Being in the hospital is already scary, and it’s even worse when personal conflicts come up during such a stressful time. The Reddit thread r/AmItheA**hole has many stories where people share their most intense hospital experiences. Some involve parents refusing to stay with their child, while others are about frustration with healthcare workers.
Check out these stories and decide who you think was right or wrong in each situation.
1. AITA for Not Chatting with My Hospital Roommate?
I (30F) had surgery earlier today. Six months ago, I had a baby, but there was a complication that couldn’t be treated at the time, so I had surgery now.
I was the first surgery of the day, and after recovering, I was moved to an observation ward. A little while later, a woman in her 40s was brought in as my roommate. I had been watching TV on my iPad with the volume up, but when she arrived, I put in my AirPods to be considerate.
In the afternoon, my husband brought our baby to visit. After they left, my roommate started chatting with me. I talked with her for about 30 minutes but then apologized and said I needed to take a nap. She got upset and called me selfish.
When I woke up, she was gone. When I asked for pain meds, the nurse mentioned that my roommate had demanded to be moved while I was sleeping, saying I should have been “kinder with my words.” I don’t think I did anything wrong by wanting to rest, but I still felt a little bad.
Update:
I’m in a private hospital, and though I requested a private room, it wasn’t guaranteed. Yesterday and today were the last days for elective surgeries.
A nice surprise was that an old classmate of mine works in the recovery ward. She saw my name on the patient list and didn’t want to surprise me right after surgery, but she texted me and then visited this morning. We had a great chat, and she got to meet my baby when my in-laws brought him by.
It turns out my roommate was never supposed to be in my room since there were plenty of empty ones. My new nurse told me she was still complaining about me. She was even walking up and down the ward making comments. She said something rude to my mother-in-law as she was leaving, but my MIL told her to mind her own recovery instead of worrying about me.
I’m getting discharged tomorrow morning, so I’m just trying to rest before I go home to my little family.
2. AITA for Going to the Hospital After My Ex’s Son Called Me?
Seven years ago, I started dating a woman named Maya. She had a son, Mark, who was four at the time. Mark’s father passed away when he was a baby, so he never got to know him.
Maya and I had a good relationship, and over time, I bonded with Mark too. By the time he was seven, we were a close trio. Unfortunately, Maya and I broke up two years ago—not because of cheating or anything bad, but simply because we had problems we couldn’t work through.
Last week, in the middle of the night, I got a call from Mark. When I was dating Maya, I had given him my number and told him to call if he ever needed help. He had never used it since our breakup, but that night, he was panicked. He told me that he and Maya had been in a car accident. He was okay, but Maya was hurt, and they were at the hospital.
I wasn’t sure what to do at first, but since Maya has no living relatives and Mark was alone, I decided to go and be there for him.
When I arrived, Maya was still unconscious, so I stayed with Mark for several hours. When she woke up and saw me, she asked why I was there. I explained that Mark had called me.
She told me I shouldn’t have come and asked me to leave. At the time, I apologized and left, thinking maybe I had crossed a line. But now, looking back, I don’t feel like I did anything wrong. Mark was scared and called someone he trusted. Was I wrong to go? AITA?
3. AITA for Not Paying My Nephew’s Hospital Bill?
I have four kids: Alexis (15), Lucas (12), Ronnie (11), and Allie (8). Alexis has a lot of health issues, so we’re in and out of the hospital a lot.
Because of her condition, Alexis has a PICC line (a type of long-term IV) and takes daily blood thinner injections. We have needles and vials of medicine at home, and sometimes she also gets pain medication through her PICC line.
My sister has two kids, Andrew (12) and Alyssa (9). Recently, she brought them over to play with my kids. A couple of days before their visit, Alexis had a minor procedure. I was showing my sister a funny video of her after the procedure while she was still groggy from pain meds. Alexis is okay with me sharing these videos with family.
Andrew walked in, heard the video, and asked about it. I told him Alexis had just had some pain meds.
Later, while the kids were grabbing snacks, Andrew found Alexis’s medicine container in the pantry. He asked what it was, and I told him it was her medication.
My sister and I went for a walk with our dogs. When we came back, I went to the pantry for a snack and noticed the medicine box had been moved. I checked and saw that one of the blood thinner vials was much emptier than before, and a syringe was missing.
