Let’s Be Honest
As annoyed as you are reading about this stupid inpatient stay, that is how annoyed I am about it. This is the final piece of this stupid experience. I will talk more about where I will go from here, my family, my friends, people that have reached out to me, etc.
On my last day, I was just ready for 1:30 p.m. to come around. They asked me the same old stale questions that anyone can lie their way out of and then was given to a nice woman named Njeri from MinDoula. I actually told her that I had blogged about the company. Personally, I feel that they should have staff from there doing 1:1 consults while you are in the psych ward.
Resolution
When I was leaving, Njeri gave me her information and stated that she would check on me and that I could use the app. I told her she can email my work email because I’m usually on it. Since I have been out of the place, she has called, texted, and emailed me. If you are a big provider or corporation, I swear this is probably one of the best things that they could have done. Shoot, I might even talk to my employer about this.
To have someone that you don’t know just check on you. That’s kind of cool because some people don’t have the support system that I am actually blessed to have.
Grievance Filed
I actually was going to write a formal letter (and I might still do that) but I filled out the little form on their site and I wrote my life away because I like to write. I told them that I recognized that they had merged with MedStar Health in 2012 but that I expected that it would make things better. I talked about how the first time I was there (sad, I know) was around 2008 and things were a lot different. Some things changed for the better, some for the worst, and some not at all.
My first issue (no matter how petty it is, it still is an issue) was the food. Twelve years ago when I was there, we had the same food as all the hospital had. I know this because the food was actually good. My mother was just in that hospital before they transferred her to Georgetown and she loved the food (and she’s picky).
Anyhow, I put it into the perspective that it’s pretty dehumanizing to give us different food than the rest of the hospital and I wanted to know their reasoning on doing so. If I have insurance that pays very well, why exactly can’t I be treated like everyone else in the hospital ? I’ve never thrown my food at anyone or wasted it. So why is our food different? That $10k charge they sent me should have meant my food would be bomb. But nah, cold pancakes and sausage that you had to ask the med techs to warm up for you was what we got. Sandwiches with just turkey, no mayo, no mustard, that’s what we got.
I also complained about the fact that they literally don’t care about the physical health of the people in the behavioral health (BH) ward. I feel that that’s pretty messed up especially if you’re in a whole hospital. How bad can it be to do an x ray on someone that has knee problems (my roommate)? When I was there 12 years ago, I had ruptured the tendons in two of my fingers. It would have been nice if they had taken an x-ray or something to see that. Thanks to them not caring that I couldn’t move my two fingers due to the fact that the tendons were ruptured and you literally only had 3-5 days to reattach them easily, my fingers are still messed up. I could take the tendons from my wrist and reconstruct it but I felt that I needed to keep a reminder. I can do enough and my main goal was to be able to write again which I can so I’m not petty and I chose to let it go because I really wanted to never think of that place again.
A young girl was standing at the nurse’s station and fell and hit her head. That was the ONLY time I saw them take anyone downstairs for their injury likely because it happened and everyone saw it. When my roommate’s knee gave out on her, they asked “Did anyone see it?” Her knee gave out on her a number of times and they just gave her a wheelchair. They could have at least done an x-ray to see what was up. But….no. She had bowel problems and they told her that they needed to see it. So the next time she had them, she pushed the call button for them to come and look to make sure she actually HAD diarrhea (you could smell it but okay) and they didn’t even come.
My grievance about the nurses was pretty light because some were very nice and caring. Some acted like they really didn’t want to be there. I mean, then go home. Shoot, the doctor always got to go home. Why is there only ONE psychiatrist? The other doctors and NPs were just there but really weren’t that helpful. found that to be interesting. I also found it to be extremely interesting that I had to stay for 5 days although I signed the 72 hour form. Yes, I complained about that. Because I was ready to fight everyone ( just like the last time) because I knew what I signed. A NICE nurse came and explained it to me and calmed me down but I was about to have to get a shot in the butt.
