Raggedy Ann and Reagan

March 14, 2011

One Piggy SURPRISE BLOG

She had a boo boo too blog

HUGZ BLOG

Standing on her head BLOG

I guess Reagan and Raggedy Ann have what you would call a LOVE HATE Relationship!

Close Up of the scar BLOG
Poor Raggedy Ann got the brunt of Reagan's frustration after we returned from our second visit to have her stitches removed.

Yes..... you heard me, two visits to get them all out.

It's no wonder that the healthcare industry gets such a bad rap! We had an awful experience all the way around.

No one wanted to remove these stitches. Last week the ER staff told Pat and I to take her back to the pediatrician in 7-10 days to get them removed.

I called my Pediatrician's office last week to let them know what happened and to schedule an appt to have the sutures removed. They told me that they do not remove stitches in the office and have not done so in years. They said I had to go back to the dr that put them in.

So, I took Reagan back in exactly seven days and when I walked in, they said, you were supposed to go to your dr, not come back here. After speaking with the girl at the registration desk, I was told that I needed to go to the walk in center connected to the hospital to have the stitches removed. Off I went with Reagan in tow.

I walk into the "walk in" center, register her and fill out a gazillion forms. After waiting 20 minutes, they call us back and some young dr walks in. I could tell the minute he saw where the stitches were placed, he was nervous. He wanted me to try to hold her so that he could get to her eye.

After five minutes of trying to get the first stitch, he looks up at me and says, "Why did you wait so long to bring her in....the stitches are going to need to be dug out with a scalpel" Ahhhhh...... because that is what I was instructed to do?

He and I wrestled with Reagan for about 15 minutes and did not get one stinkin stitch out of her eye. I said to him, "This is never going to work, can we get some help here?" He then leaves the room and comes back in to tell me that they are going to take her in the ER.... the very ER that I tried to go to just moments before.

Are you kidding me??? I wanted to SCREAM !!!

We walked back to the ER and guess what..... had to register her again!! They finally take us back and luckily we had the same two nurses that we had the week before and they were very good with Reagan. They apologized over and over again for the run around and assured me that they would get the stitches out as quickly as possible.

They bring out the papoose, wrap her up and the new dr comes in and says, "Boy, those stitches are really in there" He had to pull at them quite a bit, but he finally got them out. Thank goodness.

The nurses were very nice and I think they felt horrible for everything that went on. They gave Reagan a bag of mini chocolate chip cookies and lets just say that she had forgotten all about that nasty papoose in no time....One cookie later to be exact:)

Fast forward to Saturday night.... I start looking at Reagan's eye in the bathroom under the bright light and I think I see another stitch in her eye. I call Pat and have him look at it and he agrees..... there is one more left in her eye.

My stomach started doing flip flops.... I was SO UPSET at the thought of taking her back in for one stinkin stitch, but what was I going to do? I would never risk leaving it in, so first thing Sunday morning, we packed up and headed back in.

I called to tell them we were coming and when I got there (they now me by name by now) they tell me that the nurse is going to come out to see if there is really a stitch left in her eye before I go through the trouble of registering.

The nurse comes out and takes one look.... "Oh yeah, it looks like the dr must have missed one"

They take us back and repeat the whole process. Papoose, scalpel, guaze.... and more tears!

Seriously.... I have been through a lot medically in my life and I have never had an experience quite like this one.

Isn't this CRAZY?

No one communicates and it seems eveyone wants to play "pass the patient"

It is very frustrating to say the leeast and I have half a mind to write a letter to the medical facility explaining what went on.

Luckily, Reagan is a tough little cookie and handled it all so well. Each time she bounced right back and I am sure this will all be a distant memory.

On a positive note, her eye looks better than I expected! I think it looks really good considering only one week has passed. With any luck, the scarring will be minimal.

Okay.... I better run! Another crazy week for me. I am heading to Baltimore again today. I have been a real road warrior the last few weeks.

Special thanks to Aunt Barbara and Uncle Tony for the adorable adirondack chair fit for an empress:) I am sure it will appear again on the blog soon. I have visions of it out on the beaches of cape cod with a big colorful umbrealla and a sassy little girl sporting a bathing suit and sunglasses!

47 comments:

Kim said...

Oh ... I know the pains of kids having stitches removed. But TWICE ... so sorry! Glad to hear it's healing nicely. As always ... the photos are precious!

