TGB1
Distinguished member
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2013
- Messages
- 197
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 12/2012
- Country
- US
- State
- PA
- City
- Pittsburgh
Hi All,
Today I had to take my 87 year old mom - bulbar onset - to the hospital's endoscopy unit, she had to change into a gown and be prepped as if she were having a surgical procedure, all for the gastro to come out and change the valve on the end of her tube. That's all I wanted, was to have the valve changed out, and I tried explaining that to his office back in November of 2013, and they gave me such a hard time over the phone about her having to be scheduled for a total peg replacement that I dropped it. 8 mos later- and now the valve is eroding and the main plug is tearing off - so I call again because I know that this valve has to be replaced, and again they tell me that she has to be scheduled to come to the hospital. This time I just go along with it because the valve has to be changed and I know that I will not let them do any unnecessary procedure on my mother. So she gets gowned up and now the anesthesiologist comes over to talk to us, and I explain to him that there will be no need for him, I just want the gastro to look at the damn tube. The nurse comes over, shakes her head and gives me 2 of the replacement valves to take home with me. The gastro finally comes over and shows me how to replace the valve (pull old one out and put new one in), and I ask him why an 87 year old had to go thru this whole charade for a simple thing that took literally less than a minute. He tells me that he cant just keep valves in his office because there are so many different kinds and he doesn't know if its just the valve and he has to see the whole tube and yada yada. I am still in disbelief over this whole thing. Thank God that my mom is still relatively strong and can still get around with her walker, and she (thankfully) was having a good morning, but WHAT A COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES! Has anyone had this happen to them? It is difficult for me to believe that these valves don't need to be replaced relatively often. I am not often at a loss for words, but I was today.
Today I had to take my 87 year old mom - bulbar onset - to the hospital's endoscopy unit, she had to change into a gown and be prepped as if she were having a surgical procedure, all for the gastro to come out and change the valve on the end of her tube. That's all I wanted, was to have the valve changed out, and I tried explaining that to his office back in November of 2013, and they gave me such a hard time over the phone about her having to be scheduled for a total peg replacement that I dropped it. 8 mos later- and now the valve is eroding and the main plug is tearing off - so I call again because I know that this valve has to be replaced, and again they tell me that she has to be scheduled to come to the hospital. This time I just go along with it because the valve has to be changed and I know that I will not let them do any unnecessary procedure on my mother. So she gets gowned up and now the anesthesiologist comes over to talk to us, and I explain to him that there will be no need for him, I just want the gastro to look at the damn tube. The nurse comes over, shakes her head and gives me 2 of the replacement valves to take home with me. The gastro finally comes over and shows me how to replace the valve (pull old one out and put new one in), and I ask him why an 87 year old had to go thru this whole charade for a simple thing that took literally less than a minute. He tells me that he cant just keep valves in his office because there are so many different kinds and he doesn't know if its just the valve and he has to see the whole tube and yada yada. I am still in disbelief over this whole thing. Thank God that my mom is still relatively strong and can still get around with her walker, and she (thankfully) was having a good morning, but WHAT A COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES! Has anyone had this happen to them? It is difficult for me to believe that these valves don't need to be replaced relatively often. I am not often at a loss for words, but I was today.
