Degrading Experience

[glowbot]

What is the name of your state? Maryland
Three weeks ago I found out that I was pregnant unfortunately the following week I had a spontaneous miscarrage. By the end of that week I was recovering and healing normally and a doctor's visit confirmed that everything was happening naturally and there was nothing more they could do. Two days later I went to the emergency room of my local hospital with more severe bleeding, dizziness etc. My concerns are about the following:
I was taken over to the ultrasound wing on a gurney in just a sheet and my hospital gown. I was recieved there my an ultrasound tech who did not introduce herself or her job title. She just began to give instructions on how I needed to situate myself for the ultrasound. I explained to her that I had just miscarried and was still bleeding heavily.
After both ultrasounds were complete I told her that I needed to use the restroom which was right next to the exam room. She left the room and I went to the restroom. When I came back she wasn't there and I climbed back onto the gurney and waited. When she returned she looked at me and then to the floor and said " You need to get that" Confused, I said to her " Um, what?" She looked back to the floor and said " You need to clean that up." I looked down to the floor and saw that I had bled on the floor. She said again " You'll need to get that." I was so shocked and so out of it already that I just did what she said. When she left the room again, I got off the gurney and grabbed some paper towels from the counter. And then in nothing but my gown, got down on my hands and knees to clean up the blood. When I was finished I climbed back on to the gurney and waited for someone to come back. The tech came back looked back to the floor where the blood was and then just wheeled me back into the hallway and said someone would be back to get me.
I was so humilated, degraded, ugh. I was too embarassed to even say anything. What kind of hospital has their patients get onto the floor and clean up their own blood?? Even though all my tests came back inconclusive I was terribly anemic and dehydrated. Without knowing what was wrong with me she could have put me in real risk besides the fact that treated me like I was some dirty animal. I thought hospital personnel knew how to dispose of bodily fluid. Couldn't she have called a janitor? I'm so upset it's even hard to write about.
My husband and I called the hospital a few days later and spoke to the Chief Operational Officer who was shocked that it happened and said they would investigate it.
Honestly to me, that just doesn't seem enough.
Should I just write a letter to the state medical board or do I have a personal injury case? How could they treat someone like that?What is the name of your state?

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by glowbot

What is the name of your state? Maryland
Three weeks ago I found out that I was pregnant unfortunately the following week I had a spontaneous miscarrage. By the end of that week I was recovering and healing normally and a doctor's visit confirmed that everything was happening naturally and there was nothing more they could do. Two days later I went to the emergency room of my local hospital with more severe bleeding, dizziness etc. My concerns are about the following:
I was taken over to the ultrasound wing on a gurney in just a sheet and my hospital gown. I was recieved there my an ultrasound tech who did not introduce herself or her job title. She just began to give instructions on how I needed to situate myself for the ultrasound. I explained to her that I had just miscarried and was still bleeding heavily.
After both ultrasounds were complete I told her that I needed to use the restroom which was right next to the exam room. She left the room and I went to the restroom. When I came back she wasn't there and I climbed back onto the gurney and waited. When she returned she looked at me and then to the floor and said " You need to get that" Confused, I said to her " Um, what?" She looked back to the floor and said " You need to clean that up." I looked down to the floor and saw that I had bled on the floor. She said again " You'll need to get that." I was so shocked and so out of it already that I just did what she said. When she left the room again, I got off the gurney and grabbed some paper towels from the counter. And then in nothing but my gown, got down on my hands and knees to clean up the blood. When I was finished I climbed back on to the gurney and waited for someone to come back. The tech came back looked back to the floor where the blood was and then just wheeled me back into the hallway and said someone would be back to get me.
I was so humilated, degraded, ugh. I was too embarassed to even say anything. What kind of hospital has their patients get onto the floor and clean up their own blood?? Even though all my tests came back inconclusive I was terribly anemic and dehydrated. Without knowing what was wrong with me she could have put me in real risk besides the fact that treated me like I was some dirty animal. I thought hospital personnel knew how to dispose of bodily fluid. Couldn't she have called a janitor? I'm so upset it's even hard to write about.
My husband and I called the hospital a few days later and spoke to the Chief Operational Officer who was shocked that it happened and said they would investigate it.
Honestly to me, that just doesn't seem enough.
Should I just write a letter to the state medical board or do I have a personal injury case? How could they treat someone like that?What is the name of your state?

Q: do I have a personal injury case?

A: No because you have no damages.

[stephenk]

why did you wait a few days before reporting it to the hospital? After you had the ultrasound didn't you see a doctor or nurse before leaving the hospital?

[glowbot]

I didn't say anything at first because I was already under duress, besides the fact that I was embarassed and ashamed. And quite frankly I was still very alarmed that there was something wrong with me. In hind sight, yes I should have told that tech to go get a janitor. I should have reported it immeadiately to the attending physician. It is very easy to talk about a situation and how it should have been handled when you're not right in it. It's a shame that this happened to me. I'm sure similiar things are going on at the hospital and at this point I just plan to contact the state medical board and let them look into it.

[ellencee]

Originally Posted by glowbot

I didn't say anything at first because I was already under duress, besides the fact that I was embarassed and ashamed. And quite frankly I was still very alarmed that there was something wrong with me. In hind sight, yes I should have told that tech to go get a janitor. I should have reported it immeadiately to the attending physician. It is very easy to talk about a situation and how it should have been handled when you're not right in it. It's a shame that this happened to me. I'm sure similiar things are going on at the hospital and at this point I just plan to contact the state medical board and let them look into it.

While you're at it, contact the state Dairy board; they'll be just as interested.
EC