Before I share this, I want to make it clear I am not disparaging hospitals or doctors. We are thankful for their services. However, medical care has been industrialized, and that can cause problems like the one we ran into. I am sharing this to help other patients and their family members understand why they need to pay close attention and ask questions.
Clint was with Caleb. I was at home. We were talking together on the phone when Clint became very serious sounding and said "I need to go. I'll call you back." I knew something had him concerned, and he was going to deal with it.
He texted me a couple of minutes later and said they were trying to give Caleb three medications. One was an antibiotic ointment for Caleb's injured toes. We were fine with that.
The other two were of concern. They wanted to give him a blood thinner and a medicine to control his heart rate. He is 18, healthy, and his heart test was as good as it could get. Clint told the nurse he wanted to know why the medicines were prescribed and why they had not informed the patient beforehand. The nurse put in a call to the doctor to learn the details that had not been shared.
The nurse came back and said that the blood thinner was to prevent blood clots because Caleb had been in the bed for two days. Clint stated that Caleb had been in the bed much longer on previous visits, and no one gave him a blood thinner. Clint suggested they have Caleb walk around for a few minutes to accomplish the same thing as the drug. The nurse talked to the doctor again. Clint and Caleb took a walk so they'd be in a stronger position to refuse the drug, if necessary.
We never got answers as to why Caleb was almost given the heart regulating drug.
The nurse returned and said the doctor was fine with Caleb skipping both.
The next day, the doctor visited and explained the hospital has a standard protocol in place for their average patient. Set medications/practices are ordered at set intervals for that average patient. Read that again. The same things are ordered for patients around the same frames. This is not individual care. It's standardized care within an industry.
The doctor explained that the place Caleb is in has a majority of patients who are in their 70s. Caleb is much younger than the average patient and does not fit the standard protocol but was being prescribed it anyway. He said Clint and Caleb had every right to question and refuse because Caleb did not need either. The doctor apologized profusely. He encouraged them to keep a watch on everything and to keep asking questions.
The risks of those medicines at Caleb's age were far higher than any potential benefits.
Again, I am not running down the hospital or his doctor. I've seen so many people die or nearly die in hospitals lately due to mistakes, mix ups, and arrogant doctors not listening to their patients that I want to emphasize to all of our family and friends...be careful in our medical care system. The system wants it to look like highly individualized care, but it is not. People also make mistakes. Be vigilant.
Watch over yourself and your loved ones. Ask questions. Research. Be informed. Make a stand when needed. You have a right to refuse any and all medical care you deem unnecessary. Politely and firmly exercise that right when needed with good judgement and knowledge.
