Private hospital clients: we pay, so don’t make my mother…
Ten days after
a major ostomy surgery,
Mimi’s mum was in so much pain!
“It’s already four hours.
Can you give her
another injection for pain?”
Mimi’s sister interjected,
“… And remember, we pay,
so don’t make
my mother moves!
Attend to her in bed!”
****
Ms Chen happened to do student
assessments in that hospital.
The nurses complained to her because
they knew this patient had a stoma
which is Ms Chen’s field.
****
Ms Chen found her abdomen
was so distended,
the skin was pulling
on the main suture line.
No wonder she was
in so much pain!
****
Gently coaxing her,
Ms Chen wound up her bed halfway,
“ouch, ouch, ouch..”
and…
” bloop, bloop, bloop!”
Her stoma bag became full
with flatus!
We had to open the bag cover
to release the gas.
Ms Chen continued to wind up
the bed upright.
And more flatus came out
into her stoma bag
which was emptied another two times.
“Ah…I feel so much better now!”
She was relieved
as her abdomen was softer then.
****
Later we got her to sit out of bed.
I heard she didn’t need
the four hourly injection, thereafter.
She understood the importance
of ambulating after that painful episode!
*****
When I was attached to an Australian hospital, an obese woman with similar abdominal surgery was wheeled into the bathroom for a refreshing shower on the third day post operation! A plastic sheet was taped to cover her wounds and stoma. ( Our Asian clients here will need some persuading to get out of bed for a shower in a bathroom!)
Nurses (especially in private hospitals) need to be firm when necessary, in caring for their clients to prevent complications. After an abdominal surgery, even the guts get lazy!
Peristalsis of the guts help to expel gas from the large intestines. Otherwise the abdomen gets bloated. It can be very painful when the skin pulls on an abdominal wound.
*****
Chen Song Ping 