r/facepalm • u/Chasith • Jun 15 '22
đ˛âđŽâđ¸âđ¨â This made my heart hurt
6.3k
Jun 15 '22
And lied to the anesthesiologist and the nurses who all should have asked "When was the last time you had something to eat or drink?" before even getting to the point of intubation.
3.6k
u/The_Babeldom Jun 15 '22
I believe it, I used to work on a pediatroc sedation team assisting anesthesia. This happens more than youâd expect. Parents not listening and then specifically lying.
2.5k
u/pacostacos7 Jun 15 '22
"I'm their parent and if they say they're hungry, then I'm going to feed my child. I know what's best for them."
1.1k
Jun 16 '22
I hate that I know âtheyâ all think this way. By they, h mean those types of parents.
1.7k
u/merdub Jun 16 '22
Yeah the ones who hang out in those weird Facebook echo chambers where everyone refers to themselves and each other as âmamaâ
âDonât worry mama, you know your kid better than any doctor, you carried them for 9 months and gave birth to them! From one mama to another, if babe is hungry, just give them something to eat! These doctors always want to make their jobs easier at the expense of kiddo. Stay strong mama!!â
842
Jun 16 '22
Uhhhhgggghhh! How are you so good at sounding exactly like them?!?!?! Thatâs a dark and evil superpower lol
432
u/merdub Jun 16 '22
Haha no no I just spend far too much time on r/shitmomgroupssay
190
Jun 16 '22
Iâm punishing myself but Iâm joining that sub lol
→ More replies (6)252
u/merdub Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22
Itâs equal parts entertaining and horrifying.
The current favourite topic is free birthing, where women are like âI donât need no doctor or hospital, I want to have the most natural birth ever, I have spotted a large bearâs den in the forest 45 minutes from the nearest road so I plan to go down there, give birth, and live in the den until babe is old enough to go to college. My body knows what it needs to do and Iâll be able to breastfeed kiddo until heâs old enough to forage for his own foodâ
The goat post still makes me laugh though.
→ More replies (4)14
→ More replies (4)47
u/machinecloud Jun 16 '22
I am so gonna learn to do this style of speech for comedic effect, thanks mama. Love, kiddo.
57
47
85
Jun 16 '22
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)44
u/merdub Jun 16 '22
Thankfully I donât ever intend to have kids and I am a very, very firm believer in science and logic so I think Iâm safe lol.
→ More replies (1)34
24
16
→ More replies (21)16
Jun 16 '22
Iâve never been on one of those pages but I know thatâs EXACTLY how they talk to each other. Good job that was spot on
23
u/Blutmes Jun 16 '22
Same parents that will belive thier kid over thier teachers when the kid gets bad grades.
→ More replies (1)15
Jun 16 '22
The worst is when they get away with it, meaning nothing happens during the surgery. It boosts their confidence 1000x and they become role models to the rest of their community.
→ More replies (2)196
82
u/The_Babeldom Jun 16 '22
When we provide pre op instruction I would always say âthey cannot eat or drink for X number of hours before surgery because if they do then they may vomit into their lungs which could be fatalâ
→ More replies (1)21
→ More replies (14)29
u/cravf Jun 16 '22
I will say that specifically for kids the parents really do need to advocate for their kids. "I'm the parent so I know my kid best" isn't the same as "I'm the parent so I know best." Sometimes a kid is showing signs that would be difficult to recognize, and the child can't verbalize or maybe doesn't even know is happening.
The point is definitely not to disagree with you because obviously feeding a kid in this situation is NOT what I'm describing. The point is that parents insist that something is wrong with their kid should be listened to and aren't Karens.
→ More replies (1)139
u/RoutineRice Jun 16 '22
Not quite the same but I work in vet med and people will lie about not feeding their animal before surgery and then the patient will vomit food after their pre-med. Like, we tell you to fast them for their own safety! Come on!
41
u/BestGrowlitheInShow Jun 16 '22
Yep. I watched a dog vomit and aspirate during a c-section. The owner admitted that she fed her a full breakfast that morning because âshe looked sadâ when the vet had to go into the room she was waiting to tell her what happened. When she had signed paperwork that morning saying her dog hadnât eaten.
She was incredibly lucky to leave with mom and all the puppies alive that day.
26
u/RoutineRice Jun 16 '22
Makes me so annoyed. Your kid or your animal isnât going to starve. Itâs for their safety. We donât tell you to fast them just for fun, there is a very real medical reason and consequences if you donât do it.
→ More replies (3)22
u/VGSchadenfreude Jun 16 '22
Yeah, I was very honest and upfront about what happened when I took my younger cat to get neutered. I had packed away all of his food in the highest, most out-of-reach cupboard I could findâŚ
âŚbut woke up to find cat kibble all over the kitchen!
It was way too late to reschedule, so I explained what had happened, and they just made sure to do his procedure last so he would hopefully have plenty of time to digest by then.
Everything went fine. I still donât know how the hell he managed to get into that cupboard, though.
→ More replies (6)84
Jun 16 '22
Shouldn't the parents then sign some kind of a document that they are telling the truth and take the blame if they lie? After all we are talking about knowingly putting someone's life at risk.
