Modern Medicine

I recently experienced a series of unfortunate events culminating in a brief hospitalization. Although much of that experience was frustrating and scary, the good news is I’m home and doing well. It is frightening to think what might have happened had I not had the following:

• A daughter that is an RN and who immediately recognized my symptoms as serious
• The mental capacity to update medical personnel about tests that were performed in the ED but were either not documented by the ED staff or read by the hospital staff
• The awareness to refuse tests that had already been performed and should have been, again, documented/read in the electronic medical record (I mean…how many lumbar punctures does one person need?)
• The ability to repeatedly explain I would NOT be “going down for an MRI” because I have a pacemaker…a fact that was noted on a whiteboard 6’ from my bed and on a band attached to my wrist.

As someone who worked in the medical profession for many years and has the utmost respect for medical personnel, I was disheartened by my encounter with modern medicine. Should you find yourself in a similar situation, here’s what I recommend:

• Raise or rent an RN to be with you at all times
• Do not count on the touted efficiency of electronic medical records (EMRs) to accurately reflect up-to-date information
• Don’t be afraid to say “No thank you” repeatedly and confidently
• Just because “the doctor ordered it” does not mean patients shouldn’t request additional information, further discussion, and be presented with other options before a decision is made. Baby boomers are fussy like that.