14. March 2019

Trying to have my tonsils removed while trying not to lose my mind over the health care system

careless, diabetes, doctors, health, health care system, hospital, nurse, OCD, tonsilectomy, tonsilitis, tonsils

As you may or may not know, I have had a lot of problems with my tonsils since I’ve been diagnosed with Diabetes Type I. Over the course of one year I have had tonsilitis (angina) more than 10 times and always had to take antibiotics to get better. About six months ago I decided to have my tonsils removed and the day of the operation has finally come… Or so I thought.

Waiting for five hours is so. much. fun.

I am not oblivious, so I didn’t expect to go to the hospital (LKH Universitätsklinikum Graz) and be done in an hour for my pre-op-exams. So, I started reading Kafka’s Metamorphosis while waiting. My boyfriend was there with me, waiting patiently. One hour after my appointment was supposed to be was when I first asked when the doctor would be ready. The secretary told me to wait patiently as he would be there with me in a second. Two hours after my appointment was when I went on my first cigarette break and asked the secretary why it was called an appointment and not a recommendation of seeing a doctor, maybe.

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Five hours later I was done and left the hospital close to a mental breakdown. I started seeing the irony in mental health care professionals not acting professionally. All I wanted to do was never to enter this hospital again. However, things were now set for my final operation. Everything would be fine, I thought.

Things weren’t fine.

Four hours after I was told to be in the hospital for my operation, a nurse finally showed up, went through the procedures and told me they had a couple of emergency OPs and it might still be a while. I didn’t care as long as I would get my tonsils removed.

An hour later, I got called into the doctor’s office.

He had ‘bad and good news’ and asked which ones I’d like to hear first.

I had a feeling and told him I wanted to hear the bad ones first.

‘We can’t operate on you today.”, is what he told me and when I asked him ‘Why?’, he told me that they had too many emergencies.

‘So can’t you operate now?’, I asked. My question was unanswered. ‘So, what are the good news?’

‘The good news is that we can operate tomorrow at 9AM.’

What. the. actual fuck.

‘I specifically asked for a later appointment because it takes me a while to get ready with my OCD.’

So, he offered the 11AM appointment. The only catch: I have to stay in the hospital to keep the appointment. He told me that they might have to give my bed to another emergency if I left. Seems like they much rather book appointments that might not ever happen.

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It was then, I furiously unleashed all my anger.

I know that the doctor can’t do nothing about it (other than being honest and not trying to conceal bad & bad news as bad & good news), but I had to get off of my chest how annoyed and angry I was at the whole situation and the organisation and how I had to stay sober (aka not eat and drink anything) all day just to find out my appointment – again – wasn’t happening.

I did the only thing I could do and got the hell out of there. I have taken the risk of not having a bed. I have, however, also taken the opportunity of spending another night in my own bed, not having to share a bathroom with a couple of strangers. Even if I lose my appointment, I know I did the right thing for me.

My appointment upheld but still, I didn’t get my operation done.

When I went to the hospital in the morning the doctors told me they couldn’t operate because I had a soar throat (figures after not drinking for hours yesterday) indicating a new infection. I went back to my regular doctor who was just as angry about how I was treated in the hospital and didn’t see a hint of an infection. ‘Just to know better than them’ he gave me an appointment at a local lab to have my blood checked to see if the hospital was right or not.

Meanwhile, I am a minute away of taking a knife and trying to remove my tonsils myself. Maybe they fix what I do when I come in as an emergency.