This story comes from my visit to the hospital in June 18 with a very enlarged submandibular lymph node and very high temperature (39 ish). That's the setting if you want to know about my underlying health issues please read about me in my about me post.
On Friday I went to see my dentist as I had the swollen gland and it was becoming uncomfortable and as I was due to get the wisdom tooth removed the next week I was worried it could be an infection and didn't want to leave it over the weekend. The dentist didn't see any issues inside my mouth but as I have a weak immune system and the enlarged lymph she prescribed me antibiotics.
By Sunday, I went to the ED because the gland was very large and causing discomfort in swallowing but when the Emergency Registrar examined me he determined it was my lymph gland and the tooth which was due to come out in didn't look infected, there was no pain and no redness or inflammation in my mouth. So I was sent home being told the antibiotics I was on would kill whatever was there and since I was seeing Oral Maxofacial on Wednesday who would be better placed to review it.
So Wednesday came round and the gland was reduced but as my pre-op plan had not been coordinated I was not getting my tooth removed but they examined my mouth and it was ok. As I left the hospital I started to spike a temperature so I had some ice cream putting it down to the heat in the hospital. However, I had a night sweat so on Thursday I went to the ED because this was a more involved fever, I was taken into my local hospitals Combined Assessment Unit (CAU)
So now we have the background out of the way, what happened next is the strangest contrast I have had inside a few hours of each other.
Let's start with the good doctor, I was reviewed by an OM registrar: What did she do that was good?
She came in she asked me what was wrong, She listened to me as I told her and why I came in, she did a thorough examination of my mouth telling me what she was looking for and why and finally when she decided there was nothing OM related issues and that she would tell the doctor looking after me but they would be happy to come back if something developed. The Key is she treated me like a human.
The bad doctor came in like two hours later maybe an Infectious Diseases registrar, what was the Bad? She came into the room giddy, in my head, she had decided on her diagnosis before even meeting me, when she wants to examine my genitals (can be affected by mumps) didn't close the blinds on the room and when asked only closed half of them I had to ask twice, when I was telling her what had gone on I told her that the ED doc had eliminated mumps because of the gland that was swollen she didn't seem to care, I was taken to the ID ward and placed behind barrier for five days a mumps test was done and I was discharged before the results got back. Heres the biggest problem when the test came back it was negative I didn't have mumps but I was forced to stay in a side room by myself with little contact outside of my visiting, getting medication and meals. I had my MMR vaccine as a child but it was not taken notice of. Her bad actions meant I went through what is always an unpleasant experience for me and my family as everyone has to mask, glove and gown up and I have to stay in my room.
I am used to being in a barrier situation as a person who is constantly neutropenic it is often the outcome on me being admitted, however, I object to it when I didn't need it. Mistakes have effects, this affected me mentally and if I had been in a couple days longer I believe i would have need to be treated for depression. I am a person, I am not a puzzle or a unique case for you to write up, would you like to be treated as such in my shoes I very much doubt it. So remember when you make a chose that will restrict a patient so much perhaps ask yourselves am I sure or mostly sure, because if there is strong evidence I can hang in with the best of them, I had 4 weeks isolated with swine flu in my ICU stay you prove to me its for the best and I will grit it but make sure it is the likely outcome before you imprison me please.
So the purpose of this is to highlight the good things that doctors can do, they are not difficult and if you are a good person you probably do it anyway but also to highlight the bad and the effect it can have on the person you are treating. The bad doctor didn't do anything horrendously wrong but the compound of a lot of little mistakes made for a big issue for me. I would also like to note it was the surgeon who had the best bedside manner, the best people skills and was the most humble so the idea that all surgeons are x,y,z is wrong. Patients are people treat them with respect.
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