. I'm sure they feel they need to do this in order to stay at a professional distance but it's no fun when they treat us like items. Hang in there.

[NurseNancy]

i too am a nurse and sympathize with the way you were treated.
i'm amazed at how well you were able to advocate for yourself. you were right on and all those present were wrong.

i too suggest you write a higher up at the hospital. like nat said, stick to the facts. i'm so glad you had someone with you. and, be sure to tell your follow up dr how you were treated.

i've had drs turn me off too. it doesn't feel good at all.
please stay in touch with us.

[ginnie]

I am so sorry you were treated that way. You do have a right, just as you stated not to have that done by a resident. The treatment you received should be reported to the hospital or facility that did the LP. You also have a right to human treatment, which I don't believe you received. I hope that the LP will reveal something to help you, make it worth what you went through. I don't like being a lab rat either. I was given an infusion (Ketamine, yes it worked) but I was not told what it was, just an epidural which is different. So I do know about feeling like a lab rat or experiment. How about a gerbil on the medical wheel. These doctors someday will be patients themselves, that is what they forget. Let the tables be tuned and I bet compassion will enter into the picture again. I will keep you in my prayers. ginnie