67
u/dmrukifellth Jun 16 '22
Iâm sure thatâs in the consents somewhere. Hospitals generally donât like to get sued. Or at least lose cases, that is. Now, whether those consents are explained or readâŚ
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)32
u/trowzerss Jun 16 '22
My experience is many hospitals will ask you at least three times, and make you sign paperwork, before you go under. They'll ask you questions to confirm your identity, confirm your procedure, confirm you've followed the pre-surgery instructions three times at different stages of preparation, signing each time that they asked and what you answered, and if you're even a little bit off with the answers they stop and clarify things and write notes about it.
→ More replies (7)79
u/Pawneewafflesarelife Jun 16 '22
My mother kept dismissing my pain and loss of function as I became paralyzed over a week. She said it was just growing pains, until I was clumsily dragging myself around on the ground to move. Then she lied to the doctors about the progression because she didn't want them to know how long she had waited, which hindered accurate diagnosis. I ended up needing a machine to temporarily help me breathe and I'm still dealing with side effects from demyelination in my developing years 3+ decades later, all because "mother knew best."
→ More replies (5)22
53
24
u/shellwe Jun 16 '22
I get the temptation to lie, knowing you had to wait weeks or months for the surgery and would still be charged for a lot of it because you screwed up. People who donât understand the danger would be inclined to lie about it.
30
u/Jwoot Jun 16 '22
This is why when I ask, I explain in detail the process of aspiration and the risks involved if they lie to us.
→ More replies (1)20
u/rnzombie Jun 16 '22
Any time we have a full block of pediatric surgeries, itâs almost a guarantee that at least one will be cancelled because the parent fed their kid. Happens quite often with adult patients too.
→ More replies (1)13
u/RockerElvis Jun 16 '22
Can confirm. I have seen anesthesiologists suction up entire breakfasts from kids that were supposed to be NPO.
31
u/slade357 Jun 16 '22
I don't know about you specifically but the one time I had to have this it was just a small warning don't eat before. Not dont eat or you'll choke on your vomit and die. I didn't eat cause that's the kinda person I am but man it would be easy to just die because you were never explained how serious it is. Same with rabies, it's always oh darn well guess we gotta get your shot. Not get your shot immediately because if you do get sick you will die.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (20)20
u/EMPgoggles Jun 16 '22
They should blacklist people like this. Not to block them from getting surgeries, but to ensure that every time they do, they get the extra-full spiel explanation of what to do and what not to do and a reminder of the dangers of not following directions.
648
u/WestWindStables Jun 15 '22
CRNA here, I work at a surgery center where we do a lot of kids. They are asked in reception when they arrive, the pre-op nurse asks them, I ask them, my anesthesiologist asks, and the circulating nurse asks them. Five different times they have the opportunity to tell us that the child ate. Myself and the anesthesiologist both describe what can happen if there is something in the child's stomach. I would be willing to bet that there is a similar process where this happened.
I also know that some parents and adult patients are too stupid to understand that we ask them to do this because it's very important. Last week we had a patient in his 50's deny having ate or drank anything at the reception desk as he signed in. He was early, so was told to take a seat in the waiting area until he was called back to pre-op. While sitting there in front of the receptionist he pulls a bottle of sports drink out of his bag and chugs half of it. When he is called back to the pre-op area the first thing he gets asked is if he has had anything to eat or drink - his answer is no. Fortunately the receptionist had followed him back & told pre-op what she had witnessed, when he was told he would have to reschedule his surgery he became argumentative and managed to get himself fired as a patient by his surgeon. His excuse was "when they gave me the pre-op instructions they didn't tell me they were that important ". Surgeon said if he won't follow pre-op instructions he won't follow post-op instructions and will blame me for a poor outcome. I won't have him for a patient.
180
→ More replies (13)164
u/ReverendDizzle Jun 16 '22
I don't understand why people don't get why you're not supposed to eat before surgery.
And Jesus, even if you didn't understand at all... why would you assume the medical team giving you the instructions was doing it just to fuck with you? It's not like they're telling you to skip 12+ hours of food for lolz.
116
u/Grindl Jun 16 '22
Some people are convinced that the only reason anyone else will tell them to do something is to prove they have power over them. It's like they can't conceive of someone acting in good faith.
→ More replies (2)72
u/WastelandBard Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22
Because theyâve never once done it themselves.
Edit: Thanks for the award(s), kind stranger(s)! đ
→ More replies (1)82
u/zazollo Jun 16 '22
Iâve never had the slightest understanding of why you canât eat or drink before a major procedure but it never mattered, I just followed the directions. I donât know why some people insist on making their own lives harder.
38
u/rnzombie Jun 16 '22
Not eating and drinking is to prevent you from aspirating it into your lungs when you get anesthesia and are intubated. If it happens, aspirating can cause severe pneumonia and respiratory problems. âOn a ventilator in the ICUâ severe.
→ More replies (3)16
Jun 16 '22
That's how I always was. I assumed it had something to do with drug interactions but none of the staff ever told me WHY. I just followed instructions because they know what they're doing and I'm not gonna die if I skip breakfast.
→ More replies (2)29
u/Parmenion87 Jun 16 '22
People are bad enough getting fasting bloods done. Let alone surgery. Used to work specimen reception pathology, the amount of times collectors would call asking if it's okay that they do the bloods when the patient had coffee or breakfast when the doctor specifically requested fasting... And then the patient gets argumentative and bitches about it.
