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Medical dramas are strangely addictive. At least that’s what I experienced sitting in front of the TV at 3 a.m. waiting for Dr. House to announce his third and final diagnosis.
They offer us a sneaky glimpse into the chaotic lives of doctors, depicting mysterious and seemingly unrealistic stories that have us hooked from the very first episode. But are the things that happen in these hospitals far from those in real life?
The answer is: not really. At least it seems that way when you read the insane stories people have shared in this popular Reddit thread. From intestines tumbling out to eyes dangling from their sockets, these patients and workers have probably seen more things in their lifetime than a regular person should ever experience.
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#1
I was a patient.
There was an elderly man in the bed next to me waiting to be transferred to a nursing home.
The nursing staff treated him as though he was a difficult patient when, in reality, he was just too frail to do things for himself .
Anyway, one day, the nurse refused to help him go to the bathroom as she said he was just being lazy.
I could not help as I was bedridden myself at the time.
He took a fall and hit his head on the floor . The male nurse just threw him back onto the bed. His family arrived, and I heard them asking the female nurse who refused to help him. Why their father was so groggy.
The nurse lied, saying nothing had happened, and he was fine.
I called the man's daughter over to my bed and told her the whole story.
Needless to say, the s**t hit the fan.
Ash 1 year ago
Yeah, unfortunately a lot of bullies go into nursing because it gives them authority over people (patients). It's a real problem in the profession.
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Auntriarch 1 year ago
My neighbour's mum was in a nursing home, she rang the bell to ask for help to the loo, the so called carer actually came into her room to tell her she didn't have time for all that, then f****d off.
Zaphod 1 year ago
This was not my experience. Nurses are the best part of the American medical system. (I spent six months in the hospital.)
Papa 1 year ago
I'm sure there are some bad ones out there, but like you I've never run into one.
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Susan Teter 1 year ago
Thank God for people like you that can advocate for those who are helpless. Karma is a wicked pisser!
RELATED:
#2
Had a C-section after 32 hours of labor; I passed out from exhaustion, slept through all but about the last 10 minutes of the surgery, finally woke up to the doctors trying to figure out the name of the big guy with the weird face in "Goonies". I answered "Sloth", they thanked me, and went on delivering my daughter.
Upstaged75 1 year ago
I hope they weren't trying to remember because the baby reminded them of him!
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Haha, when I was in labour before my C-section I was hallucinating that the big yellow steps up to the birthing pool in the room I was in were blocks of cheese and that the little warmer thingie above the changing table was a sandwich toaster. I was effing starving. Then I couldn't eat anything for nearly a whole day because of the C-section. Man, that first meal afterwards (a whole pineapple, as it happens) tasted amazing.
Vanessa Young 1 year ago
I had a C - section and the doctors were discussing a well known political wife, a Catholic, who had 11 C sections. They had some interesting takes on the concept. I laughed so much that my scar is sewn crooked. LOL. The joys of an epidural.
Persephone 1 year ago
I actually love this story, and the doctors may have done it on purpose to get you to wake up a bit. 😉
The PanDA 1 year ago
This is funny to me because when my daughter was born I was wearing a Super Sloth T-shirt!
Bored something 1 year ago
I am really tired. I read that as your daughter was born wearing a super sloth tshirt.
Load More Replies... #3
A rogue, wandering cat behind the counter of the closed-for-the-evening hospital shop.
There’s a set of shelves built into the wall behind the counter that’s full of teddy bears and other soft toys (presumably to be bought when visiting a patient) and the cat was asleep amongst the toys.
Edward Treen 1 year ago
Upvote for the puss, and an upvote for you for upvoting for the floof.
Load More Replies... Tabitha 1 year ago (edited)
The cat would be the only soft toy I would want! I would love them forever. (Yes, I AM a sucker for a stray animal. Always have been. Always will be. Helping those who are smaller and weaker is THE #1 best hill anyone could die on.)
glowworm2 1 year ago
Apparently this one was someone’s pet who had gone out for stroll though.
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Brian Droste 1 year ago
Somebody come in the next morning and sees the cat and ask much for this "plushy".
Michelle C 1 year ago
I bet little guy or gal was looking looking for somewhere to get warm and maybe get food!
It seems that even the medical shows that are largely exaggerated may get many details right, as healthcare workers believe these series are becoming more and more accurate. Some things that most of them get right are the aching work of long shifts and the compassion between healthcare workers and their patients.
Dr. Karen North agrees that they’re somewhat realistic. “But they take character traits, including character flaws, and amplify them because it allows them to write an interesting character drama." And if you’re wondering, no, love triangles amongst hospital workers aren’t as common as they portray them to be.
In addition, many professionals in the field agree that these series are very beneficial for their profession as they increase public interest and inform people about how healthcare works.
#4
I was a patient in A&E and a young guy came in drunk as all f*ckery and he had ripped his sack open trying to jump a bollard. Well when he saw the needle the nurse had to use to numb his frank and beans, old mate was not having it. Cue what was almost like a horror version of a Scooby doo chase scene with flappy sack guy running in and out of rooms sans pants while getting chased by a bunch of security and nurses. They finally caught him and he promptly passed out so they continued his care while he was snoring away. I was just sat in my hospital bed trying not to laugh too hard and pop my stitches while messaging my mum like "you are NOT gonna believe what I just watched" 🤣
Auntriarch 1 year ago (edited)
I apologise contritely to all testicle wearing Pandas, for laughing on and off since breakfast
Poison Ivy/Boo 1 year ago
This made me laugh so hard! 🤣🤣 Sorry young drunk guy....you're now a legend!
#5
I was in the hospital for an infection in the bones of my foot. I take medication for a heart condition and diabetes. Nurse came in one evening to give me my medication. She brings me strange looking pills. I ask her what they are. She tells me two medications I've never heard of. I tell her she might have mixed up my medication with someone else's. She says no, she's sure, take the pills. I refuse. I ask for a the head nurse for the floor or a doctor. Head nurse comes in, I ask her what medication I'm supposed to be receiving. She checks my chart, confirms what I'm supposed to be taking. I ask her to ask the original nurse what medication she has in her hand. The nurses leave the room and a third nurse comes back in with the right pills. Head nurse comes back in and tells me that the original nurse will no longer be responsible for my care.
The next day, the nurse coordinator comes in with a digital audio recorder and notepad to go over all the details of what happened the night before. From what I learned later, this wasn't the first incident with this nurse giving out the wrong medications. She had done it to a couple of other patients and I heard she had been suspended pending an investigation. Don't know what happened because nobody ever contacted me after that.
Shark Lady 1 year ago
I once had a nurse refuse to give me an IV medication because she was too busy and I would just have to wait for the next one. I was supposed to have it every 6 hours, I tried to complain about it but the ward sister said I must be mistaken beverage the nurse had signed my meds chart to say it had been given.
TheNewJenBrady 1 year ago
Yeesh! What a scary and upsetting thing to have to go through 😕
Load More Replies... Upstaged75 1 year ago
The last time I was in the hospital it's a good thing I was lucid. Otherwise I would have been overdosed on meds. They tried to give me my regular 24 medication twice in one day. Then they insisted on me taking something that I KNOW interacts with the IV meds I was getting. So I pretended to take them then spit them out when the nurse left - they wouldn't listen to me about the interaction. It makes me wonder how many people are killed by stupid lazy medical errors each day. And this was in the ICU! I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
S Bow 1 year ago
It's a lot. Tens of thousands of people are killed by medical errors every year 😑
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BookFanatic 1 year ago (edited)
Had something similar when I was undergoing chemo. Nurse came in with a different-colored IV pouch than I usually got. I asked, and she said "Don't worry (not my name), this is your usual" and went to hook me up. Turns out she'd grabbed someone else's drug cocktail without checking the name written on it, or double-checking my name when she came into the room. If I hadn't noticed the color, I would have had no idea there was anything wrong.
Pixie 1 year ago
Wow!! That is scary!! Did you end up getting the correct one? Hope so and I hope you are doing well!
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Al Joy 1 year ago
If this has happened prior, the RN may have a drug addiction and swapped out vitamin for meds for her use.
PFD 1 year ago
Wouldn't she then have named the correct meds though? Even if the pills looked different, she could just say it's a generic from a different pharma but the same medication or something. Why name a completely different medication? It's quite odd.
