University of Michigan Health — Local services in Ann Arbor

Im writing this on behalf of my mother who was admitted into U of M twice in a weeks time for the same issue. Initially my mother arrived through ER with paper work detailing a diagnosis for kidney stones and a UTI discovered back at Saint Mary’s hospital.

Now I’m not going to complain about how over 6 hours passed before she’d even been given nausea and pain medication considering she hasn’t eaten in almost a week at that point and was severely dehydrated. But the first visit had her home a few days later with plans for her to return in a week to see a general surgeon. She didn’t last two days.

The second visit to U of M is what has me incensed. After discovering a large ulcer and labeling it the reason for most of her problems my mother started showing signs of a heart attack while admitted. Heck she told a doctor she was allergic to morphine only for him to say “a lot of people are” and give it to her anyway. Thank God he was removed from her case. Multiple times her nurses and doctor rushed into the room because her heart would suddenly skyrocket. Over the course of her entire visit she consistently called me for hours at a time so I could listen and explain things to her doctors and nurses since she usually had trouble doing so herself.

Her cardiology doctor informed her a large part of the current dangers in her heart condition stemmed from stress and dehydration. The ulcer being fixed would be one of the first and most important steps to getting better because the ulcer was causing the dehydration. She was also told she couldn’t be discharged until she could go a day without her heart going above 100.

Four days after admission, after a scope that located the ulcer and her condition slightly stabilized she’s told they want to send her home. Here’s the issue, she’s only getting fluids through a IV, she still can’t drink anything. She’s still on pain meds and not supposed to leave until she can go without them for a few days. Her heart monitor has been fluctuating dangerously for even simple activities like brushing her hair. She was still dizzy and after removing the IV overnight she wasn’t physically able to take in fluids.

But it’s as if the moment her kidney stones passed her physician was ready for her to go. I personally spoke to three different people (2 nurses and the resident on her case) about the facts that the Prilosec she was being prescribed for at home care wouldn’t work because she’s taken it prior for acid reflux and ulcers with no results less than five years ago. We were both ignored.

And the day of discharge I’m getting ready to pick my mother up and on the phone I hear her doctor literally ask my mother to walk around the room so they can send her home because they need the space. And she should know how that is??? Excuse me? So this whole thing was about space? My mother has told this woman all day she’s dizzy, she’s feeling the beginnings of dehydration again, the doctor had even seen that she can’t walk without assistance. Now she’s home and off all the meds from the hospital cold turkey. She’s dizzy, half her body is numb, she’s hurting and not able to drink. I’ve been waiting for a call back for two hours in regards to my concerns. I’m frankly done, the hospital has never disappointed me more. They disregard allergies, mistreat their patients, and care more about numbers than helping people. I’m floored by the lack of communication between fellow physicians and doctor to patient. Why is a patient being told held under go different treatment from different sources? Why is it so hard to get actual answers, and to be...

The University of Michigan hospital did not give my mom the envelope mattress she is prescribed and put her on nighttime rotations and disrupted her sleep twice a night and on the third day dislocated her femur from her hip and the knob of her femur ripped through the sore on the side of her hip making the spot of exposed bone that was 1 in. By a 1/4 in. torn out into a 3 1/2 in. By 2 in. Piece of exposed bone that consisted of the entire knob of the joint of her femur of her hip and her leg turned purple. They also gave her a transfusion and the IV line was not ran properly and instead of replacing it right away they kept resetting the system for over an hour and a half then unhooked the IV and didn't put in a new one for over two and a half hours leaving the same blood that was started with it out for over 2 1/2 hours and then used it to complete the transfusion without replacing it with a new bag and my mother got a blood clot in her leg they broke her hip on that went from above her knee all the way to her groin. The doctor that came in suggested amputating her leg right away and I brought up that blood clots could be removed and stints could be put in rather than amputation on the phone with my mother. They ended up moving my mom into surgery the following morning and a different doctor successfully removed the clot and put in stints and mesh in her abdomen. They gave her the proper bed before surgery and then did not move it to the CVC for her though I called and asked. They put her back on nighttime rotation again on a sand mattress. The mattress that made her very sore and once they moved her back to the hospital side again they continued to make her use the sand mattress and tried saying that that was the one the doctor prescribed her. The nurse was argumentative about giving her the mattress she was supposed to have. The nurse then tried saying the envelope mattress wasn't available at the hospital. I reassured her it was and that my mother had had it on the sixth floor, she looked on the computer and made a call and they finally got her her mattress again. They told my mom a week ago they were getting her lymphoedema leg wraps and still haven't and now are having her stay because her legs are swollen. Overall my mother's stay here has been a nightmare. I have had to take wound care back over because they have not been consistent and missed bandage changes and have even left her wound open without cover. They have also been leaving my mother for days without any assistance going to the restroom so I have begun helping her use her bedpan as well. And have already been the one bringing her urine kits and catheters. Several nurses have been very rude and now they have even said my mother can not have her service animal, even though sky has always been welcome before. She's always been well behaved and comforting to many patients nurses and doctors same. LMFAO photo was taken just before I had to remove my mother's service dog from her room. She has had sky...

Three years a gonice been in and out the hospital because I’ve had abnormal bleeding which my gyno kept trying to put me on birth control and I would do it for six months and tell her it’s not working because I’d still be bleeding I began to get a lump in my throat at the doctors office AND er they said they could not feel nothing even when you could VISIBLY see it; so then after three years it grew and grew and grew ; and still told nothing is wrong with my neck; I demanded to see my doctor I have always been scheduled with other doctors and they thought I would reschedule because she was booked up far ahead and i said no I want to see her it was then I seen Stephanie Clark for the very first time in which she saved my whole life and finally I have answers and unfortunately it’s resulting in me having to get surgery and my whole thyroid taken out and after that the other office tried to call me sending me to the same place Stephanie did and I didn’t even see them in like two months so I KNEW something was up and now that it is confirmed that I need to get surgery I CANT EVEN GET SCHEDULED it’s been a whole month people and when I called yet again I was told she called me and left a message which I found out my phone was blocking the number anyway I had my surgery with doctor Miller. And my surgery team was amazing they were so very sweet.Shannon is my favorite person she literally treated me like I was one of her own after surgery there was a lady covering for someone SHE WAS HORRIBLE she just sat there while I was in pain did not give me any ice cubes or anything for the pain I was in and I couldn’t talk so just imagine that however a lady came back and gave me everything I needed she was amazing I appreciate her for saving my life she even fed me some ice chips and got me some water I ended up in short stay before Matt came in the lady who gave me my calcium THANK YOU so much you were so sweet Matt was absolutely amazing I appreciate him and that night he had a night so I just want the world to know we need more Matt’s and we also need more of the lady that was working with him she was there for my check in and check out I’m sorry I can’t remember her name I think it started with an R she was a short lady with a accent ! Love her she was awesome too and someone needs to them the nurse Valerie that she isn’t supposed to mix thyroid meds with calcium’s she told me that they could but it affects absorption ! Thank you team for getting out my entire thyroid and nodules I can breath now I feel so much more happy as if it were causing me depression I appreciate everything you’ve done for me even though it had to come to this I’m glad I...