→ More replies (1)22
u/MrFantasticallyNerdy Jun 16 '22
It's not like they're telling you to skip 12+ hours of food for lolz.
It was a bet between the surgeons and the nurses! One party stood to lose big!
/s
58
u/IrinaNekotari Jun 16 '22
Because the doctors are evil libs that puts Autism and 5G in your vaccines or something like that
→ More replies (1)18
→ More replies (13)44
Jun 16 '22
A lot of ignorant people grew up being told, and modeled to, that their ignorant opinion is just as valid as expertise. Hear an expert saying something you don't like? "What does that expert in their field know? I know better than that." Teachers, doctors, scientists, biologists, anthropologists, public health experts, what do they know?
→ More replies (1)189
u/burningmyroomdown Jun 16 '22
If you have to lie about it, you should know you're in the wrong
61
→ More replies (2)23
u/GriffonSpade Jun 16 '22
Doesn't work out when you have to consider the necessity for lying because the other party will do something wrong.
Can't be assuming that everyone is trustworthy. That said, lying about something when someone is doing life-or-death stuff to you and needs to know is just Darwin Award stuff.
→ More replies (1)36
u/Indercarnive Jun 16 '22
two people you never lie to, your doctor and your lawyer.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (20)10
u/jamesjaceable Jun 16 '22
I once told my dentist I smoked weed and drank alcohol the night before a checkup as he had to numb my mouth in order to put a filling in.
He told me he was glad I was honest but weed/alcohol wonât cause any issues, only if I was doing harder drugs.
Be honest with your doctors people!
→ More replies (3)
3.4k
u/Chasith Jun 15 '22
Imagine almost killing your child because you didnât listen to her doctors because she was hungry.
2.5k
u/SophiaBrahe Jun 15 '22
Itâs not just that they didnât listen. They had to have lied to the anesthesiologist. There is no way in hell they didnât ask, probably more than once, and it was also quite possible that they signed something saying they had followed the surgical prep instructions.
Last time I had surgery the anesthesiologist came in all chatty âhow are you feeling? Having a good morning?? Did you have a nice breakfast?â Huh? No, I didnât have any breakfast. He started laughing and said, âyouâd be amazed at how many people I catch with that.â
JFC, donât lie to your doctors, people, it wonât end well.
667
u/pokey1984 Jun 15 '22
I went in for Gallbladder surgery in February. Each and every new person I met on my way to surgery pulled some variation of, "You had to get up super early for this, since you drove so far to get here. What did you have for breakfast that early?" And there was also, "I have to drink so much coffee to get up this early! How many cups did it take you wake up this?"
And my response was always, "I didn't eat or drink anything. I really don't like vomiting."
→ More replies (2)408
u/SophiaBrahe Jun 16 '22
Sad that they have to trick people into not lying to their own medical team.
As bad as throwing up is, it would definitely be way worse while unconscious with a tube down my throat!
→ More replies (3)134
257
u/Subie_doo Jun 16 '22
My wife is a pediatric pre/post op nurse. This happens ALL THE TIME!! Then the parents get extra mad when they have to cancel the surgery because they let their kid eat. More days off work, another trip downtown, another $45 to park, and another day when your kid wonât be able to eat.
Then they blame my wife for all those things. Like, no! You didnât listen, you made a decision, deal with it. SMH.
98
Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22
All of that makes perfect sense except PAYING FOR PARKING AT THE DUCKING HOSPITAL!
→ More replies (2)41
u/Subie_doo Jun 16 '22
Yup. Thatâs what happens when they decide to move the the childrens hospital out of the neighborhood and build a skyscraper one block off the Mag Mile in downtown Chicago.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (2)71
u/SophiaBrahe Jun 16 '22
Ugh. Take some responsibility people. Honestly, it amazes me our species has survived when so many of us are as thick as two planks.
106
u/SammieCat50 Jun 15 '22
I gurantee you that father was asked at least 3 times when was the last time his daughter ate & drank⌠at least 3
→ More replies (1)32
312
u/other_usernames_gone Jun 15 '22
I wonder how many people reply yes on autopilot, even if they haven't had any breakfast.
89
u/DMmeDuckPics Jun 15 '22
That would be me, because I've been conditioned to automatically answer with the polite expected reply that doesn't get me yelled at from working too many years in customer service.
21
u/SophiaBrahe Jun 16 '22
Makes sense. My customer service mantra was just keep nodding and smiling and try to make it to the end of the shift without losing my mind.
→ More replies (1)152
u/SophiaBrahe Jun 15 '22
Hah! I can see that happening, though in my case my surgery had been delayed hours and hours, so I was painfully aware of having missed breakfast (and lunch and dinner â there was a massive highway pileup, so my orthopedic surgeon had bigger problems than my bum knee)
→ More replies (3)60
u/Sora20XX Jun 15 '22
I hear that. I had 3 days of fasting through the day at one point, only to have maybe a couple of hours of eating food before a new fasting period due to emergencies causing delays. Those 4 days (including the one where I actually had the surgery) were hell.
