Our hospital system

[Mom]

Recently we have read about the appalling treatment that FROSTY received from the hospital system after his off at Taupo. I would like to add my story to the mix to give a bit of balance to the equation.

My son has not been feeling 100% for a couple of weeks and rang me Wednesday night for some Mom advice. He has recently left home and is living in the central city (Akld). After a trip to a doctor on Thursday and a blood test or 5, he rang me to say that they suspected Diabetes. Results on Friday confirmed the diagnosis and he was told to get himself to the hospital! Seems out of the blue he has developed type 1 diabetes (thats the insulin dependant type).

He was admitted Friday afternoon to the assessment area of Auckland hospital while they waited for a bed to become available for him. The facilities there are state of the art and the staff are amazing. He was seen immediately, the required drips and insulin/glucose pumps set up. He was given all the equipment he needs to test blood sugar and inject himself etc and a heap of information to read. He was transferred to a high dependancy bed within hours and will remain there for a few days until everything settles.

I have nothing but praise for the speed that he was seen and treated, the facillities are wonderful, the staff are great! So rest assured folks, all is not lost, we still do have a first class health service, for medical emergencies at Auckland hospital anyway.

[Highlander]

Good stuff.
Glad he is getting the treatment he needs, and good for you speaking up.

All too often in todays society we hear long and loud about the negatives and the postives are kept hush hush.

[Edbear]

Sorry to hear about his situation, sympathies, even though he will no doubt be able to live a relatively normal life with it under control, it still sucks! Good he has such a supportive and involved family around him too!

Glad you got such a good response from AkH, I've found that hospital to be very good from personal experience too.

Nice to hear positives among the gripes lately!

[xwhatsit]

Diabetes is ghey, but I know a couple of people for whom it causes minimal inconvenience, so the best of luck to him and hope it is as sortable as it is for my friends.

I have nothing but praise for the Auckland hospital system either; twice I have fscked my knee, once in Brisbane and once in Auckland. In Brisbane, I had to go through the private system (medical insurance FTW) as it would be months before I could get an operation for a fractured kneecap.

In Auckland, not only was I seen to and X-rayed promptly and by much more knowledgeable staff, but on-going treatment (and indeed any operation, if I needed it) was available almost immediately.

What happened to Frosty was stink, I don't want to trivialise that; but the emergency areas of hospitals are always overloaded, and that's why triage exists. The beds that Frosty could've had but didn't were probably taken up by people with more life-threatening injuries. The time period it occurred was also unfortunate; over a weekend like that, hospitals always seem to peak with patients. I saw this when I was in hospital for a while a few years back; come the weekend all the drunks and car crashes and assorted injuries seemed to peak, but by Tuesday they'd all gone. Weird. Stuff being a Doctor/Nurse/etc.

[riffer]

Diabetes is ghey

Interesting comment there Mr Xerxes.

Are you speaking from personal experience?
Diabetes doesn't suck any more than being red-headed does. :nono:

Nice to hear your boy got the four star service Mom.

As alluded to before, if he ever wants to discuss the implications of diabetes, or wants some advice on living with a daily insulin regime, PM me and I'll give you my email address and phone number so he can get in contact.

Diabetes in not a death sentence. If anything its made me more aware and appreciative of the life that I do have.

[curious george]

Diabetes doesn't suck any more than being red-headed does.
So they are both ghey as each other then?
Wot if you are a ginger AND have diabetes? Hmmmmmmm:dodge:


Go Auck hosp!!!! Your tax dollars working for you :-)
Sounds like Frosty had a crap time, better to crash closer to home...
He must have been pretty stable though to transport him, and hopefully his recovery will be at home, not at Taupo where it might have been had he stayed there.

[Mom]

Indeed Diabetes is not ghey, nor is it an end to life as we know it. Admit to it being a hell of a shock for me, he on the other hand seems to be taking it in his stride, he is 18 with a hell of a lot of living to do, he intends to get on with it! However this was meant to be more of a big :first: to the staff at Auckland hospital that are looking after him now.

[riffer]

Sounds like Frosty had a crap time, better to crash closer to home...
He must have been pretty stable though to transport him, and hopefully his recovery will be at home, not at Taupo where it might have been had he stayed there.

Actually, he had to find his own way back to Auckland mate.

[Paul in NZ]

Sent you a pm - like Riffer I'm a type 1 as well... Let us know if we can answer any questions...

Let him check this out!

http://www.realitycheck.org.au/

Cheers

[xwhatsit]

No lol I think I used the wrong word there. My apologies.

I mean having diabetes is ghey, as in... a pain in the neck. It is a bit of a pisser that your son got diagnosed with diabetes.

Sorry, must be a different definition of the word I'm using.

[riffer]

Indeed Diabetes is not ghey, nor is it an end to life as we know it. Admit to it being a hell of a shock for me, he on the other hand seems to be taking it in his stride, he is 18 with a hell of a lot of living to do, he intends to get on with it! However this was meant to be more of a big :first: to the staff at Auckland hospital that are looking after him now.

With an attitude like that your boy will do wonderfully Mom.

The offer still stands though. The road ahead is not easy. There will be good days and bad. The first time he gets a bad cold or flu will be a real test for him. If you have diabetes and get sick, you go down hard.

[curious george]

Actually, he had to find his own way back to Auckland mate.
Your kidding? Twas lucky he had some mates down there then...
An ambo would have transported otherwise, but wouldn't have helped out with bike.

No lol I think I used the wrong word there. My apologies.

I mean having diabetes is ghey, as in... a pain in the neck.
You must have been thinking of the red heads...:dodge:

Bummer with Diabetes, still lots here are proof it not the end of the world.
Thanks for the 'Thanks', I can accept on behalf of ADHB staff, unless there are others who work there too, then we can split it.