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Patsy Robins 1 year ago
Rule one of medication administration: If the patient tells you these aren’t their usual meds, triple check! They’re usually more familiar with them than you are. It might just be that the hospital stocks a different brand than their usual pharmacy, so the tablets look different, but check. Bring the packaging to the bedside if necessary so they can check themselves
Patsy Robins 1 year ago (edited)
Always, always, always stick up for yourself if you think something isn’t right. Any competent nurse (and hospital) should be more than happy to escalate it up to the shift coordinator/supervisor, and further up the chain if necessary. Hospitals in Australia now use a Care Call system, where patients, relatives etc can escalate their concerns if they're not being addressed at the ward level. There are posters everywhere with the number, and there is a team from outside the ward that responds, 24/7, to assess the patient. Example: https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Aishwaryas-Care-Call
#6
I'm a nurse. Seen some weird stuff but the one that sticks out is a 80 year old manic depressive woman blocking my way out of her room to twerk at me.
Flora Porter 1 year ago
Was going to comment on this. Seems a regressive and somewhat judgemental term now when used by a medical professional, but maybe that's just my perception.
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Greenmantle 1 year ago
Mine was having a middle aged woman who had transferred from a cruise ship and was delirious with a bladder infection. She literally tried to "jump ship". Off the bed, and trying to swim along the floor
Alicia M 1 year ago
I'm a nurse and the most disgusting thing I've seen was a woman who came in for pelvic pain and discharge. She proceeded to pull out an assortment of things from her vagina, including raw meat, and throw them on the chair next to the exam table. The smell was worse than anything I've ever experienced.
Marnie 1 year ago
The thought of someone twerking "at" someone is weird. Just recently on BP, there was an article about a woman causing a fuss in a grocery store. Someone intervened. And then as the woman walked away being belligerent, she gave a quick twerk at the other person. I don't even know what it's supposed to mean in that context.
To improve the accuracy of these shows, many of them hire medical consultants and advisers. Their responsibility is to collect stories from various sources, such as medical journals or friends (but never their patients). Afterward, they pitch their ideas to the screenplay writers, and if they get picked, they get aired.
#7
Im a nurse. We had one guy with a history of severe, untreated hernias who was admitted because one had grown so large it looked like he had a basketball under his skin and he needed surgery. Well, before we had the chance to get him to the OR he sneezed and the stretched skin of his belly just split open like a water balloon and his intestines tumbled out. It looked like he’d dropped a plate of spaghetti in his lap. We draped some wet gauze over the area and rushed him downstairs pretty sharpish
TheNewJenBrady 1 year ago
Alright I'm out of here...going to find pics of kittens and puppies being friends
BenyA. 1 year ago
"history of severe untreated hernia"??!!! how does one see a bulge on their abdomen several times and just goes "meh" and moves on?
Deborah B 1 year ago
Maybe they're in the US, and don't have good health insurance? Can't afford the surgery, or if they have insurance, but their insurance is crappy, they can't afford the excess.
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#8
I was in the A&E (ER for Americans) when a middle aged guy was wheeled into the space next to me, yelling and shrieking things like "oh god, this is it", "mum, dad, I'm dying, I'm going to see you again", "this is the end" etc punctuated with a long series of loud dramatic wails.
My initial thought was oh s**t, I've seen a few people die but it's never been like this, this is gonna be harsh. I couldn't see him directly as there was a dividing curtain between us but I could see everyone in front of us. Then I noticed the expressions of stupefied disbelief on the faces of the doctors and nurses which confused me even more.
This carried on for about 5-10 minutes then the wailing grew more desperate and he finished off with "I can see the light, I'm going towards the light, I'm going now, goodbye world, ooooooohhhhhh" which tailed off into silence.
After a few seconds of blissful quiet he started again with "oh, I'm back, it's a miracle, I've been sent back, oh glory be" at which point the nursing staff finally snapped.
One marched up to him and said, harshly, "Mr Smith(?), do you understand what's happening?"
He said "oh, oh, yes, I thought I was gone, I've been saved, it's miraculous, I'm reborn, I have a new chance at life!"
"No. What you have, Mr Smith, is a nosebleed."
Tamiko 1 year ago
With Kenneth Williams or Charles Hawtrey as the patient. I can't decide which.
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The Original Bruno 1 year ago
If they patched up his nose bleed and sent him on without any further investigation, they all kinda suck.
#9
Posted this in another thread before: Weekend afternoon, one of the first nice days of spring. Slow day in the ER for the most part, when in comes a distressed younger couple with their infant baby. Mom is hysterical, and dad is barely keeping it together. Dad gets it out that baby is "bleeding from his mouth". I'm skeptical, because the baby looks quite happy, but I do see a slight reddish/pink tinge inside his mouth. I take the child and put him down on the exam table, all bright lights and tongue depressors to get a good look in the baby's mouth. Sure enough, evidence of blood, but again, no baby distress. Oh wait - there's something near the back of her mouth, kind of a darkish red color. A blood clot maybe? Not sure. Have a coworker firmly immobilize the head, and with hemostats, go in and pluck out the object. Amazingly, it comes out in one piece, and looks like a plump, slightly larger sized raisin. I can't figure out what it is, but it's definitely not a clot. In to the specimen bag goes the squishy thing. No distress for the baby, vitals normal, breathing easily, happy demeanor, good color, etc. Time to get more of a history from mom and dad. First day outside with new baby and their dog, enjoying the weather. Baby's on a blanket - giggling as the dog runs around him. Wait a sec, did you say. . . a dog? Lemme take a closer look at the "thing" in the specimen bag. Sure enough, suspicions confirmed. It's a tick. Deflated to be sure, but a tick that recently had a large meal of the red stuff. Baby must of pulled it off the dog, and then done what babies do by putting it in his mouth.
TL/DR - Infant pulled a full tick off of family dog and chewed it.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Goodness, and there was me thinking it was going to be the old beetroot thing
just me 1 year ago
My mom had a story about the kid rushed in bleeding from the mouth. Little older than this kid. No sign of any injuries. When asked what he was doing before his mom brought him in, he said he "was eating the grapes that fell off the dog."
Justin Rogers 1 year ago
Lived in Tennessee for a couple years in my youth and nothing worse than ticks except chiggers. Moved to the beautiful PNW live in the woods and never had a problem until this last fall when cat comes in with a huge tick on his face and then dog ate my turkey and now I have an infestation on my goats. Treated everyone but damn. Normally it's the immune fleas but for some strange reason none this year just frickin ticks
Some organizations also work to correct medical misinformation in the media, like “Hollywood, Health, and Society," a research center that connects shows and movies with scientific experts. They prioritize what’s most important, like information on heart diseases, as the episodes usually have a few minutes of medical scenes and the rest is dedicated to interpersonal drama.
Overall, the purpose of these shows isn’t to teach people how to be doctors—you have to go to school for that—but rather to give people a taste of it and make it as real as possible.
#10
Being told the baby I was pregnant with had no heartbeat from listening with the stethoscope…but because I was admitted through emergency due to heavy bleeding (not the maternity ward) they “couldn’t” get a sonographer to see me for 2 more days to confirm. The nurse then left my husband and I in a room alone for 4 hours without even checking on us despite the fact I was bleeding heavily and begging them for help. Her words were, “this happens all the time, you’ll have another one.”
The machine was literally upstairs and being used for other women who were admitted via maternity 🤦🏻♀️
Anyway - that baby turns 8 now. So wild how we thought for a day there that he’d died. And again during birth but that’s another story.
Needless to say, hospitals aren’t my favourite place.
Kate 1 year ago
I I had a friend who had tried to catch a falling knife, nearly cut her finger off. When the ER nurse found out she didn't have health insurance, she rolled her eyes, loosely wrapped the mangled hand in gauze, and told her to leave. This sounds like a normal ER nurse to me.
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FrogMan 1 year ago
Same thing happened with us. My wife was in the earlier stages of pregnancy and had the “doppler” (basically just a large microphone where they can listen to the baby’s heartbeat). A day or two later, she started bleeding pretty heavily. We went to her doctor and they couldn’t hear the heartbeat. At that point, we had already had 3 miscarriages, so we were resigned to the fact that this was another one. The nurse told us not to lose hope, that we wouldn’t know for sure until an ultrasound confirmed it. Anyway, we got an ultrasound' and there was the baby, swimming around like nothing was wrong. Seven months later, the same nurse who told us not to lose hope was the same nurse who delivered our little girl.