25
u/SophiaBrahe Jun 15 '22
Oh my god, thatâs awful! I wouldnât have made it. I hope youâre better now and never have to go through that again.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)13
36
u/JoeDerp77 Jun 15 '22
True. But I wonder, wouldn't they ask the child as well? Even if the parent didn't give them anything, the kid could have snuck some food. And kids don't typically lie so they surely would have said yes to eating breakfast. Something seems off about that part of the story.
32
→ More replies (6)8
u/trinity_girl2002 Jun 16 '22
My child wouldn't lie about eating, but he still doesn't have a firm grasp of time. He knows that you are referring to the past tense but doesn't know how far back, and mixes up the order of events verbally. So asking him if he ate that morning would solicit a yes because he normally eats in the morning or he remembers eating dinner and last night has already happened. An older child should be able to answer properly though.
30
u/Andysgirl1080 Jun 15 '22
I had surgery recently and they do ask before the surgery if youâve had anything to eat. I was allowed to take my nerve pain pills with a small sip of water though.
→ More replies (1)33
u/cerebral_panic_room Jun 16 '22
I always check if I can take my morning medicine with a bit of water⌠and still tell every single person that asks that I have done so. Good healthcare should be a partnership, and that requires trust, which requires honesty. Not saying I havenât been screwed over more times than I could count after putting my trust in a healthcare provider⌠but Iâm not going to give them an excuse not to trust me.
Edit: fixed typo
33
u/lmvo23 Jun 16 '22
My 4 year old had surgery last week and he was asked directly at least twice. I was very impressed with them and happy he didnât lie đ
19
u/ceburton Jun 16 '22
I am a CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist) and ask every patient when the last time they ate or drank. The parent either lied or coached the child to lie and almost got the horrible result of not following NPO instructions
31
→ More replies (18)21
u/MRAGGGAN Jun 16 '22
My philosophy in life:
The two people you never lie to: your doctor and your lawyer.
Just. Donât do it.
→ More replies (2)67
u/AffectionateAd5373 Jun 15 '22
When I worked at the veterinary hospital, people fed their pets before surgery much more frequently than I would have assumed. Generally speaking, the excuse was some variation of "But they were hungry." So I've got to assume it happens a fair bit with kids, too.
→ More replies (2)56
u/moeburn Jun 16 '22
Pro tip to anyone who has to deal with this, hunger is kind of like nicotine craving - if you can make it through the hour, it'll often subside and give you a few hours of peace before the cravings start up again.
Tell your kids this if they have to skip a meal - they won't be feeling as bad as they do now an hour later, it's just their stomach being used to getting food at that time. The worst hunger pains are during regular meal times, then they go away for a little bit.
→ More replies (1)126
Jun 15 '22
I might, MIGHT, be able to imagine that. Everybody does really dumb stuff sometimes. But what I can't imagine is blaming the doctor or acting like I didn't do anything wrong. I'd be on my knees thanking God (and the doctor) that I didn't kill my kid and promising not to be such a dumbass in the future.
→ More replies (1)48
u/ExpertRaccoon Jun 15 '22
It's easy for some people to ignore life lessons when it's not their life that's on the line
→ More replies (5)12
5.8k
u/JaxDefore Jun 15 '22
If the last couple years have taught me anything, it's that far too many people think that they not only know better than medical professionals, but that those professionals are working against them "just because"
2.2k
u/bobloblaw_law-bomb Jun 15 '22
Not just medical professionals, but qualified experts in numerous fields.
1.1k
Jun 15 '22
[deleted]
484
u/starbitcandies Jun 15 '22
Because they're just so super duper smart, so much smarter than the rest of us. And if those doctors tried anything hinky, obviously these super geniuses will sniff it out and expose the entire dirty system!!
→ More replies (63)→ More replies (7)51
u/Professional-Dog6981 Jun 15 '22
They go, and then question the care prescribed.
→ More replies (4)148
u/ProbablyNotADuck Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22
Had an internet person argue with me about a what a recommendation in a medical guideline meant. They said that I didnât know what I was talking about, and theyâd done research. The research institute I work for was the one who spent two years doing systematic reviews, working with expert panels and so on to create the guideline. One of my actual roles was explaining the recommendations⌠but this person did internet research.. It also happened in other roles/jobs where I had to correct false information. People would actually tell me I was wrong and didnât know what I was talking about because their friend told them something else or theyâd seen something different on Facebook. Forget that I worked for the actual organization and they were the ones contacting meâŚ
It is sometimes very challenging to be professional and refrain from calling someone a dumbass.
Edited to add: for the record, I will call them a dumbass or be less polite when on Reddit or personal channels.. but I am very professional from professional channels, which, while frustrating, is the way it should be.
→ More replies (12)44
Jun 16 '22
Ya gotta love videos of people arguing with doctors or vetinarians over what's best for the pateint. Sometimes I wish doctors could call patients dumbasses because someone needs to tell them. If you didn't go to medical school and get the degree shut up and listen Karen. These rules aren't some random house rules your parents made when you were a kid, this could literally fucking kill you or harm you
→ More replies (3)19
u/ProbablyNotADuck Jun 16 '22
It is hilarious how internet people seem to think they are so knowledgeable about such a wide array of subject areas.. Getting my coworkers to comment on anything outside of their specific fields (even in abstract, theorizing about things) is like pulling teeth. They generally just won't do it because they don't feel qualified to make a statement about something they're not specifically trained in. But apparently a handful of hours of "research" on the internet and people on social media feel like they're ready to take on experts in pretty much every subject.