Courtney said...

Oh my goodness, what a horrible experience. So glad she survived and the pain was able to be eased with a cookie!

Jboo said...

Oh my -- sweet little Reagan -- what an ordeal! Her eye really does look good! Glad that it is over with!

Hope you have a great week!

Janet

Jodee Leader said...

Oh my word! Are you kidding me? What a flippin nightmare! The poor little thing! So happy the stitches are out and she is doing well. Her eye looks great!

Adorable love/hate pictures with Raggedy Ann! I love her denim jacket too. I just bought Kamree one yesterday and I hope she will wear it. Last year, she wanted no part!

redmaryjanes said...

Oh man! When Eli was her age, he had a cut in the same place. Our pediatrician did take the ER stitches out but it wasn't pretty either. They were tiny and deep in the skin.
I will say, her eye looks wonderful. I don't think she will have a scar.

Steffie B. said...

I'm so sorry....I know all to well the pains of having our children go through this....but like you said....one chocolate chip cookie later....and all is well in their world.....at least we can hope so anyways! ;)

Have a good week....
Hugs,
Steffie

ellieshine said...

poor sweet Reagan (and Mommy!) her eye does look good and I bet in a while you won't even be able to see where the stitches were! (I can't really find where Elijah's stitches were on his forehead 4 years ago.)

Have a good week!

xo ellie

Football and Fried Rice said...

wow - poor MAMA :) lol......some people can forget with just a cookie, but a Mama Bear?!?!?! lol..

Reagan & Ragedy Ann are gorgeous together - love the adirondack chair, it's perfect!!

Love Letters To China said...

Oh Lisa.... I feel so bad for you, Pat and Reagan. It boggles my mind how our healthcare system is so messed up at times. So glad to see/hear Reagan is feeling better and she is on her way to a full recovery.

Hugs...

3 Peanuts said...

Oh that sounds like a nightmare. I am so sorry you had to go through all of that but I have to admit...I am not terribly surprised. I am so jaded about health care right now. Unfortunately I have seen too many things like this. It is ridiculous. I am glad that reagan bounced back after one cookie but again...so sorry YOU had to go through all of that aggravation!!

Unknown said...

Hello Mom's worst nightmare right there! HUGS!!!!! I'm so sorry for both of you!

But you are right the scarring looks like it will be minimal. Poor little one. Hug her for us!

Love and blessings to a better week!
Jill

Bailey said...

Oh my goodness. The run around you received is ridiculous to say the least. As least she is doing well now. Hugs to you all.

Sharon said...

What an ordeal! I'm happy it is finally over and the stitches are out! Love the pics and I definitely laughed out loud at the one of her stepping on Raggedy Ann : )

Debbie said...

Crikey...what an ordeal! Am so glad to see a smiling girl ....I think there will be hardly any scar, healed so well :-) Dx

pix-ology said...

Oh my goodness Lisa, this just seems so unfair...poor baby and poor you! So glad this is all behind you!
Hugs,
Janet

carolinagirl said...

So sorry! I had a couple of experiences like that with Emma and needing her blood drawn (six vials) when we brought her home.
Also had a similar experience with Brendan when he needed stitches a second time. Our Peds office does not do stitches, but thankfully it was during the week so they sent us across the street to the plastic surgeon. After the papoose board experience, JC elected to remove the stitches himself in his office instead of taking Brendan back to the surgeon (the plastic surgeon was not happy, and we had to sign all kinds of waivers), but it was so worth it not to have to go back there.
Sorry it was so traumatic, but I do think her eye looks wonderfully healed!

Wanda said...

Jeepers - that had to be so frustrating and upsetting. So glad that's behind you. And I'm so glad that it's healing so well.

Take care this week!

hugs,
W

Gail said...

Good Lord...you can imagine what I'd really like to say about this!!!! what idiots (I can say that and it's true!). Happy it eventually worked out and she's back to her smiley self. Cookies do help in all ways!

Hope your week is off to a good start now...

xoxo Gail

Marla said...

Poor sweet girl!! I can't believe they missed one after all of that.

Love the pics, the one of her standing on Raggedy Ann's face made me laugh out loud!

See you in a few days!!

likeschocolate said...

Her eye looks great! Sorry about all the frustration.

Patricia said...