Charity Angel 1 year ago
That's an *excellent* nurse. And it's so wonderful that she got to be there when everything finally turned out okay too.
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Sunny Day 1 year ago
Friend was in labor. Maternity ward was busy that day. She was left in the hallway for most of her labor. She finally got put in a room. She told the nurse "I'm going to throw up". Nurse pats her patronizingly ""no, you're not. A lot of women think they're going to throw up during labor, but they don't.". Friend insists, asks for basin. Nurse disagrees again, but gets a basin from across the room. Brings it back to bedside, but doesn't give it to Friend. Instead the nurse holds the basin while talking to someone at the door. So Friend leans over and throws up all over the nurse.
Kat 1 year ago
Yes ... Same ... Went to the ER bleeding ... They checked my blood pressure , oxygen level and heart rate ... And nothing else ... I phoned my cousin who is a midwife , she told me to leave the er, walk to the other entry of the same hospital and go to the maternity ward that she would notify ... Got immediately looked after properly
Hellcaste's Wife 1 year ago
Yeah, the ER isn't a kind place when you're miscarrying. Been there, done that. "If her body wants to miscarry, then that's what's going to happen. Sorry. Here's your discharge paperwork."
Sue User 1 year ago
Ugh. So sorry that happened to you. Had a similar thing happen twice at two different hospitals.
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Patsy Robins 1 year ago (edited)
At my hospital the ED can’t get rid of pregnant women fast enough 😂 They’re terrified of them, even if they’re there for something non-pregnancy related! We triage calls to the Pregnancy assessment centre, & if we tell them to go to ED instead, it’s because it’s unsafe for them to come to us. Predictably, ED will try & send the woman with chest pain straight to us - like No, we’re not an ED!!!
#11
One night in the ICU, we had a "Code Blue" on a woman. We did absolutely everything, but she didn't make it. Finally, the doctor realized our efforts were futile, and we stopped. She lay in the bed. We were all just sort of starting to pick up, organize our thoughts, and wander out of her room to check on the other patients. Then we heard a sneeze and a loud "Achoo!" She wasn't dead after all!!! Her heart monitor started up again, and we all rushed back in! She survived! At the work Christmas party the next month, we presented the doctor a pepper shaker and told her to add it to the "Code cart" (where we keep emergency supplies) so in the future, in addition to CPR and IV medications, she could just shake a little pepper under the patient's noses to make them sneeze!!
Freya the Wanderer 1 year ago
This is known as the Lazarus effect or Lazarus syndrome. How it got the name I leave as an exercise.
#12
I was sat in a Thai emergency room waiting area a few years back and a guy calmly sat down next to me holding his hand to his face. Lady he was with went up to queue and fill out the paperwork and whatnot. I politely said hi in broken Thai, he said hi back, and we paid no more attention to each other. She got to the front of the line and the triage nurse ran over to him immediately and spoke urgently and rapidly to him. He responded calmly, stood up, moved his hand and... showed her his eye. Which was in his hand. Dangling from the socket on a long thing. He and the lady he was with treating the whole situation like a minor inconvenience.
Michael Danhauer 1 year ago
I went in for an inner ear surgery once and was feeling sorry for myself in waiting room... An old lady walked in next to me with her entire face bruised purplish black... She saw my look of dismay at her condition and said yeah You think you had it bad huh?... At that very moment a lottle girl was wheeled down the hall outside the room and we both saw she had a tumor the size of a softball growing out the side of her head... She clearly was dying and her parents followed behind the gurney with a looks on their faces that confirmed it... That old lady and I looked at each other and started bawling... Neither of our problems seemed so bad anymore
Blue Bunny of Happiness 1 year ago
I remember my Dad telling me that as child he got something nasty in his eye (don’t remember what it was). Apparently, the doctor popped his eye out of the socket, washed it and put it back in. I really hope my Dad was having me on.
KieLeaHar 1 year ago
I think he might’ve been. I don’t think it’s that easy to do.
Load More Replies... #13
My grandfather was in the hospital and went into cardiac arrest. As the temporary nursing staff left his room laughing that they "cracked Mr. (Smiths) ribs and worked him over real good" little did they know my grandfather's niece who was at the time a DA with Harris County heard everything. HIPAA violations, elder abuse and more. She was white hot. All the nurses were fired immediately and the hospital was under investigation for elder abuse and it's accreditation.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
Proper CPR does break ribs, but it should never be joked about. What the nurses did was disgusting.
MaximumKarmaSaint 1 year ago
Even worse: It seems like they tried to crack his ribs, although very likely, CPR does not always break ribs, but these people seemed to take the rib-cracking part as the achievement over the actual CPR part of it.
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 1 year ago
Apparently, although not all attempts at CPR break ribs, the average number if ribs broken is more than 7.
Pharmtechgurl 1 year ago
"they" say if you don't break a few ribs, you're not doing it right
Load More Replies... #14
Hospital in the Netherlands - absolutely clean, lovely staff, but they had a bat problem. There were bats flying through the hallways.
Note: I had just had surgery for a kidney stone, and boy, did that hurt. Eventually they took some pity on me, and gave me some kind of opioid. I went from very unhappy to 'hey look, I found an exercise bike' - and then the bats started appearing. Cute, fluffy black bats occasionally flying through the hallways. And they seemed completely real to me. They did disappear after a while, alas...
Me 1 year ago
While reading this I saw the beginning of "fear and loathing in Las Vegas" in my mind
Helen Bennett 1 year ago
Pedantry note: the current pic shows a fruit bat and you don't get them wild in the Netherlands. Maybe with enough drugs it doesn't matter.
Patsy Robins 1 year ago
They weren’t real Helen 😂 S/he was hallucinating, almost certainly the opioid was ketamine, which can cause hallucinations.
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Panda Kicki 1 year ago
Here in Sweden there was a mental patient that was insisting he saw a squirell at the ward. He was almost put on more meds when staff found out there was indeed a squirell there. For some reason they called the police about it, who also initially didnt believe it. But the squirell eventually got caught and released, everyone happy.
KieLeaHar 1 year ago
I’ve had kidney stones! They are absolute torture when they move! I had them for four years the first time but I managed to only go to hospital three times because I felt like I was being an annoyance. I’m the kind of person who suffers extreme anxiety and I just feel bad and like I’m annoying people I go up there… HOWEVER, A few years after I had my first stones removed, I got really sick and I was always ill. And I mean always. Throwing up, headaches, nauseous, all of it all the time .. doctor did tests and stuff but could never figure out what was wrong. They never bothered to do an ultrasound to check for kidney stones. And that is what destroyed my life. A 6 cm stone blocking my only kidney! Gave me SEPSIS. I am now unfortunately a triple amputee and my existence is a joke to the universe.
The Original Bruno 1 year ago
They should hire the Yankees' hitting coach. Aaron Judge's was the only bat he couldn't ruin.
#15
I went to visit a mental health client who'd unsuccessfully tried to end it by severing the major vein and artery on both sides of the neck. This was nothing compared to the guy next to him. A guy working for some cowboy air-conditioning company was not given proper equipment and has literally cooked off his arms and legs. He was completely helpless. Still in fresh bandages, he had the most beautiful caring wife spoon feeding him. His eyes were glossy as he saw me looking over at him. I gave a chocolate bar to his wife and nodded at him. After this I told my client that I needed a second and I went out in the hallway and cried like a baby.
Red PANda (she/they) 1 year ago
Can we just take a moment to appreciate all the amazing doctors and nurses who work hard every day to ensure we stay safe and healthy? It must be so exhausting physically and mentally
#16
Quite a few things.
First - patient in severe alcohol withdrawal busted out of 4 point locked restraints somehow. Super hulk strength. His 1:1 safety companion came running down the hallway past the nursing station yelling “call security! Call security!” And here comes this guy butt naked, blood flying everywhere because he ripped his IVs out, carrying an IV pole above his head. Security took him down, we sedated him, and basically intubated him on the floor of the unit.
An elderly lady, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, had severely low oxygen levels. We didn’t have ventilators available (COVID) and the doctors were trying to delay intubating her as long as they could, supporting her respiratory system with a noninvasive BiPAP machine. She was so confused from her messed up blood gases. She busted out of restraints, picked up a chair in her room, threw it at the window, shattered it, and tried to jump out the window from the 9th floor. We had to bear hug her and bring her down to the floor. (She was intubated, we had to manually bag her while someone drove to a sister hospital, picked up a ventilator, and brought it for her.)