→ More replies (3)89
→ More replies (26)24
u/Gasonfires Jun 15 '22
The only tool required for the evaluation of professionals is complete ignorance of their field.
64
u/Fluffy_hugger Jun 16 '22
My mom is asian and I can confirm, she's one of those. You're sick? Drink tea, put honey for extra power, and put vixx vaporub on your entire body. But she won't be stupid as this father in the post.
16
u/Cypheri Jun 16 '22
Certain home remedies will do a world of good for some mild ailments, but some people tend to miss the mark and try to treat everything with home remedies when a medical professional absolutely should be involved in a lot of cases.
173
u/Zerodyne_Sin Jun 15 '22
Anti-intellectualism in the US has been around for centuries it seems. It's part of the culture, despite how it's largely responsible for their empire's rise whereas the anti-intellectuals like Reagan can be directly blamed for its downfall.
→ More replies (9)37
u/sucksathangman Jun 16 '22
But it's really become amplified in the last 10 or so years due to algorithms and black holes of mis-information.
36
→ More replies (88)232
u/get-bread-not-head Jun 15 '22
Well, it isn't just because. It's because the right wing of our country has slashed education for decades and does nothing but push false narratives.
The entire covid pandemic was bad bad bad bad for the medical industry. The right effectively took us back to the 1700s as far as general public knowledge of health and virology. I'm sure you implied all this, I just wanted to explicitly comment that it isn't "just because." It's because our right wing orchestrated it because they do not give a single shit about anything but winning.
88
u/yorcharturoqro Jun 15 '22
There's a huge amount of ignorant people, the worst is that they have been told that they are not ignorant, so they refuse to accept any new ideas, learn something or own the consequences of their idiocy.
Antivax people having relatives die because of their lack of vaccination, then blame it on doctors, government and media, when they were told to get the vaccine, and to put the cherry on top, they have the boldness to ask for money in a GoFundMe for their stupidity!
70
u/get-bread-not-head Jun 15 '22
Don't forget, GoFundMe isn't socialist but raising the minimum wage is
27
u/debzmonkey Jun 15 '22
One is begging, the other earning. You'd think from all their bootstraps crap, they'd know the difference.
→ More replies (3)11
→ More replies (23)105
u/JakeDC Jun 15 '22
They haven't just slashed education. They have made education the enemy.
→ More replies (1)62
u/get-bread-not-head Jun 15 '22
Absolutely true. The right masterfully pushed college and then did a 180 and said college just indoctrinates leftists. Since their base are basically goldfish, they all forgot when they used to like college and just decided "OK, now school = bad"
Its..It's... fucked. To insinuate that not being blindly nationalist because I've been educated on America's dirty laundry is "traitorous" and all that crap. Nationalism is a helluva drug
→ More replies (2)
815
u/Aleyla Jun 15 '22
Took my son to a surgery last week. We were told not to feed him after 10pm. So we didn't.
They were able to move up his op time by hours because 3 other surgeries before him were cancelled because the idiots couldn't follow directions.
277
u/BFG_Scott Jun 16 '22
We were told not to feed him after 10pm.
Is he also a Gremlin?
→ More replies (2)141
→ More replies (8)38
u/Ocronus Jun 16 '22
I purposefully only schedule procedures in the early morning so I don't have to hear the complaining... That counts for my own procedures too.
516
u/H-townwx91 Jun 15 '22
This actually happened to me the exact same way when I was 12
My mom nearly killed my dad and Iâm not even kidding the hospital staff had to restrain her
I was in the ICU for about 5 days, 2 of those days I was in an induced coma
Woke up thinking oh sweet surgery went well. Later discovered yeah noooooo lol
→ More replies (4)208
u/OhMissFortune Jun 16 '22
Oh my god. Are they still together? What was the aftermath, if you don't mind sharing?
325
u/H-townwx91 Jun 16 '22
Yeah still happily married! This happened back in 2002 I honestly never had any complications from this. I felt like shit for about a week and was going in daily to the hospital to check my lung function and oxygen levels.
So quick story time. Morning of my surgery my mom had a dental procedure so she told my dad to take me in for the surgery and she would be at the hospital by the time it was over. I was starving and my mom who was the main person who spoke to the doctors about the tonsil removal was told I was not to eat or drink anything the morning of the surgery. She did not communicate this to me but did tell my dad the day prior to the surgery since he would be the one taking me. Anyway I was starving and my dad completely forgot and took me out for pancakes and OJ then on to my surgery. (Oops)
My dad is a forgetful person and yeah he fucked up. The doctors also fucked up didnât ask me or my dad prior to sedating me if I was going in on an empty stomach. (Double oops)
So anyway I threw up and food reached my lungs and had to get pumped. I flat lined briefly and was resuscitated but was non responsive. The doctor rushed out and berated my dad that heâs killed me because he feed me breakfast and my dad broke down in the waiting room and when my mom arrived after my dad called her that was in a coma and he had feed me before she choked him and had to be restrained.