After questioning all the kids, we found out that Andrew had injected himself with a large dose of blood thinner. He thought it was pain medicine and wanted to get high.
My sister rushed him to the hospital, where he had to stay overnight. Now she’s sending me the hospital bill, saying it’s my fault for leaving the medicine where he could access it. I’m refusing to pay because my own kids (who are younger than Andrew) know not to touch other people’s medicine, so he should have known better.
She’s now threatening to sue me, but I don’t want things to go that far. Am I wrong for refusing to pay?
4. AITA for Calling My Girlfriend Selfish for Being Mad I Missed Our Child’s Birth?
My girlfriend Jane and I (both 26F) have a one-year-old son. There was a lot of drama around his birth.
I have had chronic heart problems since birth and have undergone multiple surgeries, the last one when I was 15. I’ve been doing well since then, but when Jane was six months pregnant, I got really sick. It affected my heart and lungs badly, and I had to stay in the hospital for a month. I felt terrible about not being there for Jane, but she was very understanding.
Then, two days before her due date, I was rushed to the hospital again because of fluid buildup around my heart. Doctors had to drain it immediately. While I was recovering, my brother-in-law visited and told me Jane had given birth. I was both thrilled and heartbroken that I had missed it.
I had to stay overnight for monitoring, but as soon as I was discharged, I went straight to see Jane and our baby. At the time, we were both overwhelmed with joy, so it didn’t seem like an issue.
However, over the past year, Jane has been showing more and more resentment toward me for not being there. It all came to a head last night during our date night. I had planned a special evening—our baby was with grandma, I got her favorite takeout, set up a movie night, and even planned a spa evening. But she wasn’t feeling any of it.
When I asked what was wrong, she admitted she was still angry that I missed the birth. We argued, and I ended up calling her selfish. I told her I was seriously ill and had no choice in the matter. She got upset, said I was being patronizing, and told me she had never felt so disrespected before storming off to bed.
5. AITA for Spending Time with a Random Kid in the Hospital?
My daughter is in the hospital due to organ failure caused by an eating disorder. Thankfully, I’m able to stay with her.
In the room next to hers, there’s a 15-year-old girl named Mila who has an intestinal disorder. She’s been in the hospital for about three weeks. She always keeps her door open and chats with anyone nearby.
I started talking to her because I never saw her with visitors, and she seemed like a sweet kid. She told me this is her sixth hospital stay since Thanksgiving because her medications keep failing. The hospital is two hours from her home, and since she’s one of five kids, her mom can only visit once or twice a week. Her dad hasn’t visited at all.
Over time, we started spending more time together. She would call me over when she saw me in the hallway, and when my daughter wanted space, I’d hang out with Mila. We’d talk, play cards and board games, and I’d help with small errands like picking up her Target order, washing her clothes, or getting her snacks.
Yesterday, I was playing cards with her when her mom arrived. Mila introduced me, and her mom immediately asked why I was in her daughter’s room. I explained that my daughter was next door and that when she needed space, I spent time with Mila since she was often alone.
Her mom got really angry—at the nurses for allowing a “random woman” in her kid’s room and at me for “criticizing her parenting.” (All I said was that Mila spends a lot of time alone.) She also told me that Mila is autistic, which I didn’t know, and claimed that meant she couldn’t have properly invited me in. She even accused me of being a predator.
I told my husband about it, and while he agrees the mom is overreacting, he also thinks I probably shouldn’t be in a random kid’s hospital room.
AITA?
6. AITA for Filing a Complaint Against a Hospital Worker Who Tried to Touch My Baby?
Yesterday, I had a doctor’s appointment and had to bring my 7-month-old son with me. The appointment went fine, but afterward, I had to go downstairs to the lab to get some bloodwork done.
While I was waiting in line to check in, a woman approached me and started asking about my son—whether he was a boy or girl and how old he was. He was in his stroller, sleeping, with a blanket draped over the front to keep it dark and cozy.
Out of nowhere, this woman lifted the blanket to peek inside. I immediately, and a little annoyed, told her, “He’s sleeping right now. He’s been struggling with naps and was really cranky earlier.” Basically, a polite way of saying, “Don’t wake or touch my baby.”