I also made it VERY clear that the only people that seemed to be going above and beyond in their jobs were the med techs. I mean that. When I posted the job description in my last post about this, I was mad when I saw how much they made. They work 12 hour days and get paid about $35k. And they do more than the flippin doctor and the nurses combined in all honesty. I mean, they could come around and ask those three stale questions if they wanted to. I would rather them ask than the doctor who really didn’t care about your answers; just wanted to know how many more meds to give you.
The hospital has already contacted me regarding my grievance and stated that they have given it to the Director and that I will get two letters in the mail regarding this complaint.
When it was time for us to leave, the med tech’s words were this:
We hope you don’t have to come back here but, if you do, we won’t judge.
Random Med Tech Man That was FIONE but had blue contacts that made him look weird.
The Shot in the Butt
I have NEVER had to get one BUT, when you get a shot in the butt, it starts your inpatient time over. A lot of people have had to get that shot. The lady that asked me what I was looking at (I observed her quite a lot and think she had schizophrenia) got the shot so much, I’m not sure how she was able to sit down. They were looking to get the shot for ME when I was ready to kill the girl that claimed that I had bumped her. Because I was really going to do her harm. I went to the room, punched the hard bed, my hand was bloody but then I was going to start plotting.
I don’t do very well with disrespect which is why I don’t “people”. I don’t really do well with rude and disrespectful people, especially when I’m just minding my business. So I do things when I know no one will be around. The ONLY reason I went down to the group room was because they wanted to talk to my roommate alone. That was it! Then she wanted to pick a fight. I was literally thinking of ways to kill her.
You see, they take all pencils and pens from you after your art class. And you should see the lil flimsy pencil they give you. You couldn’t stab a person in the eye if you tried your best. And when you come in, they have to check you for weapons. I forgot about that part. I don’t blame them. LMAO! However, as I tell EVERYONE “EVERYTHING is a weapon”. I don’t need anything. I can poke your eye out. I can slam your head in a door. I can slam your head against the wall. I don’t NEED a weapon to hurt you. Wherever I am, I am thinking of weapons.
I literally got banned off Facebook for 30 days for saying that I would stab someone in the eye with a toothbrush if they popped out of my shower. Protect yourself at all costs. Also, don’t pick fights.
In the End
Don’t expect those people to help you. Expect them to stabilize you to get that check from your insurance. I should tell my insurance to be petty and ask for a itemized bill. That little mess they sent me was NOT itemized and I want to see. That doctor did nothing but prescribe pills and ask me the same question every 2 days or sent someone else in to ask the same questions. He also didn’t work on the weekend. You’re a whole hospital. To me, there should always be someone on staff THERE. Have two flippin psychiatrists, why just one and some NPs? That doesn’t help.
We didn’t get 1:1 care and no one really cared about what was up. In addition to that, the social workers were barricaded in a room like we were going to attack them. And maybe they have been attacked. I don’t know. I know a counselor was attacked the first time I was there by my lil friend. SMH That was just bad.
But, if you’re going to go to the psych ward, know the rules (I should have packed but I just wore the crap I had on because it had no strings and all that good stuff). Have some flip flops and some elastic pants of some kind. If you come in there with sweatpants or some tennis shoes, you won’t get to wear them. I should have brought underwear, pads, I did bring a book, etc, but yeah, be prepared. I wasn’t prepared and I was in a rush.
They gave me those two stupid choices (ambulance or police car) so I had to get in the ambulance. Anyway, that chapter is over and I got some freedom. Now what?
A lot has happened since I have been back so we will talk about The Aftermath next. Some people might not like what I will say and it’s okay. Some people that won’t like what I have to say don’t even care enough to read my blog so they won’t know anyway but there is a lot that takes place and changes after you have made yourself vulnerable enough for people to know that you went to the psych ward. Does it make you look crazy? Weak? Vulnerable? Less than? Well, we’ll check that out next.
Again, thanks for reading.
Rantings of a Mad Woman 
This is the perfect website for anybody who really wants to find out about this topic. You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject that has been written about for many years. Great stuff, just great!