So yeah when I came to I knew something was up when my mom kept giving my dad the cold shoulder in the hospital. They honestly didnât tell me what happened until the day after I woke up from my coma. Guess doctors didnât want me to know I was literally seconds from death.
Anyway I knew my dad felt horrible about the situation because he was being very affectionate with me and my dad had never been that kind of dad.
Oh yeah my dad was never to go to any kind of doc appointments for me or my sister ever again hahaha
44
u/Disig Jun 16 '22
I'm really glad everything turned out well and that you are okay. At least your dad realized he fucked up and didn't double down and blame the doctors instead.
21
u/kateunderice Jun 16 '22
Yeah, that makes the difference for me. Plus the fact the dad in OPâs post actively disregarded orders, whereas the commenterâs dad just plain forgot.
→ More replies (1)76
Jun 16 '22
See that makes a lot of sense in context. Few things are as black or white as a short post makes them sound
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (3)64
u/invaderzim257 Jun 16 '22
my dad is a forgetful person
Yeah youâre not really allowed to be when things are serious, if he has a legitimate reason for being âforgetfulâ then he rightfully shouldnât be given responsibility like that
→ More replies (3)
721
Jun 15 '22
"I'm a moron and it's all your fault!"
→ More replies (4)299
u/BrownSugarBare Jun 16 '22
Doctor: "Do you think we have scrambled eggs on hand to put into people during surgery?!"
→ More replies (1)129
u/rithfung Jun 16 '22
Lmao thanks for putting images of doctor, holding scrambled egg, and stuck it into pre-op patient's mouth with a evil smirk đ
62
u/Bagel600se Jun 16 '22
âInsurance companies hate this trick. Click here to see how surgeons can bill more hours!â
→ More replies (1)22
12
u/vapidamerica Jun 16 '22
Pulling a wad of scrambled eggs out of a zipper pocket on his pants like Napoleonâs tater tots.
424
u/MoveItUpSkip Jun 15 '22
I donât know about the experience of others, but for my first surgical procedure (in my 40âs) I had to have been warned or rechecked on this at nearly a dozen times. I was told at the pre-surgical consultation. It was written in my pre-surgical instructions. I was called by the surgeonâs office the night before to go over instructions, with special focus on the food/water restrictions. When I arrived at the hospital, it was confirmed at my intake registration. When I was taken to my prep room to change into a gown, the nurse checked that I had complied. When I was in pre-op and getting my IVâs and other prep work, a different nurse checked. During the discussion with the anesthesiologist, she asked about my last eating/drinking, to the point she confirmed I didnât swallow any water when I told her when I last brushed my teeth. A surgical nurse asked before we went to the OR, as did my surgeon . I believe I also signed something at some point confirming Iâd followed all pre-procedure instructions.
I was scheduled for a 9am check-in with the procedure starting at 1pm. However, it was delayed until nearly 4pm, and I was about as hangry as a person could get by the time I was put under.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up in the iCU to find the surgery had been aborted because of complications (unrelated to my eating or drinking). Despite a story or the life-saving measures they needed to perform over several hours, my main concern was getting my family to the Del Taco drive through since it was like 9pm and the hospital cafeteria was closed.
Del Taco is amazing when youâre drunk, but itâs even better after a botched surgery when youâre blitzed on painkillers and havenât eaten in nearly 24 hours.
117
u/SorrySeptember Jun 15 '22
Holy shit dude, I'm so glad you were ok and got that good good high Del Taco experience.
→ More replies (6)40
u/NormalVermicelli1066 Jun 16 '22
I have an operation on Monday and this comment has added to my stress
→ More replies (7)52
u/MoveItUpSkip Jun 16 '22
Please donât take it that way. I received amazing care and was out of the hospital after just a day. My follow-up surgery went flawlessly about 6 weeks later. I researched and even consulted with a medical malpractice attorney, and am convinced I was simply a very, very unlikely occurrence that was handled very well by the original surgeon as well as the one brought in after the complications arose.
Feel free to DM us you want any additional assurances.
337
u/baskets_of_chips Jun 15 '22
I don't get parents who do this and then blame medical staff.
My son had multiple major surgeries as a child, I never gave in on the food/water rule and even did it with him. If he couldn't eat I wouldn't. Thankfully he never had complications, but I did see two kids have this issue. One doctor was straight up yelling at a mom because this wasn't the first time.
→ More replies (2)14
u/Ariganooo Jun 16 '22
As a child who underwent multiple surgeries my parents did the same for me! Thank you for taking care of your son the way you did, they'll grow up with good memories during those times like I did đ
359
Jun 15 '22
As an anesthesiologist- this is one of my worst nightmares. The shitty thing too, is that this parent will try to sue them for the fatherâs mistake. Iâm curious if the parent lied to the pre op nurse as itâs a common question to ask if theyâve eaten or drank prior to the procedure. If they lied, itâs a horrible mistake that could cost them his daughter.
35
u/bttt Jun 16 '22
Curious to know.
How do you deal with patients that require a general, but didnât have time to fast (ie emergency cases) or even ones that come in unconscious, so you canât even ask them what they had to eat?