But instead of backing off, she whispered, “Oh, okay, okay,” and then tried to reach under the blanket to touch him!
At that point, I was mad and snapped, “Don’t touch my baby. I don’t know you, and I already said he’s sleeping.” She then had the nerve to tell me it was okay because she worked at the hospital. That made me even angrier, so I sarcastically asked, “Oh, so are you here to draw my blood too since you work here and can do everything?”
She got offended and told me I was being rude, saying she just wanted to congratulate me and that it was “a shame motherhood didn’t make me sweet like other moms who love showing off their babies.” Then she walked away.
When it was my turn at the counter, I asked to file a complaint about her being rude and trying to touch my baby. The woman at the desk said I could but asked if I was sure because “lots of people like touching babies here, and most moms don’t mind.”
I was completely shocked. I got so frustrated that I just left the hospital before I lost my cool. Later, I called to reschedule my appointment and explained what had happened. The person on the phone apologized on behalf of the hospital and said they would file the complaint for me.
Now that I’ve had time to calm down, I feel a little guilty since I’ve never filed a complaint about anyone before. But at the same time, I’m still mad about how they treated me.
AITA?
7. AITA for Refusing to Watch a Sick Dad’s Kid Again?
I have two daughters, both in their early teens. My older daughter is autistic. A couple of years ago, my younger daughter had a sleepover for her birthday, and one of the guests, Elsie, later asked if she could stay over again because her dad, Gary, had to work a night shift. My wife and I were surprised since we didn’t really know him, but we said yes.
Later, Gary and Elsie joined a weekly class that my kids attend, and since Gary doesn’t drive, I give them a ride every week. That’s the extent of my relationship with him—we’re not close.
Over time, Gary asked a few more times (maybe 3 or 4) if Elsie could stay over. However, my daughter and Elsie have grown apart, and my autistic daughter finds houseguests stressful. It also disrupts our home office setup since we have to turn it into a bedroom. Even though it was inconvenient, we still agreed to help Gary out because he’s a single parent and Elsie needed somewhere to stay.
Recently, Gary got sick and was hospitalized. He asked if Elsie could stay with us, and we agreed because we felt bad for him. We had her for five days, not knowing at first how long it would be. Later, he needed to go back to the hospital unexpectedly and dropped her off at our house again without making other plans. This time, she stayed for ten days, and it became too much for us, especially for my autistic daughter, who really struggled with the disruption.
A few days after he got out, Gary messaged us again, saying he might have to go back to the hospital and that Elsie would like to stay with us again. At that point, I had to shut it down. I told him there was no way she could stay with us again. I feel bad because he says he has no one else, but I also feel like he’s had plenty of time to figure out other options. I need to put my own kids first.
Elsie’s mother is alive but apparently not an option, though I don’t know why.
So, AITA for refusing to help a sick single dad this time, even though we’ve already done it multiple times?
8. AITA for Not Spending Christmas in the Hospital with My Daughter?
I (39F) have a 16-year-old daughter who has had a sensitive stomach since she was a child. Certain foods make her extremely sick, causing nonstop vomiting. We’ve seen many doctors, but no one has given us a clear diagnosis. The best advice we’ve gotten is to identify and avoid her trigger foods.
We know what makes her sick—soda, chips, Cheetos, fried foods, and sweets. Unfortunately, these are her favorite things to eat. Even though she knows they make her feel terrible, she still refuses to cut them out. As a result, she has spent a lot of time in the hospital over the years.
When she was younger, it was easier to control what she ate since I just didn’t buy those foods. But now that she’s older, she eats them at school, trades food with friends, or gets fast food when she’s out. Every time, she ends up in the ER, miserable and throwing up.
This happened again on Christmas Eve. Our family gathered at our house, and among the many dishes were some of her trigger foods—chips, soda, chocolate, and sweets. But there were also plenty of home-cooked meals that don’t make her sick, and she even likes those dishes. Still, she chose to eat only the foods that upset her stomach.
I reminded her they would make her sick, but she said, “Christmas is only once a year, I just want to live a little.” A few hours later, she was back in the ER, violently ill. She had to stay in the hospital for a few days.
