Woman Feels Isolated After Smallpox Scare (Update of Florida Hospital Story)

Fort Myers News-Press ^ | November 15, 2002

[Shermy]

Ann Hawkins got home from the hospital to find all her friends had disappeared.

[Shermy]

FR threads on this story from October 22 and 23.

Cape Coral Hospital ER on lockdown - Fear a patient has serious infectious disease (Florida)

Update on Hospital Lockdown/Smallpox Scare

[Route66]

'Almost two weeks later, Hawkins was released, still not knowing what was wrong with her.
Doctors said she wasn’t contagious. Beyond that, they were stumped.
Possibilities included shingles, measles, a staph infection, a bad reaction to medication and, at the top of the list, chicken pox.
Her doctors still don’t know for sure.'
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I assume the CDC was put to work on this and the fact that they still don't know what this was is really disturbing.

[Sunshine55]

Bless her heart. I hope there is a way to find this sweet ladys address somewhere. I'll make sure she gets some cards and our prayers.

[CindyDawg]

Hawkins said she lashed out at the hospital staff, who she described as cold and uncaring. “I told them they were all stupid and they didn’t know what was going on.”

maybe people aren't coming around because of her attitude.

[Shermy]

Update on the Florida Hospital close down story. Worthy of sympathy, and speculation...

[Shermy]

Not Ax., but ping anyway.

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you.

[Sunshine55]

Thanks!!!

[medic]

Yup, I was thinking the same thing. Charmers like her are tough to take care of.

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks for the update Shermy. What the heck is wrong with her anyway?

[keri]

Thanks for the ping.

She really has my sympathy. A tough situation for everyone involved.

[TXBubba]

Or it could the the cold attitude of the staff. My Mother remembers having her first baby and the nurse attending her saying, "It doesn't hurt THAT bad".

[CindyDawg]

Yeah, I know TXBubba. I've had bad experiences too but did your mother tell them they were stupid and didn't know what they were doing? I'm aware that this must have been very scary for this lady and that people aren't their best when they feel bad but some people also check their manners in at the door when they go to a hospital and no matter what you try to do it's never enough. Are there rude doctors and nurses? Of course, but even the most compassionate ones aren't going to stick around any longer than they have to ,to talk when being called names. JMO CD

[TXBubba]

Well, if I was in a lot of pain and someone said that to me I just might call them a few names. Problem with SOME in the medical community is that they see pain etc. so often that they forget the pain belongs to a person who has feelings. I think the term used to be a "good bedside manner". We hear it more and more from people that their doctors and nurses don't have a "good beside manner" anymore. They forget they are dealing with humans who have pain, who are scared, and, GASP, might become frustrated and upset due to it. I was trying to point out that to blame the patient for her "charming attitude" without knowing how she was treated by the staff is ridiculous.

[TXBubba]

aren't their best when they feel bad

Yet we criticize them on FR as if they should be at their best.

[TXBubba]

BTW...hope to see you on the 23rd!!!! Any interested Freepers are invited. See http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/785533/posts

[CindyDawg]

I never called her any names. I just mentioned that if you call people names they may avoid you. She may be one of the sweetest people around. I don't know. I just happen to see things from the other side too. A few years ago I went AMA to another hospital because I didn't like the care I was given. It was really bad. I work hard to make sure that we do better where I work but I don't know how many good nurses with excellent "bed side manners" I've seen quit due to verbal (and yes physical) abuse from patients and families. Can, we just agree to disagree? On a lighter note,anyone having a baby can call me or anyone else whatever they want. lol

[CindyDawg]

BTW...hope to see you on the 23rd!!!!

Thanks. I'm going to try to be there.

[TXBubba]

I didn't think we were disagreeing. I thought we were showing both points of view. I just felt like some assumed out of the blue that the lady was a problem from the start.

Speaking of that, I was in a phone store last week getting a new cell phone. I was working with a very pleasant young woman. This other woman comes in and tries to return something. Turns out there is a policy that you have to return purchases to the store location you bought them from. This lady got SO mad! She really made a fool of herself. She started telling me to "watch out" and "don't do business with these folks". She was loud and obnoxious. And there were only the 3 of us in the store! I can't figure out if she was stoned or an Irish Traveler. Now, I can just imagine her in the hospital on a bad day! LOL