anonymous user

Review of Albany Medical Center

A month and a half ago.. I went there as my doctor...

A month and a half ago.. I went there as my doctor sent me there, to see a specialist. I ended up in the ER where they asked some of my history, and decided to put me in overflow as my symptoms were an emergency. I was there from 10:00am to 12:00am, and during that time.. the nurses OD d me on 3 different medications - 1 of which I had a severe anaphylactic shock too as I was allergic too, but they gave me anyways (and they just sat there and watched me), didn t administer anything to stop it. Finally a doctor came over to check on me. To which later on that doctor apologized to me because she couldn t believe that they gave me that much. The original reason I was in the ER was unrelated to my prior health issues that made them rush me in for a CT scan. They thought I had an issue with clotting due to my extensive history of traveling, and after I asked if it s possible for a clot to go from the legs to the head and was told not unless there s a hole in my heart (which there is not), they did put a stat order on ruling out a clot in my lungs.. again, not what I was in for. This entire time I had an IV in my right arm, and asked numerous times if they nurse could clamp it as it was backing up and she told me she had trauma patients to attend to and I was lower priority. It wasn t until I went back for CT scan, that BOTH people I saw there were the best people I saw my whole stay. The guy said he felt the IV backing up and that wasn t good, who could feel clotting in my veins and that would cause me problems later on. So he drained my IV twice, and the woman assisted. Afterwards I was returned, and for them to be concerned about me having a clot in my lungs - I didn t get my results for 6 HOURS!! A man came over and told me he was a doctor and I had no clot in the lungs, so I said great since that s not why I was there, but was going to follow up with a specialist for why I was in. I asked to be discharged as I had been there over 12 hours at that point, (mind you he s the doctor who told me there was no chance of me having a clot on my brain). He then told me it wasn t recommended I be discharged and I asked why if they ruled clots out. He then said my D dimer was still elevated and I said well it could be from infection as I know D dimer can tip for a number of reasons. He agreed, but said he didn t feel safe sending me home because I could have clotting on the brain, and I said you just said the chances were less than 0% and he said yes, but it can start on the brain. All while telling me if I discharge against their orders, then the insurance won t pay. I was so upset because I said the money aspect is not important, my health is and he said yes, but we won t get paid. I said I ve been here longer than you and not by choice, I m not getting paid to be here. He then kept urging me to wait around for an MRI or CT scan of the head, and I said I just want to be at home with my child and he told me he d call a social worker and send them to be with my child while I was there. Who even says something like that??? He tries to tell me that if I have bleeding on the brain, I won t be there for my child and to just have this done. I told him I didn t believe that because he was saying it was connected to the real reason I was there except my issue was with my ear, and it had been going on for a month.. so if that was the case, I would have already been dead with bleeding on the brain for a month. At that point I was very upset, and shaking because I was in such disbelief. I ended up discharging myself after 14 hours, found out he was a STUDENT in training, the medicine they OD d me on didn t even wear off until the following afternoon at 3pm time. So for over 24 hours I was drugged up on medicine, & that s not the worst part. Since that visit I ended up with clotting in my right arm, which I was told by another doctor would heal in 2 weeks, it has now been 6 weeks and it is getting worse, not healing, and the rest of my arm and hand are becoming immobile. I am headed to a surgeon next week. I will NEVER return to AMC again!!!