Dear Ron,
I only have ablout 5 minutes right now, but it seems unanimous...we all
agree that if you want a private room a private room you should have. I'm
the one that usually does all the phone calls regarding docs, hosp, ins co,
financial couselors....I HATE being put on hold for more than a minute or
two-knowing that I am in limbo and probably no one sees that red hold light
flashing at either the initial spot I dialed or where they supposedly
directed me. Then you have to call that same person back, wanting to vent
your spleen, yet knowing if you piss off her/him your call goes back into
limbo. And then you start to think this is the institution I am not only
trusting, but throwing huge fistfuls of cash to?!?
I think Marty has a point in that you have already found the answer-it's
time for a change. BUT we don't want this to prolong the beginning of
treatment for you...
Please keep us posted and rant away. You know we all have similar
experiences with our own big houses.
Love,
Sally
-----Original Message-----
From: HewRon@aol.com <HewRon@aol.com>
To: mol-cancer@lists.meds.com <mol-cancer@lists.meds.com>
Date: Monday, February 09, 1998 10:16 PM
Subject: [MOL] Into the big house, and right out
>Hello All.
>
>Well, you may ask, what the heck am I doing here, when I am supposed to be
in
>hospital? Well, to cut a long story not-so-short:
>
>Hey Carla, here comes a ranting Ron!
>
>I think this may meet with the disapproval of some of you, but since the
>beginning of my treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia I have had, and
>insisted upon, a private room. At times during chemotherapy, you of course
>have to have a private room. Like when your white-cell count drops to
>dangerous levels. But beyond that, I WANT (now you know I never use caps,
so I
>must feel strongly about this) a private room. I am willing to pay whatever
is
>not covered by the insurance. But today, to my surprise, it appears that at
>one of New York City's major hospitals (at least one; maybe this is true of
>increasing numbers since the medical profession became a medical industry),
>the policy is 100 per cent occupancy, which means that no rooms are kept in
>reserve. I still find this hard to believe, but that's what I've been told
by
>people who ought to know.
>
>The day began on a rough note when, as advised by my doctor, I called
>admissions at 10 a.m. and said I was due to be admitted today, but wanted a
>private room, and would like to know if one was available. "That is at
another
>extension," saith the lady at the other end. "I'll transfer your call."
"Could
>I ask you for that number?" I asked. "No," was the abrupt response and the
>call was transferred to another number that did not answer in five minutes.
I
>hung up, and called back, or tried to, the No Lady. After five minutes I
hung
>up. This is a flagship hospital, my friends.
>
>The checking-in time at the great white house with the pointy windows is 1
>p.m., so I met a friend at the admissions room at that hour. We were
greeted
>cordially enough by the sign-in person, but were soon told that no private
>rooms were available. Whatever happened to the old practice -- I am
>remembering other people's experiences, not mine -- when you were called
the
>afternoon before admission to tell you about your room?
>
>Anyhow, I told admissions I did not want to share, and they advised me to
call
>my doctor's office before carrying all my stuff back home, but it doesn't
open
>until 2.30, so we went across the street and I watched my companion eat a
>sandwich (I was in no mood for food) and returned to the admissions office
to
>call my doctor's office. We were told he had already been contacted in the
>hospital and would come to the check-in room to see us. Eventually he
showed
>up, and strongly advised that I accept sharing a room, which I adamantly
>refused to do.That has been the understanding from the word go. I want a
>private room. I am prepared to move to another hospital if necessary. I
made
>that clear to him. He said my situation was urgent (he said so last week)
and
>I said well, let's have a blood test to see how things stand. After all, I
>feel a lot better, less dizzy and all, and perhaps this reflects a better
>blood count. (And perhaps not; we all know how deceptive these things can
be.)
>
>So my friend and I will go to his office late tomorrow afternoon for a
blood
>test to determine how urgent the situation is. The doctor is understandably
>worried about my platelets. I am not blaming him, though I am surprised how
>little say doctors seem to have in the accommodation of their patients. Who
>has the upper hand these days? Administrators? I guess they always did.
>Rambling again. Meantime, God willing, someone may call and tell me that a
>room has opened up. I have said how I admire my doctor, but if willingness
not
>to have a private room is part and parcel of my relationship with him, well
>that may well be my last stay at this particular big house.
>
>Lest I sound snotty, let me defend myself thus. I have acute leukemia. I am
>vulnerable. Like other cancer patients, I will be attached to tubes and
bags.
>These tubes and bags make it difficult and sometimes impossible to close
the
>bathroom door, meaning that you and your roommate must share more than each
>other's phone calls, visitors, doctors' visits and TVs: you must also share
>private bodily functions, even to the extent of possibly timing each
other's
>regularity, and await each other's completion of said bodily functions
before
>you can take care of your own needs.
>
>Add to this the sharing of toilet seats etc., when you are leukemic, and I
>think you have a fairly good rationale for not wanting to share a room. It
is
>not anti-social to want privacy and be willing to pay for it. Or is it? I
am a
>private person, and if, with a little loan from here and there, I can
afford
>to pay for privacy, why should it be denied me? I just cannot understand
this.
>And I know damn well that vast stretches of this hospital are virtually
>uninhabited. Of course it is being renovated. But I predict that after the
>renovations are completed it will be a hospital with everything, absolutely
>everything, except privacy.
>
>There you have a rather serious, aggravated, perhaps unreasonable me. So be
>it. I want to be alone! And I'm willing to pay for it. How can a hospital
with
>any kind of name at all have a policy that says you cannot have a private
room
>even if you are prepared to pay for it? You must share, period. (John will
>have an answer for me, won't you, John? By the way thanks for your note
about
>leukemia treatment just before I left this morning. I will show it to the
>doctor.)
>
>Of course if it is a question of sharing or dying, then I guess my decision
is
>a foregone conclusion. I also think it is a kind of blackmail.
>
>My fortune cookie was no good at all this evening. It told me I had a good
>heart, not a good room!
>
>God bless all you far-more-patient patients than I, fellow travelers. I
shall
>go to bed and pray for wisdom.
>
>Tomorrow is another day. May it be a private one!
>
>Sorry to be a bellyache tonight.
>
>God bless you. I'll keep you informed.
>
>-- Ron
>
>
>
>
>
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