Oh my goodnes, Lisa, I am so sorry you all had to go through this frustrating experience!

On the bright side, though, it is now OVER & it sounds like Reagan is healing beautifully!

Love the photos...as usual...when don't I love the photos?!? lol!!

Have a great week, my friend!!

Tina Michelle said...

I love those pics. She is so adorable. I cannot believe you had to go back twice and got the runaround. How rude. I am glad it is taken care of but I wish they would learn their lesson and stop passing the patient.

The Gang's Momma! said...

Oh you poor girls! What a crappy experience. I'm so sorry! But she looks AS CUTE AS EVER, and I'm sure she'll forget it all far sooner than you will :)

I would ABSOLUTELY draft a letter, to each of the managers in charge of all three locations. That kind of run-around for such a simple procedure, and on a CHILD no less, is unacceptable. For you, for her, and certainly for them. There's a way you can say it all and be nice but they really need to know. My hubby works at CHOP and I've told him about similar run-arounds that I've gotten and he's gone right to the directors. They "get" that patient care is their bread and butter, their mission and were happy to rectify. Having said that, I'm also fairly quick to pass out kudos when they do a good job. They rarely hear that, unfortunately. You could mention the awesome nurses and their care in the same letter.

Sara said...

What sweet photos of Reagan! She is such a cutie, and these shots are so fun... I especially love the one where her nose is scrunched up and she is hugging Raggedy Ann!
Her eye looks wonderful!
SO sorry you had such a yukky experience with the Dr.s & hospital:( That is so frustrating! When my little guy was four he had to have stitches in his chin after going over the handlebars on his scooter. It was so hard! They wrapped him in a papoose as well, and after a coupole of minutes he looked up at the nurse and said (through his teeth) "I'll make you a deal - take this off and I won't move." The nurses had to giggle at his spunk, but it really was SO tough!!! SO glad it's finished, and hoping this is the first and last visit you and sweet Reagan ever have for stitches!
Sara :)

M3 said...

Oh that is just awful!! That kind of stuff makes me crazy - add in my kiddo that they're messing with and It's 10 times worse. So sorry!!

DawnS said...

Not good! I never have easy medical experiences it seems. Her eye is looking really great though! That picture of her standing (or stomping??) on Raggedy Ann's face is hilarious!

Virginia said...

Oh, these photos are incredible! I love every last one of them. It's so obvious you're having a great time photographing your adorable girl. Her eye looks like it's healing really well. I'm so sorry to hear about the ridiculous ordeal you had to endure just to get stitches removed. I worked in a pediatric office for 12 years and we regularly removed ER sutures,and even put in sutures as long as they didn't think a plastic surgeon was necessary. This was just inexcusable, but I'm glad she recovered so quickly.

Gin =)

Michelle R Photography said...

Oh Lisa, I am so sorry to hear about the run around you & Reagan got!! Such horrible treatment!! I'm glad to hear all is well now and you hopefully won't have to go back for a visit anytime soon. You really should write that letter. They need to change their system.

Reagan's eye looks like it is healing well. I loved my Raggedy Ann doll as a kid. The one where she is stepping on her face just cracks me up. he he.

I hope you have a great week. Drive safely!! BTW, we're planning a family vacation out your way the third week of July and hope to make a stop in Philly to see some bloggy friends. Once I know dates, I'll let you know. It would be great to finally meet!!

xoxo,
Michelle

Catherine said...

Poor, poor sweetie! Stitches being removed are painful at the best of times. Hugs to your sweet Reagan - and some for mommy too.

Freckles & Dimples Photography said...

what a pain....the whole medical profession is such a mess. i think her eye looks great, though! have a great week
Mindy

jade said...

Well they've said it all above! Thanks for the pictures and the update and hurray for Reagan healing so fast!
ps and well done for finding the forgotten stitch!

JMCS said...

Thank goodness Reagan is such a great little healer. I want to smack those people for being so frickin' incompetent, but so typical. So glad Reagan is doing better now and her doll is so cute, just like Reagan. Her eye looks great Lisa.

Hugs,
Jonni

Anonymous said...

Believe it or not. Hospitals want to know about these problems. Looks on the hospitals website and see if you can find a place to email someone about your experience. Make sure it goes to someone in upper management. Please also tell them about the two nurses that were so helpful. If no email addresses are available, make a phone call and ask to speak to someone in the CEO's office. Judy

Mimi said...

