This will be short and not so sweet.
My grandmother ended up in the hospital today -- nothing serious, I hope, but she was having blurred vision and a racing heart rate. She had to get everything checked out.
Everyone was lovely, with the exception of one RN, who grabbed my grandmother's arms when she tried to get the hospital gown on, pressed down on her sensitive IV, pushed and pulled her to change her position, rather than lifting her smoothly, and when my grandma said it hurt, she replied, "It's ok," soothingly, before plodding on. My grandmother replied, "No, it's not ok." And the nurse kept plodding on.
So I didn't ask, this time. I just told her. "You need to be more gentle. She told you you're hurting her. There's no reason for that. Please take your time." She continued working, more calmly, and then avoided her room for the rest of the evening. Good riddance.
Sigh. Avoiding gratuitous pain is something one should never have to ask for. This was a total no-brainer. It wasn't in any way conflicting or hard to express that need. But I need to include it on this list, because in healthcare settings, I think it can be tempting to defer to the experts, try to not complain, and be a "good" patient. And, it makes me think about what the experience might have been like for someone old and frail, with a foreign accent, asking for help or mercy without the advocacy of a loudmouthed family member.I'm glad my grandmother spoke up, and that I'm learning from her. I'm glad I was there.
Gained: Comfort and respect from hospital staff for my grandmother.