Unlike all the other times, I decided not to spend my Christmas in the hospital with her. I stayed home with our family, relaxing and enjoying the holiday. I kept in touch with her through calls and texts and arranged for other family members to bring her anything she needed. But I made it clear that I wasn’t going to visit.
She was really upset, crying every time we talked and saying I had abandoned her. Most of our family took her side, calling me everything from “a little extreme” to “cruel and heartless.”
AITA for not spending Christmas in the hospital with her this time?
9. AITA for Accidentally Causing My Co-Worker’s Allergic Reaction?
I (22M) and my co-worker Lukas (23M) wanted to surprise our co-worker Lily (25F) for her first work anniversary. With our boss’s permission, we decided to fill her entire office with balloons. We came in three hours early, spent about $50 on supplies, and finished decorating in two hours.
When Lily arrived and opened her office door, balloons spilled out and fell on her. She immediately started screaming and backed away. We jumped out to surprise her, but she told us she’s severely allergic to latex. I didn’t realize balloons were made of latex—I thought they were just rubber.
About 30 minutes later, her reaction got so bad that she had to be rushed to the hospital. She just got home today after recovering for two days. I never meant to cause harm, but she was really upset and said I should’ve known about her allergy.
So, AITA?
10. AITA for Telling My Pregnant Girlfriend I Can’t Take Her to the Hospital Every Time She’s Uncomfortable?
I (27M) and my girlfriend (21F) are expecting our first baby in May. This pregnancy has been really stressful, and my girlfriend is terrified of giving birth. Anytime she feels discomfort, she panics and wants to go to the hospital. I get that pregnancy is hard and scary, especially since she doesn’t have her family around, but I feel like she’s taking advantage of the fact that I’ll do anything for her just because she’s pregnant.
A few days ago, she said she didn’t feel good and was worried something was wrong with the baby. She wanted to go to the hospital again, but we’ve already gone four times for similar concerns. I had to go to work because we’re understaffed, so I told her that if she still felt bad later, we could go in the evening. She got upset and said I never take her pain seriously. I told her I can’t drop everything every time she’s uncomfortable—pregnancy just comes with discomfort. We argued, and I left for work.
When I got home, I asked if she was feeling better, but she wouldn’t answer. Now she won’t talk to me about the pregnancy at all, and I feel like she’s being manipulative by withholding information about our baby just because I didn’t take her to the hospital this time. I apologized and tried to explain my side, but she’s still upset.
She’s acting like I’m the bad guy, but I feel like she doesn’t see how exhausted and frustrated I am from constantly dropping everything for her. AITA?
11. AITA for Refusing to Bring My Wife Home from the Hospital?
My wife has stage 4 colon cancer. For the past year and a half, I’ve been working full-time while also doing most of the household chores and taking care of her. We have three teenagers (18M, 16M, 15F) who help, but I’ve become the main caregiver for everything.
About a year ago, my wife became unable to care for herself at all. She’s often angry, yells at me, cries hysterically, and sometimes talks about people who aren’t even in our lives anymore. She also says I’m not kind to her, even though I’ve put my entire life on hold to care for her.
Over the summer, I spoke to doctors about placing her in a nursing home, but they said it was complicated. My dad told me that if a patient isn’t picked up within three days after discharge, the hospital social worker has to place them in a care facility.
Last week, my wife was rushed to the ER. For the week she was in the hospital, I realized how exhausted I was. Taking care of her had drained me, and I was overwhelmed with being both mom and dad to our kids on top of working.
When the hospital said she was ready to be discharged, I decided I couldn’t do it anymore. I told them I wasn’t bringing her home and that she needed to be placed in a professional care facility. The hospital kept calling and begging me to take her back, but I refused, saying it was their responsibility to find her proper care.
Now my daughter is very upset that her mom isn’t coming home. My sons yelled at me, saying they would take care of her 24/7 if needed. But I knew the social worker would place her in a facility where she’d get the professional care she needs.
AITA for reaching my breaking point and refusing to bring her home?
12. AITA for Not Watching My Kids So Their Dad Could Be with His Wife in the Hospital?
My ex-husband and I divorced four years ago, and we share two daughters.
He got remarried a year ago, and I knew his wife was pregnant because my daughters told me they were expecting a sibling.