Lisa, Reagan is blossoming even more in your loving family. I can't believe the (further) change in her!
Absolutely fabulous picture of her laughing in that little chair- precious photo.
Re the hospital, I agree with Judy to put it all in writing if possible (I know it takes time and you're busy). When my first baby was born, we needed a harness for her hips, and as they began to fit it, they told us we needed long socks, which of course we didn't have. I was furious, as well as feeling totally inadequate. As soon as I gathered my strength, I wrote to the hospital, and enclosed 50 pairs of socks, enough to last 1 year, so parents wouldn't have to go through what we went through.
Years later, somebody told me that the hospital now provides the socks. I was so glad I had written that letter.

Briana's Mom said...

Reagan's eye is looking great! Sorry to hear about all the garbage you had to go through to get the stitches out though. There is no doubt a letter needs to be written about the incompetence. I am really tired of the "pass the patient" thing.

Love R stepping on Raggedy Ann's face.

Lindy said...

So cute to see Miss R in her new chair. What adorable shoes. I found much comfort from my "Raggy" when I was young and hope Reagan does, too. I love their coordinating outfits.

Anonymous said...

As a pediatric nurse, I want to encourage to write the hospital administrators about your experience. Bad care is not acceptable! I would also make your insurance company aware that your pediatrician does not remove sutures, an emergency room is an expensive place to have sutures removed. So glad that Reagan was easily consoled, but I hate the experience for both of you.

Robin said...

I am SO sorry you & poor Reagan had to go through this!! I'm glad to hear that Reagan bounced back after just one cookie!! To be honest, I'm not too surprised by anything these days. Tyler went in for his 2year ck-up & received his routine vaccines only to get a phone call just a couple of weeks later to tell us one of them will need to be repeated b/c it was given 2-weeks too early!! To say I was mad is putting it very lightly ... I was furious & I DID write a letter!!

Love the chair ... just the right size :)

xoxo - Robin

snekcip said...

I love the resiliency of kids! We also had a "nightmare" on removing stitches on my little one! Her "cut" was right above her left eye *underneath the brow area" and NO ONE wanted to remove them* they too were very stitched and very hard to remove! It was a nightmare!!! I think I cried more than she did!

Glad to see Reagan eye is healing well!

Liz said...

sorry you went thru all of that and that she will be ok.
Very pretty girl.

BA said...

Oh my oh my oh my--twice and the run around--I would have been CRAZY MOM!!! As usual you handled it with grace and fabulous PICTURES!!!!! After all that --it really looks good!!! Thinking of you and feeling your pain and Regan's pain!!! Write a letter!!!! Our daughter fell in a store at Disney and needed 4 stitches just above her lip--I wrote a letter--not much happened--but I felt heard and better for putting it out there!
BA

Moments and Impressions said...

oh how awful!! but I can't stop smiling at the pigtails!

Anonymous said...

So sorry you all had to go through that awful ordeal! Glad to see her scar is healing nicely (vitamin E is good for scars). Love these photos especially the one of Reagan stepping on the doll.

Margaret said...

...3 - 5 days is typical for an eye stitch or really anything on the face. The ER should have removed them, but it was probably a second charge...? Your pediatrician really should have removed them and it certainly makes their day a lot easier if they take that stance/policy. I would consider calling around and switching Pediatricians. And by all means write complaint letter(s). I often think experiences like this hurt us way more than the children - I have six kids and know how horrible a trip to the ER is - and it always seems to be at the craziest/busiest of times. You sound like a wonderfully, loving advocate for your precious children!

Buckeroomama said...

I just read this... ugh! I'm so sorry that you and Reagan had to go through this... twice!

DiJo said...

Will you please come to China with me and take my pics!!!! :)

I love every single one!!!!!!!

~Diana

Julie said...

Reagan is beautiful and that photo of her stomping poor little Anne is my FAVORITE! It's awesome!

Sorry about your experience. It made my blood boil to read about it. My poor middle son was in the hospital for a week, so sick, so many tests and needle sticks. Finally after a week of asking if they'd test him for food allergies they did and guess what? It was food allergies. Gee thanks for scaring me with liver problems and metabolic disorders and seizures and more for no reason. I never thought I'd be glad for food allergies.