From: clare@nynexst.com (Clare Chu)
Subject: Nutty Birth Experience,  was(Re: Does Anyone draw their own blood?)
Organization: Nynex Science and Technology
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 14:29:56 GMT

In article <209180003@hpcuhc.cup.hp.com> janeth@hpcuhc.cup.hp.com (Janet Helmbolt) writes:
>I cannot believe that you have continued to let this incompetent Millie
>draw your blood.  If a nurse is not capable of doing her job then you,
>as a paying customer (whether you or your insurance company pay) are
>fully entitled to say no to her/his incompetence!!!!!  Absolutely refuse
>to let Millie touch you again and insist the clinic provide someone 
>competent.  You are not responsible for Millie's job and continued employment,
>Millie is and is if she is not doing her job then maybe she should not be
>allowed to continue to do her job.  Don't let yourself be clouded by these
>simpathies when it comes to your health.

  Millie will keep her job, (unlike that other Millie)...  I finally
  figured out that I might be the ONLY patient who lets her draw my
  blood.  She hasn't gotten any better (due to lack of practice).
  And she tells horror stories before she even begins (hoping that
  you'll jump up and run out the door).  She even told me to go out
  to the waiting room and wait until she went on break so that Mary
  Jo could draw my blood.  Unfortunately, Mary Jo told me to wait
  for Millie to come back from break...  :-(
>
>During the birth of my son 21 months ago the LDR staff had a student nurse
>attempting to do something as simple as take my blood pressure and 
>temperature, all while I was in active labor.  After the second time of
>her not being able to get my blood pressure, and after watching her read
>the blood pressure cuff directions for the second time, I threw her out
>and told her not to come back.  I told the head nurse that only a qualified
>nurse was allowed to work on me.  Period.

  That's the thing about teaching hospitals.  Hmmm... I must have been
  fated to have incompetents.  I was delivered (born) in the Univ. of
  Minnesota hospital by, (get this) a MEDICAL STUDENT!  My mom (first
  labor, first child) was having labor pains 2-3 minutes apart and
  the doctor says, "Oh go home, we'll see you later, ta da!" and
  leaves.  Then my mom sits in the waiting room and feels that I'm
  coming out and my dad flags down a medical student who nervously
  takes her into the delivery room, lays her on the table and
  catches me as I come out.
>
>Millie is incompetent and is hurting people.  This should not be allowed to
>continue for one more day.
>
>jrh
>

[Funny story about the nuts at that clinic follows].



From clare Tue Nov 10 08:54:33 1992
To: betsy@auroch.HQ.Ileaf.COM
Subject: Re: Does Anyone draw their own blood?
Content-Length: 5126
X-Lines: 93
Status: RO

>  [Betsy writes] 
>
> You would seem like less of a wimp for speaking up over this obviously
> inadequate technician or nurse. I cannot believe you have been enduring
> this and that you even CARE what the midwife thinks of you! They work
> for YOU, not you for them.
> 
> This sounds like an awful awful practice. I can't imagine why you'd want
> to go through delivery with people who you think will judge your choices.
> If you can possibly change, do so. These people sound nuts! Mary Jo sounds
> like a nasty pill.
> 
> Good luck.
> 

Betsy, Thanks for your note.  Unfortunately this is New York City.
I wish I could be pregnant in California where the midwives are nicer.
I go to an HMO and recently the New York City government has signed
up all the Medicare (welfare) patients with these HMOs so I have
a feeling that the HMOs are upset and don't care.  We're moving in
less than a year (although not soon enough for this baby to be
born).  They do send us to an excellent teaching hospital
(Albert Einstein) to get the baby delivered.  So that's a plus.

However I'm going to request that the glucose test be done at
the Bronx clinic where they have a professional phlebotomist.

Also, my husband is an E.R. doctor and hopefully will be present
at delivery to take over in case anything goes wrong.  I'm also
pretty confident that I can deliver the baby on my own, in case
I have to.  I've read all his books on emergency deliveries.  I
can't wait to go back to California.  My husband is trying to get
a job in Santa Cruz.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  We came
out to NY for his residency and it's almost over.

Well about my pregnancy experiences here, it's pretty funny when
I get to California and tell my friends!  First off, after I take
the test, the doctor (primary care) calls me and says, in a gloomy
funereal voice, "Well... You're definitely pregnant.  So... what
do you want to do about it?"  I was caught by surprise, not because
of the pregnancy, but about her question.  So she says, "Is this
bad news?"  Finally I said, "Dr., can you refer me to prenatal care?"
My husband said to be careful which clinic she referred me to!

Then I get this business-like, fast-New-York-accent female doctor
who just graduated from med school and hasn't had any kids herself.
She is fast, quick and efficient, and doesn't take time to answer
questions.  She says, "Ask your husband."  Then when I asked her about
anesthesia, she said, "We give you a shot of Demoral when you arrive
at the hospital."  Case closed.  

But lucky me, I went into labor while my doctor was on-call and she
says, "Don't worry, we'll see you in the hospital in about 4 hours."
Well my pains were 2-3 minutes apart so my husband drives me to the
hospital where the guard says, "You have to move your car."  So
he couldn't help me up, as I was groaning and clutching my obviously
pregnant belly, I had to walk (stumble in pain) to the admitting
office by myself.  Then after 15 minutes while the clerk comments
"We already sent a Mrs. Chu up there."  I said, well I'm down here.
He said, "No she went up last night."  Finally he found out it was
another patient.  Then as my contractions were coming 1-2 minutes
apart, I had to sign the form and walk upstairs by myself, hanging
onto the walls and banisters.  Several nurses and aides walked by
and acted like I didn't exist.  Finally I half-crawled (walked with
my hands on my knees) into the maternity ward and they took me to
my room and the nurse walks in and cheerfully announced that she
needed an urine sample.  When I told her I couldn't pee, she said,
"Oh well, have a drink of water and I'll come back later."  They
strap me on the table and stripped my clothes and I was bleeding
a lot by then.  But they acted like it was still a lot of time (first
baby, you know...) and strapped the monitor on me.  Meanwhile I
felt like the baby was coming out, and he was impatient, kicking
between the contractions trying to extend his legs and leave.
The resident on duty (a big burly man) comes in and sticks his
big fingers into me during the MIDDLE of a contraction (felt like
a rape) (It was the only time I screamed), and rushes out saying
"Put an IV in her." And then (in a horror movie voice), "I'm going
to pop your bag!"  The nurse with the empty urine cup drops the
cup on the floor and stares dumbly (I have a feeling she doesn't
know the first thing about IVs).  Fortunately she didn't even try
but ran out of the room.  Next thing I knew, two midwives showed
up and introduced themselves to my husband.  They said that they
were the midwives for the other Mrs. Chu (who turns out to be my
husband's coworker), and that they thought it was their patient,
but seeing her walking around, they were asked to cover for my
doctor who noone seems to be able to contact (never mind she was
on beeper call that day).  The rest of the birth experience was
pretty good, due to the midwives jumping up and down and cheering
me on.  For once I felt like a professional football player scoring
a touchdown with the cheering crowd.

So there you have it, a nutty place to give birth.

Take it Easy, Clare