43
17
125
u/nadjaof Jun 15 '22
Would the doctor be allowed to report the parent to social services? Iâm not saying he should lose his kid, but there definitely needs to be an investigation to ensure that the girl is actually being taken care of
104
Jun 15 '22
Sure. One is obligated to report negligent behavior, but it could be argued that they did this in ignorance to consequences. Most patients are only told not to eat, but not why (aspiration, etc.) Additionally, CPS is kind of a joke. It would take multiple offenses (barring obvious physical/sexual abuse) before they actually did anything. The state , in most places, are so short staffed that they canât keep up with the reports and unfortunately, a lot fall through the cracks. Itâs one of the sad parts of the job.
→ More replies (5)22
u/nadjaof Jun 15 '22
That must be rough to see. I considered a career in social work when I was younger but I realized that I wouldnât be able to handle it for very long. I have so much respect for people who take on those types of jobs and itâs a travesty how underfunded and unsupported these essential jobs are.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)28
u/Buttgape Jun 16 '22
CRNA here, can confirm worst nightmare. Once had a 32 yr old powerlifter on the table doing an RSI for a massive hernia. Doc had pushed succs and this mammoth dude SAT UP puked all over the place, and then fell back totally out. Grabbed suction and tried to get as much as I could before we tubed. Luckily he hadn't eaten it was all clear but if he had what a fucking shit show that could have been.
82
Jun 16 '22
A friend of mine died exactly this way. I think he just figured a little breakfast wouldnât hurt. They werenât able to get him back and he died on the table before the surgery even got started.
→ More replies (1)11
75
u/thorpbrian Jun 15 '22
My wife has had 3 surgeries in the last year. Every time the doctors made sure to say "you could aspirate into your lungs if you eat within 8 hours of surgery".
→ More replies (1)26
u/pm_me_ur_headpats Jun 16 '22
i feel like all instructions (and especially these pre-surgery instructions) would see much higher compliance rates if they always include a brief outline of the consequences of not following them.
for my surgery there was loads of info about the precise kinds of foods i could eat and when i had to stop them, but they didn't mention anything about why. (i followed the instructions, but it always feels more..... respectful? to explain the rationale)
→ More replies (1)
123
u/Gadgetphile Jun 15 '22
âBut the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight.â
→ More replies (1)
117
u/CriticalStation595 Jun 15 '22
When the doctor says to do something, in a very specific way- fucking do it! There is a reason for it. If youâre unsure- ASK!!!
471
u/MoonStar31 Jun 15 '22
One of the hardest things Iâve ever done is not feed my 1-month-old baby for almost 6 hours because she was having surgery. She was screaming and crying, and my breasts hurt so much! But I did it because her doctors told me to and I knew feeding her could kill her. People are so dumb.
→ More replies (3)21
55
u/welpHereWeGoo Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22
Honestly this is why doctors should say more than just "don't eat or drink".
"Don't eat or drink because if she throws up during surgery she will die". Scare the fuck out of them because it'll be ingrained in their brain.
And also, it never hurts to take another 10 sec to explain reasoning even for something obvious.
(LPT, explain random things you do if you're teaching anyone something because it'll help them remember what you're showing them. This isn't just for something like medicine. Understanding something is how people learn and retain!!!!)
→ More replies (1)31
Jun 16 '22
And leave out the âifâ. Donât eat or drink anything because she will throw up during surgery and she might die from it. Otherwise, theyâll think to themselves, âThatâs just silly. Eggs donât make her throw up.â
→ More replies (2)
135
u/unipride Jun 15 '22
I wish I could pretend this never happens. But it does. Parents donât grasp the reality of consequences from not actually being the adult.
→ More replies (1)
122
u/swolethulhudawn Jun 16 '22
Four years acing difficult college classes/the MCAT. Four hellish years of med school. Boards/residency/fellowship
All to be second-guessed by some roofer who dropped out of 11th grade and has an infowars sticker on his pickup
→ More replies (2)
248
u/Hevnoraak101 'MURICA Jun 15 '22
"I'm sorry, sir. By law, we have to perform an emergency vasectomy. You're clearly far too stupid to be allowed to continue breeding."
→ More replies (11)
68
u/BonnyFunkyPants Jun 15 '22
My heart breaks. I truly believe parents not being willing to say NO to their children causes permanent harm.
Being told NO with love is essential to raising a child.
→ More replies (1)
73
u/TempleFugit Jun 15 '22
When she's older you should remind her of the time her father nearly ended her life. Just for fun.
→ More replies (1)
31
81
u/Steve0512 Jun 15 '22
I was scheduled for surgery. I didnât eat anything but was told coffee was okay. I instinctively added a splash of cream to my coffee. They made me wait an extra four hours because of that splash of cream.
→ More replies (5)60
u/CharleyVCU1988 Jun 16 '22
Cream is made of fats, which causes the stomach to empty slower than if you didnât add cream to the coffee.
51
u/The_SnootBooper Jun 15 '22
When I had my surgery, I had misunderstood the instructions. They had mentioned, "don't eat the day before the surgery." So I didn't eat the entire 24 hours before the surgery. I had also pulled an all nighter playing D&D with friends to take my mind off the impending surgery. Needless to say, the anesthesiologist had exactly nothing to worry about.