Patient who was shot in the abdomen was refusing an NG tube for decompression of his stomach. (Tube goes through your nose into your stomach, hooked up to intermittent suction to keep stomach acid and gas from passing into your bowels. Without it, if you have an obstruction or ileus, your abdomen swells in size and things like surgical incisions can rip open.) Well he was completely refusing it and we warning him his incision would rip open. Sure enough, it eventually did. His intestines spilled out onto his lap and he just sat there poking them, completely fascinated he was seeing his own intestines. I had to tell him to stop touching them and he said “why?” And my response was “they live inside of you because they’re not meant to be touched. Stop touching them.” He was rushed to the OR.
Shark Lady 1 year ago
I hate having an NG tube, it's usually not too bad once it's in place but every now and then I can feel it at the back of my throat and it sends me into panic mode.
A. Starhawk Hunt 1 year ago (edited)
I got an intestinal blockage while staying in hospital after seriously shattering and dislocating my ankle, due to being bed bound. They were just kinda ignoring my pain. Asked to go to hospital. The told me my stomach held enough that it was swollen to twice it’s normal size later. Barely missed surgery and am now at greater risk of reoccurrence. Far and away in that little vacation, was just how horrifically painful that NG tube was. Awful, and, I got to experience that twice because of the first one fell out!
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Wingsofwrath 1 year ago (edited)
Reminds me of a thing that happened in october 2023 - I had a tumor in my lower abdomen and I was still at home waiting for the biopsy results, but it started pressing on a nerve in my left leg so I get rushed to hospital by ambulance. While waiting to be processed, another ambulance crew, with cops in tow, wheel in a guy in his 50s, dressed in a white polyester suit like Leisure Suit Larry, perfectly calm and jovial except he had a huge knife sticking from his chest on the right side, just under the ribs. Apparently he was at a dive bar and got into an argument with another guy and they stabbed each other. The other guy was bought in as well, with a stab wound in the abdomen, but he was uncoscious.
Georgia Ireland 1 year ago
I've had an NG tube one. Felt like I had snot down the back of my throat. I was soooo glad when that tube came out!
Stephanie Barr 1 year ago
My son had multiple abdominal surgeries (he has pica) and nearly died of sepsis. He tolerated wound vac, iliostomy, colostomy, chest tube, all kinds of horrible things without complaint. But hated that NG tube and pulled it out at the first opportunity every time. [He's nonverbal austistic].
#17
I spent three months in hospital when I was 18 at in that time on the ward there were definitely some characters. A month or so in, i guess they were out of room in other wards but around 9 oclock at night, a man was brought in by a police officer and clearly off his face. He was assigned a bed, left alone and i guess passed out for a bit. Middle of the night I hear a shuffling around and wake up. The guy is stood at the foot of my bed and when he notices I’m awake starts yelling about how i’m on fire, everyone is going to die and tries grabbing at other patients to ‘save them’. Security were called, police were called he was aggressive, belligerent and even when they got the cuffs on he was giving his best fight to escape or hurt someone. Dunno if it was desperation, fear, reflex or what but one of the nurses just yelled that they were going to call his mother. Instant attitude shift, calmed down, apologised and started crying. He was escorted off the ward and I never saw him again. A Truly bizarre 4 hour stint in a pretty weird stay.
Sue User 1 year ago
Have seen "One Flew over the Cukoos Nest"? That move could have dire consequences.
Load More Replies... Tyranamar 1 year ago
It's possible the nurse knew him if he was a mental health patient. We had some regulars that we knew exactly how to deal with to de-escalate with weird things. One guy I remember we'd always get a turkey sandwich and cranberry juice ready with a female nurse. He didn't trust men or police. Instant de-escalation. And he was a big scary guy. But he had a fixation that his kidneys weren't good so he needed cranberry juice. And he just liked our Turkey sandwiches.
#18
I work on a psych ward i see f****d up s**t every day. yesterday I had to take away my patients wallet because he wanted to order a wedding ring for his future wife kim kardashian. later on he used his poo to write M + K on the wall.
if you are reading this Kim, you won‘t find another guy like him!
Zaphod 1 year ago
The nurses took Uber off of my phone when I spent six months in the hospital in 2022. I was so sick that I was completely out of my mind and I just wanted to go home. I would have died immediately, if I had left. BTW, I wish they took Amazon away, too. When finally went home, I had all kinds of stuff that I don't remember ordering.
Historyharlot93 1 year ago
I take Ambien to help me sleep. Sometimes I wake up and discovered I went on an Amazon shopping spree during the night. So far I’ve never ordered more than $80 worth of stuff at a time.
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#19
A Vietnam Veteran collapsed on the floor of a VA hospital waiting room and having an acute crisis while VA staff pretended they couldn’t see it happening.
It looked like he was having a heart attack and he was screaming for help and the VA employees just rolled their eyes and avoided getting involved. They acted like he was a toddler throwing a tantrum. He was alone, scared, and in pain while experiencing a medical crisis *in a hospital* while the staff acted like he was a burden.
Multiple patients jumped up and helped him while yelling for assistance as soon as it started happening and stayed with him until I think someone called 911 and then the VA medical staff decided to finally assist because “they didn’t want to deal with *that* paperwork” according to one nurse that watched the whole thing.
I don’t know what happened or if he was even in danger but the behavior of the staff clearly showed how little they think of all the veterans looking to them for help and medical treatment. I will never trust a VA hospital or staff after seeing that.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
The entire VA system makes me sad....while improvements are being made all the time, it's just not enough. My husband is a vet, it saddens me to see how veterans are treated in the US. The turnover rate for medical staff is incredibly high, because after 6 months they can put it on their resume and show other medical centers how great they are. My husband gets a new doctor almost every year, sometimes multiple times a year. Currently, he has a nurse practitioner as his provider....we're both wondering how long she'll stay (doctor shortage....his last doctor was based out of Texas, we're in Oregon....only saw my husband via video visits), never met him in person or layed hands on him🙄🙄🙄
Ace 1 year ago (edited)
Wouldn't your concerns better be redirected at the whole medical system that fails so many Americans? If a proper system of universal healthcare was established there would be no need to have special, yet still apparently inadequate, facilities for ex-servicemen and women.
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The Original Bruno 1 year ago
As a little note to European socialists: This is one reason why Americans are terrified of the notion of socialized medicine: The government does run some hospitals, those for veterans. They have been shocking and horrifying people with their abyssmal care standards for decades. Between them and the mind-blowing cost of Medicare and Medicaid (for elderly or disabled people and for qualifying poor people, respectively), Big Government hasn't won any trust. The absolute collapse of our healthcare system* following so-called "Obamacare" and the way the politicians were like, "yeah, we lied to you about being able to keep your doctor it to get you to accept it. You should be thankful" don't help. (*Life expectancy dropped in America for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th time in history after it was implemented.)
madbakes 1 year ago
As an American, I was with you for the first half. The ACA did change things, but it certainly didn't break the system as you imply. No exclusions for pre-existing conditions alone improved the healthcare for many Americans, both at the time through present day. While I haven't verified your stat on life expectancy, I urge you to co sider when opioid abuse became an epidemic.
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Bogdan Chelariu 1 year ago
I really hope OP didn't leave it to that but went on to report everything!!!!
Frank Russell 1 year ago
I've had the VA as my primary healthcare for years and have nothing but praise for them. I've had exactly two doctors in the past 10 years and that's only because the first one retired. I don't know where these stories come from, but I live in Texas where a lot of retired military live. Compared to my backup, which I have through my employer, the VA is excellent.
