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Last Five Entries
Veteran's Day and an Etiquette Question
2004-08-06 - 4:12 a.m.
I'm here and I'm STILL alive!
After a round at the Patient First, southside regional medical center emergency room (by ambulance no less) a visit to my primary care physician and a visit with my sent-from God OB/Gyn, I'm home.
I went to the Patient First for lower abdominal pain. They took blood and urine and determined that both are fine and I'm not pregnant. They could do nothing for me but give me a shot of Toradol and send me to the ER. Because I was in such pain, they had me go by ambulance.
I got the ER and they ddecided I needed a "surgical on-call" doctor and they did a workup of my blood and urine and then sent me for a CT scan. When they decided that I wasn't a surgical candidate, they put in me a room around the corner from the nurses station, gave me an IV of demerol and phenergan and left me alone. (I'd like to think they checked on me while I was out cold, but I can't say for sure). I woke up and about ten minutes later, the doctor came in, looked at the floor and said "I don't know what's wrong, your urine and blood are normal, you're not pregnant and you CT scan is normal, see your PCP in the morning. Bye." No one else was called in, nothing happened. I had explained to him that I had PCOS and I swear his eyes glazed over and that was pretty much the end of his time with me. And that was it. No abdomen palpation. Nothing. I got a prescription for Percocet and then the nurse came to remove the IV, she put a folded 2 x 2 non-sterile pad and tape over the site and then tried to take my blood pressure (on the same arm), when the cuff inflated, blood started pouring out of the IV site. At that precise and exact moment, I was done. I instructed her (okay.. not quite hysterically) to take it all off and give me my clothes. "I am done". I got dressed with Alan's help and I was out the door.
We got home and I fell across the bed, still groggy from the demerol and slept. I had nightmares and kept waking up every time I moved. I determined that sleep wasn't my friend. I woke up still in pain at 3AM and took a Percocet, vowing to not take another one until I saw a doctor so the meds wouldn't mask my pain. (I think part of the issue is that I came to the ER with Toradol already in my system, so they never saw me writhing in pain at the Patient first putting on a show that would have made the Exorcist proud!
The next morning (Thursday); Alan decides to make the rounds with me. We finally get in touch with the nurse who schedules a 1PM appointment with who be believe to be my PCP; but they want my records from the ER visit... so we traipse off to the ER (now.. keep in mind faithful readers that I am in INTOLERABLE pain with every movement below my waist); and they tell him that I need to come with him to sign a release form.
So, doing my best to be good, we go into the hospital by the ER, and we get directions to X-ray (where my CT scan was done); we get there and the witch at the desk (and no, she wasn't wiccan that I know of..) was not just that hospital's usual inefficient staff, she was rude and insulting. My husband, who normally blows a gasket, was very calm, realizing that she had something we needed, he decided to be nice.. me.. however, wanted to vault the counter and take her out. I had to walk away from the desk or it would not have been pretty.
When I returned, he had my ct-scan (on disk) in hand and were out the door. I did stop by the ER department and was handed a leaflet that was basically a "how did we do". That will be a hoot to fill out when I'm up to it.
From there it was a winding course to medical records... no wait.. the OTHER medical records... you know the one we passed about a mile back but there was no sign on the door.. yeah.. that one. We got to medical records, I showed them my driver's license and we paid the $11.50 to copy MY records. We left there and went to the other mecca of streaming efficiency.. Medical College of Virginia.
Sure as their word, I got in to see the doctor at 1PM, only it wasn't my doctor... it was the "Urgent Care" doctor. I didn't care if he could help me. Well, they took another urine sample, did some palpation of my abdomen, and did a "female thing", and as he put it, he could tell me a hundred things it wasn't, but he couldn't tell me what it was. He suggested I get an appointment to see my Ob/GYN.
At this point, I was too tired to cry. Every step I took was a new study in ways to not curl up in a fetal position. (Yes, it really did hurt that bad.) Since my Ob/Gyn was in the next building over and I was already in pain, what's another 20-30 feet or more?
So.. off we trudged without a hope in the world I'd get to SEE my ob/gyn. We got there, I explained my problem to the receptionist, who had my chart pulled and set me up to see the nurse. When the nurse realized that I was in pain and that by then, I look exhausted and defeated.. she went and found.. of all things.. my own OBGYN. I was never more happy to see another human in my entire life.
After an exam (I won't bore you with those details). He found the problem... a severe female infection. I didn't care what he called it, only that I had vindication that I wasn't crazy and someone (other than my dear husband) was willing to do what was necessary to help me).
Anyway... two antibiotics (one that cost over $200, thanks to insurance it only cost us slightly over $65); and some sleep and I'm better able to deal with life.
I still hurt, and I will for a few more days, but at least I know now it will end. There's nothing worse than being in pain and not knowing the reason or whether or not it will end.
So.. in short, it's been a rough day and a half, but I'm still alive and I still have the same parts I started with. I guess that's a positive...right?
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