"Get Me Out Alive"

This article in the Washington Post brought back a flood of memories of the frustration, fear, anger, and powerlessnes of being a patient in a hospital. Anyone going into the health care field who hasn't been a patient should read it.

Get Me Out Alive
As a Nurse, She Knew the System. Then She Became a Patient

By Rosalind Feldman
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, May 2, 2006; Page HE01

I used to pride myself on my knowledge of the health care system, gleaned from many years of experience as a nurse. When I needed to make personal health decisions, I reviewed medical research and called friends who worked in nursing and medicine. Then I acted with confidence.

That was before my accident last spring.

My initial aims were simple: to fix my femur and end the stabbing pain I felt whenever I tried to move my leg. Two days into my 10-day hospital stay -- five in acute care, five in rehab -- I revised my goals. I emerged from surgery wanting something more basic: to survive the microbes and risks of deep vein thrombosis, the ineptitude of some staff and the malice of others.

I awoke from surgery, strapped to a wedge between my legs. I vowed not to moan. From years of observation, I know that it is essential to maintain control to avoid upsetting others, especially -- and this may surprise you -- health care workers. But advocating for myself proved difficult.