MissMortis 1 year ago
My dad had the VA take a perfectly healthy gallbladder out, he was in for a biopsy of a totally different organ I..remain baffled.
jennifer brinkman 1 year ago
Worst hospitals ever!!! Insulting to our vets!! They deserve better!
tee-lena 1 year ago
Oh. I do. I'm disabled. In and out of the er. This happens a good bit. I was coming home from my Dr appointment with my mom. We went around the corner because a hospital there had a rose path that we liked. Across the street from the hospital lay a woman. Hospital ID on her wrist, hospital bag beside her. Oh, and a half empty,industrial sized bottle of hand sanitizer. We couldn't wake her so mum crossed the tiny street to the security at the er entrance. They and a nurse refused to do anything. Mum went up a bit to another security guard. Nothing. She went over to the ambulance bay. She's talking to them as I join her again. No one wanted to do anything. Until I pull out my phone and declare I'm calling 911. That lit a fire under their a*s. Suddenly she's got about 5 men putting her on a stretcher. So. Do I believe it? Until I get proof otherwise? Yup. I know how I've been treated by my hospital staff. So, not just a one off
Load More Replies... #20
Doctors office, not hospital
I was the receptionist, and a guy came in with what was clearly whooping cough. He kept telling the people with him it wasn’t, while in the waiting room. He went back as quick as possible. Dr said “we’ll call you an ambulance,” he declined, wanted to walk out. He collapsed right in front of my reception desk. Luckily, Dr had already called the ambulance and they pulled up very shortly after. Dude exposed an entire family practice to pertussis, including infants.
I was an extern, and this was 2017, when I still had a modicum of trust that people weren’t this stupid about infectious disease. If that didn’t cure me of it, 2020 sure did the trick.
ETA: luckily this was right before we closed for lunch, and you bet I sanitized everything in that waiting room.
Debby Keir 1 year ago
This was before chicken pox vaccines were common. My eldest (home from Uni for the holidays) caught severe chickenpox from my youngest. We phoned the doc, and he told us to come in. We waited in the 'airlock' between the front door and the waiting room. This middle aged lady came out from her appointment and yelled that my 'dirty, scabby, drug addict of a daughter shouldn't be allowed in for any treatment'......
Jeremy James 1 year ago
It boggles my mind when I see people in the ER waiting room use the vending machine to get a snack, sit down, and start eating without a care. Dude, you're in Disease Central, touching all kinds of surfaces, and there you are munching on a bag of chips with unwashed fingers.
Jordan 1 year ago (edited)
My son was admitted to the PICU as an infant for pertussis. He was too young to be immunized but the rest of us were and we couldn’t figure out where he got it from. It turns out he has a windpipe disorder and a floppy trachea can sound like pertussis. He had treatment that helped but had a chronic cough for years that often startled people, especially nurses and doctors.
Steve Hall 1 year ago
Since there is a childhood vaccine for that since 1948, I wonder how this man caught pertussis.
Cerridwn d'Wyse 1 year ago
Elderly patient, very confused, got out of his bed into the staircase between the two floors had pulled out his IV it was dripping blood his catheter was disconnected and was Dripping pee and he somehow got up onto the windowsill that was like higher than his head and he was standing there just wouldn't come down I don't remember how we got him down I remember that the resident on call that day was this little tiny doctor she was probably about 4 ft 10 and she's standing in the stairwell look it up at this guy thingy how in the hell did he get up there
Nae who and where 1 year ago
Trust me, once you've heard it, you can recognize the sound of it anywhere.
Load More Replies... #21
I once met Michael Jackson!
Well, not the actual Michael Jackson - a very nice man in psychosis who was convinced he was Michael Jackson.
He wasn't even in the psych unit - he was on a surgical ward after jumping through a large window to escape from Interpol. He had two broken legs and severe lacerations.
Interesting guy.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
Does anyone remember the other famous Michael Jackson of that time? The British tv/radio talk show host.
Bogdan Chelariu 1 year ago
Certainly more interesting than the real Michael in his last 20 years! :))
#22
I was interning at a hospital and basically I aided nurses doing menial tasks like making beds, delivering drinks or snacks to patients, and even bathing patients. One day I was helping transport a patient for surgery and the man seemed fine, chipper even. I didn't ask why he was there so I just did my job. When we made it the area where he was to be prepped I stayed because I was curious to see why he was there. The doctor pulled of his blanket to reveal his leg pretty much soaked in blood with pieces of his flesh loose. He accidentally shotgunned his leg and was taking like a champ. All he said was "It was my own damn fault so I can't be mad." I have no what he was on, but I wish to be that serene if something like that even happens to me.
HTakeover 1 year ago
I've known a few farmers who were like that even without meds. Caught his hand up in the gears of a combine, used his belt as a tourniquet, drove himself to the hospital. To see how he acted, you'd think he's just had an upset stomach or something. When asked about him driving himself while facing shock & ridiculous amounts of pain, he said "Who else was gonna do it?"
KinoEel 1 year ago
There is a famous story of a kid who ripped both arms of and crawled to the door, opened it with the stubs, dialed his mom with a pencil in his mouth and then waited in the bathtub cause he didn’t want to get blood over the new carpets
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#23
I was an employee at the ICU. A man had tried gunning down his wife, who was divorcing him. She managed to flee. So he drank concrete dissolver to commit suicide. That stuff is water-reactive, and all of the medicine we could give him were water-based. So, basically, there was nothing we could do at all, but watch him and monitor the situation. The chemical burns were intense and you could see all the way inside. He didn't live the night. He was comatose, of course. Still, there were police officers keeping guard the whole night, and the guy was in handcuff - not that he was going anywhere.
I've seen worse but that was pretty hard core.
Rostit.. . 1 year ago
concrete dissolver is muriatic acid, or hydrochloric acid. yeah, not good to drink.
A. Starhawk Hunt 1 year ago
Yet, isn’t odd that we secrete hydrochloride acid for digestion? I’ve numerous medical issues and one is that I secrete WAY too much of it I’ve woken up so many times with a mouthful, or just vomiting bright yellow fluid. Indeed, it is acid yellow.
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Anonymous 1 year ago
I feel bad for his ex-wife. She had every right to get a divorce if she wanted to, but now she has to live with her ex-husband's reaction. Not her fault; I hope she doesn't blame herself. And it sucks that the man in crisis didn't get the mental help he needed before drinking the concrete dissolver. Sounds like a painful way to go.
#24
I had an accident where I sliced my leg up real bad. 27 stitches bad. My mom drove me to the hospital. I went into the ER and there was a lady behind the glass on her phone. I told her I'm hurt real bad and need help. She didn't look up and just mumbled something I couldn't understand. I slapped the glass, leaving a bloody handprint. She still didn't look up until she finished doing whatever she was doing. When she finally did look up, she saw the blood and started to panic. I told the doctor that saw me about her behavior, but I have no idea if anything happened about it.
Ilovemesomeme 1 year ago
They don't care. I think simply because it's no one close to them. You must be a lover of people to be in these professions
Load More Replies... Awesome At Being Autistic 1 year ago
It's the ER, they've seen worse. If you are upright and ambulatory, you may have an urgent problem, but not an emergency problem. They have priorities. Last time I was in the ER, some woman was loudly and constantly telling the nurses that she couldn't breathe. All while pacing up and down the ER while on her phone. Lady, you can breathe just fine. You're having a panic attack. I have severe asthma and anxiety, and I know the difference.
CatLady 1 year ago
Usually there's a wait in the A&E in my city. I'd hit my head a week earlier. Hadn't thought much about it, just endured the headache. I had someone's dissertation to edit. Till half my face went numb and I couldn't speak. Friend brought me in. I went up to the triage and pointed to my face and tried to explain what was happening. I didn't even sit down. There was a stretcher out there and I was into the CT room. I had a minor brain bleed. It was 6 months before I had my cognitive facilities fully back. Apparently if I'd have just rested after the injury instead of done that intensive academic work (activating the part of my brain that was bruised), I'd have been fine in a few weeks. Lesson - do NOT ignore a head whack. See a doctor. And I have absolutely no excuse because I live in Canada and I don't have to pay.
just me 1 year ago
I had a similar experience as a kid with a head injury (cracked skull and brain hemorrhage, it turns out.) My mom kept telling her it was a serious injury, I was bleeding from the ear, etc. Lady didn't look up until I walked around the desk to puke in her garbage can. Then she started moving real fast.
Bored something 1 year ago
Not true, at least not in Australia. They still see you in order of importance you are just going in through a different door.
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WFH Forever 1 year ago
Usually you do drop an ambulatory patient at the ER door and then drive some distance to park because only ambulances can park in that area.