Last Friday was his scheduled week with our daughters, but he called and asked if I could take them early because he needed to be at the hospital with his wife. I told him no because that wasn’t a good enough reason to go against our custody agreement. I said he had options—he could stay with them, find a babysitter, or bring them to the hospital with him. Then I hung up before he could argue.
A couple of hours later, he texted me, calling me sick in the head and saying that for once, he needed my help, and I refused. His best friend, who used to be a mutual friend of ours, also messaged me, saying he hoped I was happy with myself.
I don’t see how I’m in the wrong here, but they clearly think I am. If I really was being unreasonable, I’ll apologize, but I need to know—AITA?
13. AITA for Leaving the Hospital After My Husband Asked for His Mom Instead of Me?
My husband (31) had surgery that required anesthesia. His mom waited with me at the hospital, but we didn’t really talk because we’ve had some minor disagreements. She offered me coffee, but I politely declined.
After the surgery, the hospital staff said only one person could visit him that day since he was still under anesthesia. When he woke up, he kept calling for his mom, so the nurse let her in instead of me.
I felt frustrated because I had spent all that time waiting and worrying, only to be ignored. The nurse tried to reassure me, saying he wasn’t fully awake and was calling for his mom without thinking. But I still felt upset, so I decided to go home after about 10 minutes.
Later, his mom called me, saying she had left the room after I left so I could have my turn with him. She was upset that I didn’t wait and accused me of overreacting. I told her that her son acted like I wasn’t even there, but she insisted it wasn’t his fault and accused me of being unfair. The conversation ended when I felt like she was blaming me for feeling ignored.
Then, her husband texted me, saying I was being petty and should focus on my husband’s health instead. But I don’t think I did anything wrong. AITA?
14. AITA for Walking Out of the Hospital After Hearing My Wife’s Diagnosis?
I (33M) got a call from the ER on Friday saying that my wife (32F) had driven herself there due to intense pelvic pain. I was on a business trip but drove back to be with her Saturday morning before she woke up.
When she woke up, the doctor came in to talk to her. She asked me to stay, so I did. The doctor told us that, based on her ultrasound and CT scan, she has ovarian cancer. My wife started sobbing, but I just sat there in shock, unsure how to process it.
She asked what this meant for her, and the doctor said she would likely need a full hysterectomy, which meant removing her ovaries and fallopian tubes. That news hit me hard because it meant she wouldn’t be able to have children.
For years, I had begged her to have kids, but she kept putting it off for her career. Now, just when I thought we were finally ready, the possibility was gone. I wasn’t just angry at the disease—I was angry at the years we lost and the fact that our dream of having biological children was over.
As I was struggling with these emotions, my wife grabbed my hand and told me, “We’ll fight this, and we can adopt.” But I shook my head and walked out. I drove to a hotel because I didn’t know if she would be discharged or what.
At the hotel, I was finally able to process everything, but I was still heartbroken. Later, my mother-in-law called and told me that if I was at a hotel or “wherever else,” I should just stay there.
AITA for walking out? I know it was impulsive, but this diagnosis turned our whole lives upside down. I know staying wouldn’t have changed anything, but I also feel like I have the right to grieve the loss of the future I wanted.
15. AITA for Being Mad That My Wife Didn’t Stay in the Hospital With Me?
I (35M) was in a motorcycle accident earlier this week. I ended up with a collapsed lung (which required a chest tube), a broken leg and arm, and torn ligaments in my knee. I’ve been in the hospital since Monday.
My wife (35F) has three kids from a previous marriage (17F, 10M, 5M), and we also have a 1-year-old together. She came to the hospital the day of my accident and stayed until around 4 AM. She came back that morning and has been visiting every day, but she’s been going home at night.
Yesterday, she left early (around 1 PM) to prepare the house for a hurricane, and today she didn’t come at all because the weather was bad and she didn’t want to leave the kids.
I told her I was upset because I felt like I was going through this alone. I said that if the roles were reversed, I would’ve stayed by her side no matter what. She told me she’s been there as much as possible but can’t just leave all the kids, especially since I’ll need a lot of help when I come home. She also pointed out that her daughter (17F) will already have to help a lot when she goes to work.
I told her that marriage means sticking together through thick and thin, and I feel abandoned. Now she’s barely talking to me.
AITA for feeling like she’s not prioritizing me enough?