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May I vent?

(33 Posts)
Envious Sat 29-Nov-14 22:32:35

I've finally recovered from a terrible experience in a dutch hospital. I was living with my sister in Maastricht and was being bothered by an occasional discomfort in my mouth i chalked up to sensitivity. It steadily got worse and Id take aspirin which worked and I just kept going..not being one to think much of a little discomfort. I did end up going to two dentist and two different Exrays that showed nothing..eventually being more painful and not being able to open my mouth..jaw locked and painful.barely able to get a tooth brush in my mouth and weak as a kitten I went to a doc. They pricked my finger and said i has a high infection rate and gave me amoxicillin to take telling me I might have a salivary stone.I was so weak I booked a exspensive flight home after three days and no better. Lots of swelling of my jaw.At a Amsterdam hotel by the airport I was emailed by my dentist not to get on a plane with any kind of infection in my mouth.Hotel took me to wonderful Schiphol airport clinic and they sent me by ambulance to the hospital. This respected hospital admitted me after another exray showing nothing and tried to help me. As a nurse I wasn't too concerned but I was never asked my health history or meds I took but one of the first things I was asked was if I wanted to be resuscitated. �� trying to kept this short..I was on IV penicillin..10 days..blood never taken to determine infection..not improving..drains put in gums and one out jaw with out being given anesthesia. Barbaric! Asked please take my blood find out what this infection is!..told it wasn't protocol. Finally had pus poring out of my mouth. Lots of pain,.only given paracetamol. When I asked for something stronger I was told they have trouble with drug abuse. This was a teaching hospital and I was under young docs.one nurse I had..dropped my open IV tubing on the floor..she wiped it off and plugged me back up...she was the student nurses teacher. �� long story short..my son flew over helped me home and after two days on the appropriate antibiotic I was much better. My infection? Penicillin resistant.

soontobe Sun 30-Nov-14 17:51:05

Do you think that you have become immune to penicillin?
Have you had it several times before? [not sure that makes a difference or not].

Envious Sun 30-Nov-14 17:58:16

No, maybe as a child.i do remember a penicillin shot then and the fuss I made before I got it. I just think some infections are resistant.thats what my dentist told me. Thanks for all the concern everyone.i am finally better and gained back all the weight I lost. grin

Nonu Sun 30-Nov-14 18:03:48

That is truly awful Envious, you have my utmost sympathy!
Bye the bye nice to hear from you again, even though it is such a grim story.
I will send you some flowers

numberplease Sun 30-Nov-14 18:17:57

Sorry you`ve had all that to put up with Envious, but nice to see you back here again.

dustyangel Sun 30-Nov-14 18:40:58

What a horrible experience Envious. It must have been a frightening one as well
Like others, I would have thought that Dutch hospitals would all have high standards and be amongst the best in Europe. The Dutch I know here have varying reasons for emigrating but none of them has said anything detrimental about their health service.

It's good to see you posting again (and as always GN is a good place to vent) I'd wondered how you were and had mistakenly thought that you had changed your name again and that another member from the states was you. blush

I hope everything is going well for you now.flowers

Envious Sun 30-Nov-14 19:00:47

I was scared at times..felt I was in the twilight zone...especially after trying to reason with one of the docs to take my blood.i even asked her wouldnt she want to know that her infection was getting better? She said she would know she was getting better and that I was. They are very matter of fact people.

POGS Sun 30-Nov-14 20:05:13

Envious

I am pleased I asked now.

It is good to see you post once again. smile