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#25
I was in the hospital for a few days with what turned out to be nothing, but one night around 3 am they brought a new patient into my room. As they were getting him in the bed, he started having a full-voice conversation about how he felt fine and being in the hospital was silly. In a very polite, calm but firm voice. He started saying that he didn’t need to be there and was going home, getting progressively louder and angrier. I could tell from the voice he was an elderly gentleman, and it turned out he had dementia. The weird part was sitting there in the dark as a larger and larger group of doctors, nurses and orderlies came to try and get him to calm down. When that didn’t work, another woman who was clearly fairly high up the authority ladder started talking in a slow, loud and clear voice, telling the crowd (not the patient anymore) that they were going to restrain and sedate hIm. She narrated every step, while he was shouting and threatening. Very clearly she was talking to future lawyers and investigators. The whole procedure took more than a half hour, while orderlies held him (which was different from restraining him). It ended with something like “we are injecting him to sedate him,” followed by a very quick fade-out before they took him out of the room. it was very sad and scary to see (well, hear) someone who had clearly been a fairly smart, self-assured and independent person going down that road. Not understanding what was happening and getting insulted and then outraged by what he perceived as his mistreatment and loss of autonomy. It gave me a sense of what hell it must be caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.
Nae who and where 1 year ago (edited)
It is incredibly sad and heartbreaking to watch your loved one slip away. I helped care for my wonderful father-in-law, we were there until the very end. In all honesty we had already grieved for a couple of years the man he was, so when he passed, we were definitely sad....but, it almost felt peaceful and yet wrong. It's like we grieved him before he passed, which we did in all honesty. We showed him the utmost care, love and respect, until the very end. He was a wonderful man, a loving and dedicated father and grandfather and husband. He treated me as his own which I hope I was able to give back in his final years as one of his caretakers...he knew that he knew me, just not who I was or who my husband, his son was.....that day was very difficult.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
That's exactly what you do, grieve for them in advance, because they are dying piece by piece.
Load More Replies... DarkViolet 1 year ago
I hate diseases like this: the ones that latch onto you like Dracula and drain your mobility, personality, and eventually, life.
Wingsofwrath 1 year ago (edited)
I had a similar experience on Christmas, 2023 - I was hospitalised with Covid, on top of the cancer and they bought in another covid patient late at night. He was an elderly gentleman and he was clearly psychotic. Tried getting out of bed multiple times, ripped his IV, kept calling for his wife, who had been along for the ride to the hospital with him but had went home. I still remember how chilling it felt to hear him say, clear as a bell : "she is dead and that's why they're holding me here so I don't find out, but I know". Fast forward to next morning, whole family shows up, including his wife and grown up kids and it turns out he was on psychiatric meds after a brain hemmorage a couple of years previously, but in the rush to get him to hospital they forgot to pack them. And of course, as soon as he gets those meds he's fine and the rest of the stay he's an absolutely lovely person and so are the rest of his family. But that first night was scary.
MakeupMama68 1 year ago
This one breaks my heart My lovely aunt had Alzheimer’s. I hadn’t seen her in a few years since I’m in CA and they live in Buffalo. After my mom died, I went out there to visit and decided to take my aunt and uncle out for a fancy dinner since they are never able to treat themselves due to her medical expenses. The first thing she said to me was “you look familiar… have we met?” Then started talking about how she has been spending a lot of time with Shirley ( my mom who had passed a year prior) and asked me if I knew her. It gutted me. She was a huge part of my life growing up. She was a shell of her former larger than life personality.. she reminded me of Peg Bundy with a dash of Dolly Parton. Everyone adored her. She sadly died of Covid early in the pandemic., but she had been “gone” for years before that. Heartbreaking 💔
#26
I was an ER nurse. Nobody checked the guy going through alcohol withdrawals pockets, he set the bed on fire with a lighter while he was hallucinating. Entire bed went up in flames, sprinklers went off, whole pod of rooms shut down. Oxygen tank in the room the whole time. He was just chillin the whole time, watching it burn.
Charles McChristy 1 year ago
Alcoholic hallucinations are not a joke. You don't know which way is up or down.
Michelle C 1 year ago
I pray no one got hurt and that the patient was able to get the help he needed desperately!
#27
I was an ER nurse so I've seen lots of crazy things but one of my favorites is when I was an EMT based in a part of Chicago known for a higher population of mental health and homelessness issues. Homeless mentally ill gentleman enters ER with complaints of urinary retention and it is determined he needs a foley catheter placed. The patient refuses every nurse except the youngest and most attractive, and proceeds to verbalize to said nurse that she is those things while she places the catheter. After the catheter is in place and urine is draining there is a relatively peaceful 15 minutes after which the patient begins to berate staff for the turkey sandwiches not tasting good enough, the blankets not being warm enough, not being quick enough, etc. He proceeds to verbalize "f**k this place" rips out his foley catheter, stands up, walks to the wall right by the entrance to his room, and proceeds to projectile s**t all over the wall. He then walks out without telling anyone. Minutes later another nurse is squatting by the wall trying to wipe away the damage with tears in her eyes. I have no idea why I went through with becoming a nurse after that.
BK BigFish 1 year ago
Mentally ill homeless should be institutionalized. We need to bring back mental hospitals. It is NOT compassionate to leave them out on the street, and it is MORE expensive for police/emergency care/social workers than to properly medicate and care for them.
🇳🇬 Asi Bassey 🇳🇬 1 year ago
1. Why is a nurse wiping excrement off the wall? Hospitals have dedicated cleaning staff. 2. He ripped out his Foley? He’ll be back in a few months with another bout of urinary retention, this time from a urethral stricture.
#28
A year ago I had to sit across from a dude picking his split open finger for 4 hours. It was open from him picking it and had obviously been open (like 1/4 gone to the bone) a long time and was dry and black, orange and yellow. There was a pile of crusts around him in the floor. Bit of a concern to say the least.
Charity Angel 1 year ago
That sounds like a serious mental health condition, to be self-harming to that extent.
#29
A patient trying to hand out maltesers to staff.. it was her poo rolled into balls
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Ah that takes me back. I was in hospital when I was very little, under 4, and was jealous of the kid in the next bed who appeared to have an unlimited supply of maltesers in her bed. Luckily I asked a nurse why I wasn't given maltesers and she explained
Ilovemesomeme 1 year ago
Imagine popping one of those maltesers in your mouth before you realize what was up
#30
I was working in a hospital and we had a prisoner in the emergency department. We were out of beds, so they had him in a storage closest with two guards. I went in to examine him. He had a port for dialysis with an attached tube. He was probably 6’3, 350lbs. He’s cuffed. As I’m examining him, he bites and tears out his tube and blood just starts spraying **everywhere** all over me and the guards. The guards were in shock and I was in shock and we were all looking at each other expecting each to do something.
Eventually, they restrained him and we sedated him and stopped the bleeding. It was at like 2am and just an unreal experience.
Miss Frankfurter 1 year ago (edited)
This picture is of the entrance to Markham Stouffville Hospital emergency department in Markham Ontario Canada. I know this because I worked there for 18 years. What are the odds? The above story did not happen at my hospital. We would never put any patient in a storage closet.
Rostit.. . 1 year ago
yeah it says "pixabay/pixels (not actual photo)" under the picture.
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#31
I was brought to the ER by ambulance. While I was waiting for a room, another patient was extremely drunk and waiting for a bed nearby. He asked the EMT if he could vape in the hospital and they told him he couldn't. He proceeded to pull out a vape and try anyways. The hospital staff took it away from him. After about 5 minutes, and when he seemed sure that nobody was looking, he pulled out another vape and tried to take a hit. It was quickly confiscated by hospital staff.
Patsy Robins 1 year ago
Fun fact: Yes, vapes DO set off smoke alarms, and we WILL give you the bill from the fire department.
#32
Used to be a frequent patient so have seen some s**t….
A schizophrenic woman in the ward for several weeks screaming her head off about everything including the nurses trying to make her wear a pad etc
Was walking around the ward and saw the moment a woman passed away surrounded by her family there were spilling out of the room and into the ward and was wheeled out shortly after
Most harrowing was in ER a man wheeling in his in and out of consciousness wife that honestly looked like she was passing away and slapping her and everything to try keep her awake. Seeing the horror shock and pure heartbreak on his face is just stuck in my memory
Shark Lady 1 year ago
I was on a ward that had patients with chronic conditions, the woman in the bed next to me screamed Dave all night every night but was quiet as anything during the day. She was given sleeping tablets but they didn't have any effect, so they gave the rest of us sleeping tablets instead. They weren't strong enough for the rest of us to get more than two hours sleep because the woman screamed so loudly! This went on for six nights until they were able to find a nursing home that could take her.
