My best friend's nightmare

Nurses Safety

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

:crying2: Last night at 0300 in the morning, my best friend was called to her daughters aide who was in the bathroom. By the tone of her voice..something was seriously wrong! She ran to her side to see blood all over the floor, and a barely conscious 18 year old daughter! White as a sheet and begging her mother not to let her die....

You see, this 18 year old precious baby girl of my best friend got pregant...and was so ashamed and scared that she went to an abortion clinic that was less that reputable under advisement of a friend of hers. The friends dropped her off and came to pick her up later...even then she didn't feel things were going right and felt very weak! The friends told her to never tell her parents what happened "they just won't understand..this is best!"....So of course...the parents...my best friend who would give her own life for her childrens safety...were not told....

She was rushed to the ER to find that she barely had enough blood to live, and in about another 2 hours would be dead for sure. The MD's were shocked that she was still alive! They told my friend what caused this...and my poor friend (who has lost 3 of her most loved residents at our work this week!) could only weep and say "why didn't she just come to me, I believe in choice...even though it may not be my choice and never was...but I would have taken her somewhere safe!". By this time her daughter was unresponsive so the answers were not there...she was so out of it that she couldn't get a hug, a kiss, anything from this daughter she loves...this daughter that means the world to her! This daughter who was dying in front of her eyes!

Lucky, and by only the Grace of a higher power, she did regain consciousness and was doing a little better...but then the second probelm...INSURANCE! They actually told my friend to take her home and bring her back every 6 hours for a blood transfusion!!!! WHAT!?!?!?! How can this happen!!!!! She almost died, and you are sending her home to only be brought back every 6 hours for a transfusion!?!?! Isn't there some sort of aid they can get to have her daughter there??????

So as it stands, my friend is going to have to take her every 6 hours to the ER which is quite a ways from home till further notice!

The nurse and mother in me is so sad and angry! Angry because I know exactly what she feels..the "why didn't you confide in me..I love you!" part...the sorrow over "why didn't I see this comming, I failed as a mother to protect my child!"...and the ultimate suffering...about watching your own child fade in front of your eyes and there is nothing NOTHING you can do!

Please..no matter your stance of right to live/right to choose, be there for these young scared girls...to guide them into getting real medical help...with their own DOCTOR first and foremost who knows them..it can save a life...sometimes more than that....It kind of scares me that nobody stops to think that before you go into a clinic, or woman's crisis facility, or any other place that deals with family planning or what not...no one THINKS to have them visit their own personal MD for answers and advise???

We will be lucky if she will ever have children...it is looking bad..a hysterectomy may be done soon due to too much damage...18 and the ability to have children...lost...over a mistake that was kept secret! Instill this in your own kids too....if it wasn't for those girls that stupidly took her in...this may NOT have happened! They need to be seen by their MD before any choice is made....

Please don't make this into a debate guys, please...I just want us all to think of how to prevent all this before it gets started...before pregancy or what to do just after for these terrified young ladies...your thoughts are appreciated!

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OMG that is so sad....Please keep us informed about how she is doing

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
OMG that is so sad....Please keep us informed about how she is doing

I will..and thank you...:) YOu are very kind :)

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm an ER case manager - we NEVER, EVER turn people away. Please take this up with administration of this hospital. This is a terrible way to treat someone!

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

This is so sad! Hugs to you and prayers for your friend, her daughter and the family.

I look at my soon to be 5 year old little girl playing on the floor here and can only imagine your friends heartbreak. I try to be an open understanding mom, but I have no idea how you can get through in a situation like that. I want my daughter to know I am here for her no matter what. And I really mean NO MATTER WHAT! But I also know there is an age for girls that their friends trump mom and dad as the place to turn. I pray for guidance and hope that we can instill in her the understanding of the unconditional love we have for her.

I certainly don't understand the actions of the hospital, aren't they knowingly releasing someone who is not medically stable? Shame on them if their only motivation is insurance.

Again, my thoughts and prayers to everyone involved in this horrible situation.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

This truly is about access to care and how the uninsured and underinsured are treated...so very sorry for this travesty.

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How terrible. My thoughts and prayers are with Daughter and Mother.

The hsp is inhumane and in violation EMTALA. They cannot legally release her unless she is medically stable, needing blood or testing every six hours is not

Stable!!!

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:crying2: My heart breaks for your friend and her daughter...I am going to have my 15 year old read this post just to reinforce what I have always told her....that she should always feel free to come to me, no matter what..

:angryfire In addition to heartbreak I am overcome with anger at both the butcher who initially did this to her and to the "hospital" that turned her out like that. Both should be reported and the harshest penalties possible given.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing. Prayers will be flowing.

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How horrible.:crying2: I can only imagine how scared that they must be. Please keep us updated. I will keep them in my prayers.

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My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. That is one thing I do not understand as a nurse is the insurance stuff - something does not seem right. Again, I will say a prayer for her and for all those she represents.

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I agree that, as the above story sounds, this is a huge EMTALA violation. Please urge your friend to contact the hospital ombudsman and case managment. Perhaps an attorney as well.

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may prayers are for your friend and her poor daughter. May God see them through this, and I pray they find a new bond between them

:crying2: My heart breaks for your friend and her daughter...I am going to have my 15 year old read this post just to reinforce what I have always told her....that she should always feel free to come to me, no matter what..

:angryfire In addition to heartbreak I am overcome with anger at both the butcher who initially did this to her and to the "hospital" that turned her out like that. Both should be reported and the harshest penalties possible given.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing. Prayers will be flowing.

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