A Warning About Springs Memorial Hospital (Columbia, Rock Hill: home, transfer, schools)

[Joe the Photog]

If you're from Lancaster, this may not surprise you. If not, my feeling now is if you are in a wreck on Meeting Street in front of Springs Memorial and the medics tell you you've got 30 minutes to live, tell them to do 90 to Piedmont Medical. You stand a better chance bat survival.

Here's a somewhat short reason why --

I got home from two months in the hospital and a reb center. I started having intense pain in my hands and arm to the point that I almost could not transfer myself out of or into my wheelchair.*I went to Springs Memorial Hospital and they said it was arthritis. It didn't feel like arthritis to me, but what do I know? They gave me some pain meds and sent me home.*

The pain actually did get better but two days later all of a sudden I could not breathe. I could take air in, but not let it out.*So I went back to the same Spring Memorial Hospital. They didn't know what it was, but they put me on oxygen and fluids and left me in the ER.*I accidentally told them the truth and at first thought, it was a mistake. They asked if I was a danger to myself. I replied, "I'm not a danger to myself right now since my hands hurt so bad, but I do want to die." For that I was sent to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill which has a psych ward.*I suspect if I had kept my mouth closed, they would have sent me home again. The ironic thing is that Piedmont understood both what I said and what I meant and decided not to send me “upstairs,” as they say.

I'm not sure they took me seriously at Springs on my pain and breathing, but the one in Rock Hill sure did. I actually got worse. I started losing all my strength until I was at the point where I could do nothing for myself except feed myself. If I slid down in my bed, I had to get someone to drag me back up.*Then I got c diff. Or more correctly, Piedmont diagnosed me with c diff where Springs said I did not have it. Do you know what c diff is? I don't know how to explain it without being offensive. But think projectile diarrhea except there's no warning. Oh, and you are bedridden.*

They found I also had another infection in my foot and since I already had a surgeon, they wanted me to let him do it at the Lancaster hospital. I was aghast. One of my nurses told me to fight it, but I was also weak mentally. My infectious disease doctor (who looked like the actor Alfred Molina) told me he was going to stop the transfer, but he was overruled and back to Lancaster I went.*

Springs was about as bad as I expected them to be with the exception of my foot surgeon, a few nurses and one tech. Suddenly, they were ready to send me home. Now at this point I am still practically bedridden. I had to get help with everything. I needed help to the bedside toilet and back to bed. Being moved that short distance wore me out.*Long story a little shorter, they sent me home against my objection. I got them to keep me an additional four days, but when discharge came, I still needed help getting around.*

It was as bad as I thought it would be at home. When I woke up the next day, I could not get out of bed and was literally lying in my own crap. (Sorry for that visual.) I had to call my neighbor for help. Transitioning to and from the toilet from my chair and back took literally an hour. The pain in my right hand up to the elbow was excruciating.*

Meanwhile, I had a home health nurse that was coming out that day. She got there at 8 pm and within five minutes had decided she could not take me as a patient due to me needing to be in a hospital. So she called for an ambulance and I went back to Springs Memorial I already knew how this was going to play out and sure enough after four hours in the ER, they sent me home*

Home health was supposed to set me up on antibiotics but since she sent me to the hospital, that didn't happen. I expected her to call but for two days, nothing. Meanwhile, no antibiotics.*

I'm sorry this is turning into a book, but I'm actually leaving a lot out.*

Four days since being released from the hospital, I got an interesting call. Dr. Molina from Piedmont found out what was going on with both the local hospital and home health and was flabbergasted. His office said get a bag ready, they were sending an ambulance for me to bring me back to Piedmont.*That was April 17th. I was on vancomycin for sepsis two times a day until yesterday through IV as well as another antibiotic. At some point, I went to a physical therapy center where I slowly regained mos of my upper body strength. I still have not walked since the first trip to the local hospital in March, but I had a good (and very pretty) PT (who looked like Laura Branigan). She helped a lot in spite of the fact that I almost fell on her the first day.*

Out of something like 62 days, I have been in two hospitals and one rehab facility 58 of them. I was going a little stir crazy. I missed a Drvin n Cryin concert I was supposed to go to and I am missing out on a steam train event in West Va. this weekend because I know I'm not ready to be up and about that much yet.*

But I am grateful to be here and couldn't thank Dr. Molina and Laura enough. I also thank you for reading all of this. I just felt the need to get it off my chest.*

[PawleysDude]

Thank you for sharing your story. I have missed your photography recently and wondered where you had gone. It’s a sad commentary on America when both hospitals and schools have become some of the most dangerous places around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[Andrew_92]

I'd tell them to go on up 521 to Charlotte, and avoid Piedmont too, if you want to live!

[phareous]

Sorry but Piedmont is no better...

[CarolinaWoman]

You lucked up at Piedmont Medical. Another gross tale. I had two herniated disc and paralysis was setting in to my legs. I could crawl around and had visions of grocery shopping crawling through the store never thinking in terms of wheelchair.

Admitted to hospital day before surgery. That night I cannot get up to walk laying flat on my back and need to use the bathroom. Shortly after 1am a nurse or aide finally came to my room and put me on a bedpan raising the bed straight up. She left ... 2am ... 3am ... I am stuck now in this bedpan and sick on my stomach throwing up in trashcan. Literally having to hang head over and hit or miss the trashcan. In total torture pain, stuck in the bedpan, throwing up. I kept ringing for the nurse. Finally close to 4am I started shouting "HELP" ... I was able to use the little throw-up pan to pull the telephone over to me call my husband to come save me. He called my doc and doc got there first with hubby right behind. At 5am in the morning all hell broke loose in my room at PMC. I was still straight up in bed on a plastic bedpan literally stuck to my body. What a sight to behold and I was fit to be tied.

Doctor wanted to postpone the surgery, I said no, if I leave here I am not coming back. Hubby said he would stay 24/7. After surgery a day later my doctor brought the hospital administrator into my room, shut the door and said tell him what has gone on in this room.

You lucked up at PMC with a good caring doctor. The same with me. I will never darken their doors again. I have always heard bad things about Springs and actually heard better things about Chester Regional. But as for us we go to CMC GP doctors and if emergency to CMC Steele Creek or on to CMC Pineville.

I am glad you made it out alive through this ordeal/nightmare. Sorry you missed your concert and the steam train event. When you are able you can still have a train ride in North Carolina but it's a diesel train. We will keep you in our prayers. Sure do enjoy your pictures.

NC Transportation Museum - Train Rides

[Joe the Photog]

I've heard other horror stories about PMC, too. By far the best hospital care I have received with as Palmetto Richland, the main campus in Columbia.

[phareous]

Piedmont is completely incompetent. They killed my brother after a month of every screw up you can imagine. Last time my wife had issues I took her to Pineville