My Aunt went to the hospital last night.....

Rachel, it's been a while since you're last update; how is everything??

I'm just getting to this thread now, but I'm in total shock. I've never heard of anything like that - I don't understand how they could send her home??! I have no experiences to compare to or any advice, but I just wanted to lend my support. I hope everything is ok.

I hope that your aunt will be okay and that the cause will be found and fixed immediately. Try to stay strong.

Hi girls,

Thank you for all the kind wishes and thoughts. Today has been one of the most emotionally and physically draining days. I feel like crap and I def. look like crap.

After my aunt called me, I basically walked across our company to her office (yep, I work in the same building with 3 of my 6 aunts.) We all pow wowed in an office trying to figure out our next move. We all left work shortly after and went to the same hospital she was discharged from last night. After waiting for a few hours, they discharged my aunt again. We were all so shocked because we thought for certain they would keep her since she got worse. They didn't. They told us that she needed to see a neurologist. They didn't know what was wrong and didn't provide us with anything other than go home and make an appt with a neurologist. This was obviously unacceptable to us.

We (7 women and a husband) sat in the hospital waiting room with my still convulsing aunt trying to figure out our next move. We all had phones out calling various health care professionals begging for help. Meanwhile, my aunt continued to have convulsions every two minutes. Some were more powerful than others. Some made her convulse so bad she would fall out of the wheelchair even though we would try to keep her in it. Several times we called for help but no doctor or nurse would come to our aide. We were in the FUCKING ER WAITING ROOM! No one would help because they discharged her.

My aunt was so hungry so I got her a sandwich and she would eat between the convulsions. We finally decided we were going to drive her to the next hospital 30 mins away. We wheeled her out to the front of the hospital and as we were waiting for my uncle to get the car, she began to convulse horrifically. I can not describe how horrible it was. She looked possessed. Strangers began to shout for help and not one single person came outside to help us- no nurses and no doctors. We felt we couldn't take her to the next hospital in the condition that she was in, fearful that something worse would happen and we wouldn't be able to revive her.

We went back in the ER and this man that had watched my aunt convulse in the ER waiting room began yelling at a nurse that it was ridiculous they were not helping her. Finally, they took her back into the room and took my uncle to fill out paperwork. They left her convulsing all alone in her room for 45 mins. She was so terrified and no one checked on her. We were all in the waiting room thinking she was getting medical care when she was actually all alone.

They brought her back out and had given her another muscle relaxer and told us again they couldn't do anything for her. Frustrated, we decided to take her to the next hospital. Along the way she continued to come in and out of consciousness. She would then thrash about, hitting her head on the window.

Once at the bigger hospital, their care was completely different. They immediately rushed her back and had a doctor look at her. They kept her under observation for about 3 hours and the doctor said she has pseudo seizures. He said she is suffering from stress and this is her body's way of telling her to deal with it. He prescribed her anti-anxiety medicine and talked to us all about how she needs to change her lifestyle, etc. He reassured us that her convulsions were not harmful to her body. It was just scary to watch. He gave her some other pills that would basically make her sleep most of the next few days. He said she is continue to stress her body more and more so she needed to take a few days to relax and sleep. She will continue to do the convulsions, but he said we should watch her and make sure she will not endanger herself in the process. He encouraged her to work on this problem through therapy along with finding some stress relieving methods with her primary care provider.

We all felt like we had been racked over the coals today and I'm still so pissed at the first hospital. I can not even tell you how horrible they were and how they would sit there watching her convulse on the ground and not offer assistance. It was so heartbreaking.

I have cried so much today. I can't even tell you how scary it is to watch a loved one do that. Its terrifying and you don't know what to do. We felt so helpless. We yelled, we cussed, we did everything that we could have possibly done to be an advocate for her, but we felt so defeated by the hospital. Thankfully, the second hospital seemed to care and treated us with so much respect and empathy.

Now we all just pray that they are right and we can find a way to help her find some peace.

I am so upset that the first hospital just stared at your poor aunt that had convulsions. It is extremely shameful.

I am so sorry you are going through this Rachel.

I am glad to hear that you are finally getting answers from the second hospital.

I am so gald that the second hospital was able to do their jobs. If I were you, I would write a formal complaint about the care that was received, or should I say not received. As a nurse, I can honestly say that I would not just sit back and ignore someone that sick. I can't speck for my co-workers (nurses or doctors) but from my experiences working with them, that would never have happened!!!! That makes me sick to think that there are hospitals out there like that. They are there to help sick and injured people, not ignore them!!!!

Once again, I am so glad to hear that you got some answers, and I will still be thinking about your aunt and your family until she is in the clear of this.

What a day you've had. I understand you are frustrated, however your aunt is so lucky have you and your family fighting for her. I feel as though you need to make it public. I can't understand why the hospital would let her go?

that is so crazy that the kept releasing her. I am so happy the second hospital took this seriously!

I really hope that she is able to sleep and relax her body and nerves over the next few days. Please keep us updated.

I really cannot believe how nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers could not help her! That is just craziness!

I am so sorry you and your family had to deal with such a horrible situation. But I'm glad the second hospital did what they were supposed to do and you got some answers.

Keep us updated.

Big hugs

Wow, that is just awful Rachel. I hate that hospital, thank goodness the 2nd one was much better. I hope your aunt makes a full recovery.