There's a screamer at my unit.

[bette1]

The recently moved a woman onto my shift who screams every 5 minuites or so during treatment.  She doesn't seem to know what's going on, and she yells so loud that you can hear it with your ear phones on. 

She comes in with a care giver who doesn't seem to be willing or able to do anything about the screaming.  It's driving me crazy.  She wakes me up if I am lucky enough to get to sleep and even more than that, it's disturbing to be stuck in a chair listening to someone scream.

Is there anything that can be done about it.  I'm thinking about complaining to the unit manager, but I don't want to be mean.  She deserves to live, but she can't just disturb the other patients every treatment.

[twirl]

I would complain -- that would keep my bp up -- dialysis is bad enough without listening to that --
maybe they will do something if enough patients complain -- I would not want to be mean either but I would complain

[iketchum]

Its easy to get annoyed when on dialysis. I dont like being hooked up for four or five hours and sometimes the guy next to me, who is deaf, makes all kinds of rude noises. I have to remember we all have problems. How many people get upset or annoyed with my ranting and raving about some disease they know nothing about.Tell the techs or nurse by all means. We actually have a chair in a separate room, isolation ward I call it, that would siut your friend.

[dwcrawford]

We have SCREAMERS (plural)...  I complained about one and I finally got moved.

We have had an additional screamer the last three days though (ME).  My new sticker is a sadist I believe.

[bette1]

Our unit doesn't have an isolation chair.  I don't mind the occasional yelp or talking, but she has screamed every few minutes, the entire treatment, for the past month.  I have complained to the techs and the nurses, but they give me the impression that they can not do anything about it.  I waited a long time to get on 2nd shift, so I don't want to have to change.  I am beyond frustrated.

[dwcrawford]

ours has 4 in isolation but the wouldn't send roy

[Chris]

Carry in a roll of duct tape and place it on her table or give it to the care giver with a special note and How To Use Direction 

I don't miss that from my unit I use to go to. What they ended up doing was giving them a sedative before she came in on a stretcher and that was much better.

I would complain, not fair for you or others.

[fluffy]

There was a screamer whn i first started, the nurses were used to him and they just ignored him. what i did is picked up a set of noise cancelling heaphones for the tv and earplugs for when i wanted to sleep. he pretty much stopped existing for me.

[angellady07]

Bette, I had a problem with a screamer. I was in the chair next to her. She would not only scream she also tried climbing out of her chair. I complained not only because of the screaming but for her safety. The charge nurse eventually brought in a family member to sit with her during dialysis to calm her down. Didn't work. Now she's medicated.

[peleroja]

When I was in hemo for a while, they had a moaner.  Every few seconds, she would moan, "help,"  or "you're killing me."  Sometimes she would call out one of the name of one of the technicians, over and over again.  A few times she actually started calling out my last name!  Sheesh.

[Phraxis]

I am in a Community Dialysis Unit rather than a Hospital Unit, It feels like it is a "privilege" to be in the calmer, more friendly less hospital-like setting. I suspect that if a screamer developed they would be returned to the hospital. However, it does have the benefit of an incentive for cooperative behavior, adherance to diet and, I know it is a "c" word like 'compliance' but not so dictatorial.

And for the really good kids, they get to do home D! (I don't qualify cuz I forgot to get married and my family is too far away -- meaning there are practical criteria that are outside of one's control.) :-)
For my part, my game plan was too marry a nurse but decided to have a transplant instead.

On another note, tolerance is a skill we could all develop but they, the all powerful "they", don't say we can't complain, allot! While we gain tolerance.

[Chris]

Phraxis, I like that because it fits me to, "forgot to get married" 

[dwcrawford]

I miss Roy.

[kitkatz]

I hated it when a screamer came into our center several year ago. It was another center I was in. Before she turned into a screamer, though, there were some great battles between her and her cubby mates. she could not walk and this other patient was in a wheelchair, too. They threatened to beat the crap out of each other after treatment. Lordy!

[Chris]

That's a scene out of South Park Kitkatz 

[sico]

There were no screamers when i was on in center HD. They had two isolation chairs, i actually got put in there a couple times.
But i liked it, didn't have to share the tv! There was a couple old patients that would imitate noises each other would make across the room, but that was funny.

For my part, my game plan was too marry a nurse but decided to have a transplant instead.

Phraxis, i'd marry a nurse instead of having a transplant any day. 

[Chris]

Naaaah, transplant better 

[sico]

I want both actually....... slap me i'm dreaming!

[dwcrawford]

In the long run, it would be cheaper to hire a nurse...

[glitter]

gee- I thought you fellas liked a 'screamer' .....

[Wallyz]

Oh no you didn't go there...

Seriously, I had a screamer girlfriend in college.  Embarrassing as heck.

[Jess21]

We are getting really talented on switching subjects aren't we? 
I've seen/heard screamers at two clinics...both times was when I was there not on my normal shift.  One was an older lady who randomly yelled every 5 minutes.  She sounded like a goat.  Not trying to be mean, just stating facts.    I know what a goat sounds like.  I was on farm for school that week. 
Another was a mentally challenged person.  She randomly screamed, I'm lucky my 15 gauge needles didn't end up in ceiling. Wasn't expecting it!

[RichardMEL]

Ha ha the subject always turns to sex.. and given that I seem to be associated with that stuff I'll get to a "screamer" story below (since you all expect it of me I know!) 

About Dialysis Unit screamers... oh, yes I've seen(heard!) my share.. the "you're killing me!" types - I've heard a few (and it's sad because clearly they're in pain and miserable and that doesn't make anyone happy) and then there's just the crazy (usually dementia or similar) patients that are the bane of most who work with the aged (and that's not really the patients fault - again sadly). In general they end up being medicated as much as anything.

Now for the OTHER sort... I was reminded of one particular lady I was with by Wallyz's comment

I was seeing this girl and we were travelling through the great north of North America (ie: Canada ) anyway we wound up in Edmonton. We wanted to stay at the "cool" themed hotel at the West Ed Mall, but it was full so we decided for fun to find the "worst" place we could to stay (as in slewzy). Well we found the perfect place over a bar.. it was like $30/night with a $5 key deposit (and I think half the rooms were rented by the hour anyway!). The rooms were bare boned, and the walls were paper thin. Well let's just say in the morning before we left we decided to start the day off in the usual way and it was quite a session (before KD really took hold!) and well she was quite vocal.... so when we emerged from the room and went downstairs to check out (and get our $5 back!!) the guy there just looked at us with this awesome "I know it was YOU!" expression.... we walked outside and both burst out laughing!!! I will always remember that night! 

[RightSide]

Do you go to the same dialysis center I do?  Because we've got a screamer too!

She is a real performance artist, all right.
Plus, she doesn't even care about dialysis.  Half the time, the nurses have to phone her at her home to beg her to show up. 

I'm forced to bring earplugs, since I don't watch TV and so I don't wear earphones.