How to Survive an Inpatient Hospital Stay When You’re Autistic
Hint: Avoid It If Possible
I recently had an emergency admission to a general hospital with acute pancreatitis. I’m a chronic pain sufferer but this was the worst acute pain I’d ever experienced.
Someone Like Me
After a scan confirming the diagnosis at A&E (Emergency Room), a doctor told me that it was usually people with a gallbladder and heavy drinkers who get pancreatitis. I didn’t fit into either category.
Apart from the pain, by far the biggest challenge in hospital was being out of control of my environment. From sitting in a hard chair for hours to blinding strip lights and bleeping machines it was a sensory nightmare.
I Wasn’t Prepared
Finally on the ward, a trainee nurse told me she’d been sent to write my Care Plan. It was her first ever attempt, she said. I felt nauseated, exhausted and ill, whilst she asked me question after question.
She kept leaving to consult a senior about the meaning of certain things. It lasted two hours. She asked whether I had an “emergency…