I gotts say sometimes you get nothing but crap about how bad the hospital system is, it's nice to know it worked for somebody :Punk:

[R6_kid]

I had a friend who passed away at the start of the year indirectly from diabetes.

It appears she slipped into diabetic coma/siesure and drowned whilst taking a a bath. She was 20yrs old, and the most energetic and amazing person i can remember meeting. She never let it get to her, but unfortunately it got the better of her.

Make sure he keeps an eye on it Mom, it's all too easy to get too casual about it.

[riffer]

Fuck. That's rough. Sorry to hear about that.

Actually, I've read a bit about the effects of high temperature water lowering the blood sugar.

I used to have a spa in our old house and I noticed sometimes that if I'd had a spa late at night before going to bed it sometimes brought on a hypo at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Hypos - wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. :(

[Paul in NZ]

Hypos - wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. :(

Thats the truth! Man they can really whack you around...

[MyGSXF]

:shit: Here's hoping your son will be up & outta there asap Mom!! :yes: Sounds like he is in the right place though & has been very well looked after!! :Punk: Good to hear of a positive outcome from our health system.. for a change!! :shutup:

Jen :rockon:

[Paul in NZ]

One other thing....

Right now - the 'system' is in full swing and there will be people offering advice and info all over the place...

Later on, when you are at home you are not going to have that help - In fact - because this is a chronic, total system type condition it complicates everything in your life and I mean EVERTHING!!!

Use this time to learn everything you can because it's going to be up to the two of you to be your own specialists!!! In this case the quality of his future life utterly depends on him knowing whats happening and what to do about it.

USE THIS TIME!!!!

Cheers

[Mom]

Bit of an update for you...my boy has been discharged from hospital ( now that's scarey! for me), but has an appoinment tomorrow morning to the clinic that deals with diabeties so his ongoing education and support is in place and much appreciated by this Mom! Again I would like to say how wonderful our health system is when something like this comes along. Thank you to all of you for you kind words and support.........this Mom really needed it!!!!!!!

[MyGSXF]

Bit of an update for you...my boy has been discharged from hospital ( now that's scarey! for me), but has an appoinment tomorrow morning to the clinic that deals with diabeties so his ongoing education and support is in place and much appreciated by this Mom! Again I would like to say how wonderful our health system is when something like this comes along. Thank you to all of you for you kind words and support.........this Mom really needed it!!!!!!!

Sounds like all is progressing nicely Mom!!! :2thumbsup most excellent!! :clap: hope tomorrow follows the positive trent thus far!!! :yes:

All the best to you all!!!! :hug:

Jen :rockon:

ps: now pour yaself a drink, put ya feet up & relax.. ok!!!! :D

[Mom]

Sounds like all is progressing nicely Mom!!! :2thumbsup most excellent!! :clap: hope tomorrow follows the positive trent thus far!!! :yes:

All the best to you all!!!! :hug:

Jen :rockon:

ps: now pour yaself a drink, put ya feet up & relax.. ok!!!! :D

LOL hey Jen....did I mention he has just left home and lives in a shitty apartment in the central city, with f$&k all facilities...........LOL....yes a wine is in order for sure......he is fine!!!!

[chanceyy]

my mum ended up in hamilton hospital last yr .. well she was telling me on the way home the treatment she recieved .. just as well she did not tell me when I went to pick her up .. or there would have been more than a disturbance


My mother is quite elderly .. is not on any meds (great for someone in their late 70's) but they suspected a blocked bowel that would not clear, after spending several days in a rest home ( to see if they could clear it) she was admitted to hamilton hospital (certain that an operation was on the cards) so I left work started the 5 hour trip to hamihole.

Half way up there my sis in law called to say that they were sending her home for the weekend she had to go back in on sunday for a procedure
as I was well on my way up there I said I would pick her up

arrived they were not sure where they had put her so just wander around til you find her .. she was telling me on the way home that there were no cubicles free so they completed her rectal exam in the hallway without a screen around her, given the number of ppl in the hallways with no privacy when i went to get her ..this i believe

I thought this was especially disgusting & at least a privacy screen could have been put around a bed if patients had to be examed in the hallways

the experience has only made my mother more determined that if she is sick she will not be going to any hospital

[MyGSXF]

LOL hey Jen....did I mention he has just left home and lives in a shitty apartment in the central city, with f$&k all facilities..

:confused: in that case.. :crazy: paniiiiiccc.... :wacko:

:innocent: KIDDING!!! :dodge:



LOL....yes a wine is in order for sure......he is fine!!!!

have several!!! :drinknsin

[Paul in NZ]

LOL hey Jen....did I mention he has just left home and lives in a shitty apartment in the central city, with f$&k all facilities...........LOL....yes a wine is in order for sure......he is fine!!!!

If he needs to ask about guy stuff - you know - old bikes beer and shit get him to contact me or Riffer - we will scare the bugger straight!

Seriously!

Paul N

[ynot slow]

she was telling me on the way home that there were no cubicles free so they completed her rectal exam in the hallway without a screen around her, given the number of ppl in the hallways with no privacy when i went to get her ..this i believe

that is disgusting,no excuse at all,my wife had similar happening in a hospital,she was undergoing a bone marrow biopsy,instead of taking her to surgery they did it in the room she was in also with a couple of ladies in there beds,not most sterile area.
also had a friend who had an op for lump in groin,they never gave him chemo as it was cancerous and after about 3 yrs underwent an operation,surgeon opened him up and couldn't help him,he went through radiation but died about 3 months later and was 29.