Donald 1 year ago
I had a very similar experience while in recovery from surgery. The old woman in my room would cry all night and call for her husband until one night she decided to clamber into my bed at 3 AM. I only had 2 nights before I went home, I'm sure she has passed by now as this was years ago but I still think about her. It wasn't my first experience with dementia/Alzheimer patients but that was scary, I hope I don't get to that point before I pass.
Load More Replies... #33
My (now late) mother and I were in triage in the hospital, had to wait in the hall to be seen. We were seated next to a man that looked like Bill Fagerbakke (actor that was in the movie the Stand, and is the voice actor for Patrick in the SpongeBob SquarePants series). The man looked about 40, and his elderly parents were there with him.
Everything was fine and dandy, I was twiddling my thumbs looking down, until I hear a nurse speaking with the man:
Nurse: “What did you eat for breakfast today?”
Man: “A gallon of lighter fluid and two bricks.”
Nurse: “ok, and what is your name?”
Man: “Bob Marley M**o.”
Nurse: “ok great I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I realized I was sitting next to someone who likely had Schizophrenia, or some type of delusional disorder. It was insane and fascinating how calm and patient the nurse was with him.
A few minutes after that, a psychotic woman was being strapped to a bed as she was having a mental break. My mom and I genuinely thought we were accidentally in a psych ward. For years after, bob Marley m**o was our little inside joke.
Bogdan Chelariu 1 year ago (edited)
Bob Marley m**o????? This censoring c**p is getting out of hand......
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago (edited)
I’m pretty sure it’s m**o edit: yup it’s m o f o, shorthand/slang for mother-you-know-what.
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#34
I was in the ER for reasons and while in a bed there was another woman next to me who was very obviously there to try and get pain meds like morphine or similar. She would roll around in agony when a nurse or doctor was in the room but as soon as they left she’d be snacking or laughing at the TV or calling someone.
A few hours in she gets a phone call and starts freaking out. Says her daughter was stabbed and she needs to go. I knew she was an addict of some kind but her fear and panic sounded very, very real. She started calling for nurse to come take her IV out because she had to leave ASAP to go to her daughter. She’s crying and ripping out her IV by herself, a whole mess.
The nurse who is discharging her asks her if her daughter would be taken to that hospital, and the woman says her phone is dead so she doesn’t know, she’s just going to go to wherever she last heard from her. I still think about her and wonder if her daughter was okay. Or real, even.
Rostit.. . 1 year ago
nah, someone she knew had scored a bunch of drugs and she was stuck in the hospital.
A. Starhawk Hunt 1 year ago
Maybe. However, illicit drugs are closely associated with violence. Depending on factors we don’t know, the story is somewhat possible.
Load More Replies... #35
UK patient in an A&E waiting room. Fella was sat in the waiting room bleeding from somewhere, not a small amount either, completely oblivious to everyone around him including the nurses trying to admit him. Pretty sure he was on [drugs] as he just sat there gurning and bopping to some music on his headphones. Strange experience to say the least.
#36
I was in the waiting room waiting to be seen (for what turned out to be gall stones - not the most fun I’ve ever had), a group of young dudes come in, one guy’s face and knuckles are all covered in blood and his shirt is all ripped up, obviously been in a fight. The triage nurse asked what happened and the guy’s mate says “he fell down the stairs”. The triage nurse was like “ok, that clearly didn’t happen, I need you to tell me exactly what happened so we can triage and treat you properly”, and the guy insists he fell down the stairs. Meanwhile one of the other mates has picked a fight with security for whatever reason so the whole group arc up and start trying to fight the security guard so another security guard shows up and the whole group, including the dude who “fell down the stairs” all get kicked out. MEANWHILE another nurse is getting screamed at by a lady whose son apparently came to the hospital in an ambulance but there was no record of her son being there. There was some other crazy stuff but I get the feeling that was just a regular Saturday night.
sleepy-kitty1234<3 1 year ago
haha "a regular saturday night" [also am i cruel for laughing at some of these?]
#37
The hospital I go to is where police bring people that are in custody, so it’s not uncommon for a few officers at a time to accompany someone in cuffs who looks like they’ve been through a lot. Once there was a young girl who kicked the f**k out of a nurse in her stomach. The scarier instance was when a very large man broke free (still cuffed) & while sprinting down the hallway, body checking every person in his way into walls and everyone was just shouting that they didn’t know what to do. I was still on a hallway bed and I could feel the air rush when he passed me, it was kinda crazy
Debby Keir 1 year ago
My daughter - a 5 foot something junior doctor, had been looking after this large abusive guy in A+E. After seeing to him, she went to see someone else, walking down a corridor. The guy followed her and continued to be abusive and 'went' for her. She actually tackled him with a judo move and got him on his back as help arrived. Little did she know it had been caught on the CCTV, and the staff passed the clip round for weeks and she was called 'kickass' for the rest of her rotation there.
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What do you think ?
Zaphod 1 year ago
I went to the ER in Nov 2021. I had liver and kidney failure and they gave me less than one week to live. I was so sick that for one month of my six month stay, I lost my mind. I travelled a lot, even though I never left my room. My doctor/surgeon enjoyed hearing about my travels. My favorite story was about the transplant. I thought that he just tossed the new liver in me like a loaf of bread. Afterwards, I went to a factory with an assembly line to hook it up. The surgery was preformed by two foot long sentient red worms with lasers. Somehow, I am still alive!
Della 1 year ago
Was escorted out of ICU, after finding my husband there, very sick, unable to tell me what happened. Had to bumrush the ICU door, and shoved a poor nurse out of my way twice while she tried to protect him. Turns out, his other wife was on all his paperwork...yup. other wife. I divorced his old a*s, of course. And outran security that day too.
Jo Davies 1 year ago
I was thrown from a horse onto an enormous ant hill. Broken collar bone, broken and fractured ribs and a ruptured liver. I honestly thought my time had come. In ER, I heard my gardeners voice. My first thought was this sucked, I don't want to be taken to heaven by Stanley! Turns out the drugs they gave me were str9ng and he was there because he had cur his hand open.
Tempest 1 year ago
Some patients I saw when I was a medical student interning at the hospital in the psychiatry ward left a permanent impression on me. Nothing wild but depressing. One was a young boy (16/17 years) who was in the hospital all by himself for days (minors had to always have a parent/guardian with them) until finally the dad visited him on like the 6th day. The kid had bipolar and was at high risk of suicide so was definitely not to be left without family members. The doctor was mad at the dad for not being around and was scolding him. This prompted the dad to go on a screaming rant about how he has work and is busy and unable to take leave to be by the son’s side. When the doctor informed that he is suicidal, the dad’s response (and I’ll never forget this) was “if he wants to off himself that’s his choice and I can’t do anything about it”. This whole conversation occurred right by the boy’s bed because that’s where the doctor finally found the dad that day.
2WheelTravlr 1 year ago
The saddest thing about this situation is it's possible the dad isn't the jerk he seems, he may have needed to protect his job so the kid would continue to have insurance, and also possible that the son refused to comply with treatment on multiple previous occasions and that the dad had tried to get inpatient treatment for him, but just ended up on long wait lists. Support for mental health problems for patients who are unable or unwilling to comply with doctor's orders are basically non-existent in many countries due to how hard it is to admit someone to a facility without their consent, making it nearly impossible to intervene when someone is experiencing severe symptoms.
Load More Replies...
Chewie Baron 1 year ago
I’ve had a couple of weird happenings. First one, I was in hospital overnight after an operation and was rudely woken up as a confused old man from the bed opposite me had got dressed, and for some reason was hitting me on the head repeatedly with his shoe! The nurse couldn’t come quick enough! The second incident still pops up in my memory of the day quite often. I was in hospital for mo the when my liver decided to stop working for while. I was in a two bed room and the occupant of the other bed changed a lot. One night I was loudly woken when a crash team burst in and went to his bed. After few minutes I was noticed and asked if I wanted to get out. Unfortunately he didn’t make it. But they left his body in the bed when I went back later to go back to sleep. That was freaky, lying there in bed knowing that a dead body was few feet way from me.
