DON'T GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM
I made that mistake the other day. I was on my way home and I have been having a little trouble with my left hand. What I think it is, and what they (the entire emergency medical department) think it is has yet to be resolved. So I walk in (I normally do not go) and a nurse is talking to some women and her Marine husband about her Active TB shot reaction. That is not a good sign! So I am being polite and waiting my turn and the Nurse turns to me and ask sarcastically..."Can I help you?" Tone of voice will set me off faster than anything else. So I said, "Why yes, you can move your butt out of the way so I can sign in." She and the TB couple realized they were blocking the check in station. The Marine apologized and the Nurse walked away. I told the Marine not to worry about it but my point was made with the nurse. So I signed in and I thought that I would be there about a half hour. The NASTY Nurse came out into the waiting room with my chit and says " Are these newwwwww symtoms?" I said WHAT? Am I suppose to come in and complain about the same thing over and over? Of course there new..what do you think I'm here for? How long have you had them...? About five days says I. What brings you in today about them? They didn't go away like I asked them too says I. So Nurse Krachet scurries off to the coffee machine..About 15 minutes went bye and lots of people start coming in with all kinds of ailments...I thought I would be the only one there for awhile, but that was not to be..Next a hospital Corpsman comes in and I'm having a blood drawn, an IV stuck in my arm, an EKG being performed and a Cat Scan is ordered...Hell I only wanted an Asprin!. I think I might have pissed Nurse Krachet off! Well right in the middle of the EKG my cell phone goes off...It's the little woman.. who is not happy that I'm late. She ask me where I am...It's all down hill from there folks..I did ask her to stay home but after waiting a few minutes..(about four hours) in she walks...Now the fun (all the test) was almost over but you don't mention Heart Attack or Stroke around your wife without some kind of explanation...Unfortunately for me the doctor did mention those words...My original complaint??? He can't tell me what caused that but he told me I needed to see my regular doctor as soon as possible..I don't have a REGULAR doctor. My doctors are all IRREGULAR. What happened was that my hand is not functioning properly, I think it is nerve damage from an earlier injury. Well you know what the doctor thinks. He said my blood pressure was a little elevated (NOT HIGH) borderline and I had a abnormal EKG..Do you think my being pissed off by Nurse Krachet and having to explain all this to my wife might have something to do with that? BBBLOOD Pressure my ass...Look at the steam coming out my ears. So my theory of take two asprin and go to bed is not floating. If you don't wake up the next morning you may want to seek medical attention. So I am still trying to explain to my whole family that I'm fine but no one believes me...because I don't normally go to the doctors office so this might be the BIG ONE...What is the big one anyway? We are all going to die eventually so all of this is railing against the inevitable....Right? I just think I pissed Nurse Krachet off so she ordered all these test and told the doctor I didn't look good...What does her being ugly have to do with anything? So the wife had a doctors appointment the next day and asked her doctor about all that stuff and he said it is nothing to worry about...So he'll see me in September and the Government hospital will see me in September and the Base Emergency Room will close in October and never do this to anyone again...So how was your day? Thank God it's the weekend...I then here the Bridge collapsed in Minn. MN where my daughter lives with her family...If I had a bad heart, that news would have killed me..Especially when I couldn't get through on the phone all night and she didn't call until her girlfriend told her it might be a good idea to call her parents...YA THINK!!! Oh this may be the big one Ethel!!! Later!
posted by MYSTIC @ 12:37 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Geez...you gotta love doctors and nurses. Of course your nice mood may not have helped matters any. I am glad to hear that your daughter is ok.
ROFL good for you, she needed a wakeup call (or shot in the butt)
The key word here is EMERGENCY!, if you need an aspirin go to the local drug store, not an emergency room! The problem with overcrowding in emergency rooms is people today don't want to make time form healthcare and don’t have primary medical doctors, so they overcrowd the emergency rooms with primary care and chronic issues, then complain when the wait is long or the doctors need to "re-invent the wheel" because of lack of medical history. If your daughter is old enough to drive, you are old enough to have heart disease. You are fortunate that an ER doctor took the time to check you out so thoroughly. This is not the norm. You should thank them, especially because your need for an aspirin may have cost someone with a real emergency precious time and delayed treatment. And I agree Don't go to the emergency room, WHEN YOU DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE AN EMERGENCY! Our healthcare system is overcrowded, underfunded, and understaffed. Americans should re-direct their anger and do something about the problem. Take responsibility for your own health and stop placing the blame where it doesn’t belong!
exactly!!! your hand issue surely wasn't an emergency so next time call your doctor and make an appointment. 5 days of hand pain, give me a break. the problem with you taking a ho-hum chief complaint like your hand to an ED is that the emergency physician has to rule out all the stuff that could kill you. so yes, all the tests done in the ED that day may have been pointless to you but in fact the physician was just doing his job. just keep in mind that the lady next door to you dying from her heart attack that did present as hand numbness/pain probably could have been treated faster if you have just stayed home where you should've been.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Post a Comment
<< Home