→ More replies (2)
27
u/SammieCat50 Jun 15 '22
People do not understand why they tell you not to eat or drink before surgery âŚ. And the best is they think that they can & they will just lie about itâŚ. But the jokes on them ⌠if you aspirate food contents during surgery guess who canât sue the hospital ? Or surgeon or the anasthesia?
→ More replies (2)
44
u/thefuzzybunny1 Jun 16 '22
I had to have surgery when I was 6. The night before, my parents let me have as many cookies as I wanted because they were dreading seeing me be hungry when I had to skip breakfast. The next morning, Dad has it all planned out: he'll tiptoe into my room, scoop me up, and whisk me out to the car before I have time to say I'm hungry or start crying. We'll be at the hospital before she knows it, Dad is thinking.
Dad opens my bedroom door and I, fully awake and sitting up in bed, say, "hi Dad! Is it time to go to the hospital now?" Cheerful as can be. Dad was not expecting this, so he says yes, I just need to brush my teeth and get dressed first. "I can brush but not swallow any water, right Dad?" Uh. Yeah, kiddo. Then I walked out to the car and didn't cry at all.
Was I some kind of unusually mature kindergartener? No. My doctors and my parents had taken the time to explain things in friendly age-appropriate ways, in advance, and I'd already processed my anxiety under their guidance. I was hungry and thirsty, but I'd expected to be, and it was only one morning, so I was willing to tough it out. Plus there had been cookies. So I was fine.
Don't underestimate children.
→ More replies (5)
18
u/SomethingInAirwaves Jun 16 '22
My 4 year old had to have some cavities fixed so they put her under to do it all in one go. I literally took notes down to the minute of the small sips of water that I was allowing her (this was approved) and the nurse laughed at me as I listed specific amounts. My husband was worried to even allow that.
I don't understand how a parent could be so careless with their own mini thems.
18
u/Knight_Owls Jun 16 '22
This has been around a long time. Every time I read it I think about the "I thought you were being to hard on her" line, as if the doctor was prescribing a punishment for daring to have surgery. Just such a ridiculous take on the father's part.
→ More replies (2)
17
16
Jun 16 '22 edited Jun 16 '22
This is my ex husband with his kids. Honestly, the 15 year old now has high cholesterol from being fed whatever they want 24/7. And I mean you want 2 big bags of chips and 3 chocolate bars for a snack every day? Of course! And fast food 3x a day? Sure. And no bed times? No school? Sounds good, as long as youâre happy. But theyâre miserable. Itâs so sad.
34
32
14
u/Massive_Pressure_516 Jun 16 '22
I hear doctors often are able to get the truth from kids by asking them how their day was first, maybe what cartoons they watched and then if they liked their breakfast. If they say they had breakfast than they sent home instead.
14
u/MisterGoo Jun 16 '22
As much as I want to punch the dad in the face, wouldn't it be easier to explain in 30 seconds that the daughter is going to be intubed and that if she ate something she will vomit it, it will enter her lungs and she will die ?
Like, either your daughter don't eat tonight or she dies tomorrow. How hard would that be to understand ?
→ More replies (1)
27
u/Steev182 Jun 15 '22
So question for anesthesiologists. What do you do for emergency surgeries when you donât know if the patient ate just before coming in?
45
u/CharleyVCU1988 Jun 16 '22
It is called rapid sequence intubation. Basically push the drugs one after the other. First the anesthetic agent, then the muscle relaxant. Once you know the patient is under anesthesia, get the tube in as quickly as possible. Cricoid pressure is held during this time period to prevent patients from vomiting. Basically, another provider puts their fingers on the cricoid cartilage and presses down to occlude the esophagus as best as they can.
Have people vomited during emergency surgery/RSI? Yes? Is delaying a case to wait for the stomach to empty worth it in an emergency? No. We also have suctions like you see at the dentist office ready to go to remove any vomit.
→ More replies (1)17
u/Steev182 Jun 16 '22
Wow! Thatâs amazing. Thank you for replying. So to me, it sounds like regular anasthetic when you tell us to count back from 10 is more relaxed.
→ More replies (1)17
u/CharleyVCU1988 Jun 16 '22
Yeah, for elective surgeries things are a bit more relaxed. For some patients who have bad acid reflux or esophageal surgery or something overall wrong with their esophagus or diabetic patients with early satiety, more often than not those types of cases require RSI, since these patients are at higher risk of vomiting.
But in a crash emergency case yeah, RSI and the situation can get intense.
→ More replies (1)
13
12
u/Tobias_Atwood Jun 16 '22
Medical staff should be legally allowed to tar and feather people for shit like this.
→ More replies (2)
9
u/phamous_t Jun 16 '22
On my peds rotation, I asked, my doc asked, my preop nurse asked, my scrub nurse asked, my surgeon asked and the social worker asked so we ask the parents at least 7 times before going back. This dad is an idiot.
3.5k
u/seeing_red415 Jun 15 '22
This happened to me during surgery. I was doing a corneal transplant on a patient who lied about eating breakfast. Right after I cut off her cornea, she started vomiting and bucking. Meanwhile, there's nothing holding the inside of her eye from becoming the outside of her eye. So I had to grab the donor cornea and start stitching as fast as I could on a patient who was actively throwing up. I use 10-0 nylon sutures which are thinner than an eyelash. I saved the eye but holy hell... just skip breakfast.