Prince Lee 1 year ago
My sister was badly ill, and lil, she took a lil bunny our grandmother gave her, to the hospital, and as she was put in a room, the Drs sat outside her room making fun of her for it, she was 13 but was so sick she wasn't going to make it though the night if she wasn't there and was scared, and they were saying really messed upthings about a girl at 13 shouldn't need a "toy" or "doll" or be scared {all while e she thought she was dieing} This made me angry cause I have one and I still take it with me to the hospital at 38, and if I hear someone say bad about it, then they won't work with me anymore, it's my comfort item, just like it was hers, I can belive them doing it to me a 38-year-old man, but this was {long long time ago } to a lil sick 13-year-old girl! {FYI our mom had them send her to another hospital for it too, she told them "If they think picking on a lil girl' safety item while she is sick is a good idea, then they would not treat her sickness right" and have hertransfured}
Lydsylou (she/her) 1 year ago
My cousin recently died in a car accident and before he died he was given a 2% chance to live. He comes from a religious family and they were obviously all praying for a miracle. The doctor told me cousins younger sister that 'miracles don't happen He's probably going to die' like fair enough you don't have to believe it but don't tell a child that their sibling is going to die and all the hope she has is pointless
Lydsylou (she/her) 1 year ago
My sister was in hospital and there was a 13yr old girl in the bed next to her. Her family were sitting with her and the curtain was closed. My mother overheard the other girls mother say 'You need to pretend your in more pain than that any drugs they try to give you just give to me when they're gone' Obviously my mother was concerned and told the nurse who responded 'I know we get these people in here a lot and you can usually tell who it is. We can't do much about it though because we have to take the child's word if they say they're in pain in case they're telling the truth' a few hours later this girls 16 yr old sister turns up with her 2 yr old child which was also kind of crazy
Jo Davies 1 year ago
I also worked in a hospital for a few years, as PR Officer. This meant I had unlimited access to all departments, as long as they were not private rented rooms. I used to walk into OR and gaze into any one of the ops that were going on. The most traumatic was a c-section, a procedure I had been looking forward to the seeing. The saddest was a man that had been injured at work by a brick falling on his ankle. Over the next 3 years, he became a frequent patient as his leg was amputated higher and higher until the groin. He never lost hope until the day je left this world and was so friendly and was always a friendly chat who never forgot anything you shared with him. The worst was a school bus accident. I was in charge of updating the media which was confusing in itself. I also watched a team call it on a 10 year old boy. Then I had to look after his patent when they arrived until the doctors spoke to him, pretending I didn't know his status.
DarkViolet 1 year ago
No matter how long I live, I will NEVER fully comprehend just what medical staff have to endure, 24/7.
Zaphod 1 year ago
I went to the ER in Nov 2021. I had liver and kidney failure and they gave me less than one week to live. I was so sick that for one month of my six month stay, I lost my mind. I travelled a lot, even though I never left my room. My doctor/surgeon enjoyed hearing about my travels. My favorite story was about the transplant. I thought that he just tossed the new liver in me like a loaf of bread. Afterwards, I went to a factory with an assembly line to hook it up. The surgery was preformed by two foot long sentient red worms with lasers. Somehow, I am still alive!
Della 1 year ago
Was escorted out of ICU, after finding my husband there, very sick, unable to tell me what happened. Had to bumrush the ICU door, and shoved a poor nurse out of my way twice while she tried to protect him. Turns out, his other wife was on all his paperwork...yup. other wife. I divorced his old a*s, of course. And outran security that day too.
Jo Davies 1 year ago
I was thrown from a horse onto an enormous ant hill. Broken collar bone, broken and fractured ribs and a ruptured liver. I honestly thought my time had come. In ER, I heard my gardeners voice. My first thought was this sucked, I don't want to be taken to heaven by Stanley! Turns out the drugs they gave me were str9ng and he was there because he had cur his hand open.
Tempest 1 year ago
Some patients I saw when I was a medical student interning at the hospital in the psychiatry ward left a permanent impression on me. Nothing wild but depressing. One was a young boy (16/17 years) who was in the hospital all by himself for days (minors had to always have a parent/guardian with them) until finally the dad visited him on like the 6th day. The kid had bipolar and was at high risk of suicide so was definitely not to be left without family members. The doctor was mad at the dad for not being around and was scolding him. This prompted the dad to go on a screaming rant about how he has work and is busy and unable to take leave to be by the son’s side. When the doctor informed that he is suicidal, the dad’s response (and I’ll never forget this) was “if he wants to off himself that’s his choice and I can’t do anything about it”. This whole conversation occurred right by the boy’s bed because that’s where the doctor finally found the dad that day.
2WheelTravlr 1 year ago
The saddest thing about this situation is it's possible the dad isn't the jerk he seems, he may have needed to protect his job so the kid would continue to have insurance, and also possible that the son refused to comply with treatment on multiple previous occasions and that the dad had tried to get inpatient treatment for him, but just ended up on long wait lists. Support for mental health problems for patients who are unable or unwilling to comply with doctor's orders are basically non-existent in many countries due to how hard it is to admit someone to a facility without their consent, making it nearly impossible to intervene when someone is experiencing severe symptoms.
Load More Replies... Chewie Baron 1 year ago
I’ve had a couple of weird happenings. First one, I was in hospital overnight after an operation and was rudely woken up as a confused old man from the bed opposite me had got dressed, and for some reason was hitting me on the head repeatedly with his shoe! The nurse couldn’t come quick enough! The second incident still pops up in my memory of the day quite often. I was in hospital for mo the when my liver decided to stop working for while. I was in a two bed room and the occupant of the other bed changed a lot. One night I was loudly woken when a crash team burst in and went to his bed. After few minutes I was noticed and asked if I wanted to get out. Unfortunately he didn’t make it. But they left his body in the bed when I went back later to go back to sleep. That was freaky, lying there in bed knowing that a dead body was few feet way from me.
Prince Lee 1 year ago
My sister was badly ill, and lil, she took a lil bunny our grandmother gave her, to the hospital, and as she was put in a room, the Drs sat outside her room making fun of her for it, she was 13 but was so sick she wasn't going to make it though the night if she wasn't there and was scared, and they were saying really messed upthings about a girl at 13 shouldn't need a "toy" or "doll" or be scared {all while e she thought she was dieing} This made me angry cause I have one and I still take it with me to the hospital at 38, and if I hear someone say bad about it, then they won't work with me anymore, it's my comfort item, just like it was hers, I can belive them doing it to me a 38-year-old man, but this was {long long time ago } to a lil sick 13-year-old girl! {FYI our mom had them send her to another hospital for it too, she told them "If they think picking on a lil girl' safety item while she is sick is a good idea, then they would not treat her sickness right" and have hertransfured}
Lydsylou (she/her) 1 year ago
My cousin recently died in a car accident and before he died he was given a 2% chance to live. He comes from a religious family and they were obviously all praying for a miracle. The doctor told me cousins younger sister that 'miracles don't happen He's probably going to die' like fair enough you don't have to believe it but don't tell a child that their sibling is going to die and all the hope she has is pointless
Lydsylou (she/her) 1 year ago
My sister was in hospital and there was a 13yr old girl in the bed next to her. Her family were sitting with her and the curtain was closed. My mother overheard the other girls mother say 'You need to pretend your in more pain than that any drugs they try to give you just give to me when they're gone' Obviously my mother was concerned and told the nurse who responded 'I know we get these people in here a lot and you can usually tell who it is. We can't do much about it though because we have to take the child's word if they say they're in pain in case they're telling the truth' a few hours later this girls 16 yr old sister turns up with her 2 yr old child which was also kind of crazy
Jo Davies 1 year ago
I also worked in a hospital for a few years, as PR Officer. This meant I had unlimited access to all departments, as long as they were not private rented rooms. I used to walk into OR and gaze into any one of the ops that were going on. The most traumatic was a c-section, a procedure I had been looking forward to the seeing. The saddest was a man that had been injured at work by a brick falling on his ankle. Over the next 3 years, he became a frequent patient as his leg was amputated higher and higher until the groin. He never lost hope until the day je left this world and was so friendly and was always a friendly chat who never forgot anything you shared with him. The worst was a school bus accident. I was in charge of updating the media which was confusing in itself. I also watched a team call it on a 10 year old boy. Then I had to look after his patent when they arrived until the doctors spoke to him, pretending I didn't know his status.
DarkViolet 1 year ago
No matter how long I live, I will NEVER fully comprehend just what medical staff have to endure, 24/7.
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