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chibikaijuu
2007-02-19 07:36 pm UTC (link)

Ooh, ooh, is this "personal ER experience anecdote time"? I can overshare, too!

I seriously had not been to the ER since I was eight, and then when we moved back out to SF three years ago, I ended up there three times in the space of about a year.
September 2004 - went to sink to drain pasta. Poured in the wrong direction. Got my clothes off as quickly as possible, took ibuprofen, and lay down with an ice pack on my stomach. After over an hour, the pain hadn't diminshed at ALL, so I got worried and Mom drove me down to UCSF (we're pretty close by). Of course, we managed to choose a night where they had a big car accident (I didn't really see much and the part of the ER I was in didn't seem crowded, because the ambulance entrance is on the other side, but I saw them rush a couple of gurneys down the other hallway). Basically, they just kept bringing me more ice (very nice of them)...and then the nurse asked for a urine sample. When I asked him "why", he just stared at me like no one had ever dared question him before. He got the doctor, who said it was for a pregnancy test (I was just 18), and I said "I'm not pregnant", which took three repetitions before they decided to believe me. Eventually they said "okay, take your shirt off and we'll be with you in a moment" - which actually meant "half-an-hour". Of course, by the time I was actually examined I'd had a cold pack on my stomach for about five hours, and the pain had subsided considerably, but I did have a very bad first-degree burn with as few small blistered spots of second-degree, so they spread a silver-based antimicrobial over everything, gave me the rest of the tube, bandaged me up, and offered me Vicodin. I stared, said "it doesn't hurt *that* much, and finally got to leave. (Later I kicked myself for not taking the Vicodin, as it would have been nice for first-day menstrual cramps.)

Second time, November. Stepped on the inch-long prong of the power supply for my brother's electronic keyboard while getting ready for school, but instead of doing anything about it just went to class, because I had a chemistry exam. That evening while visiting Mom at Stanford, I took of my sock and shoe to show her, and a nurse came in, took one look, and sent me down to the ER. This was much quicker, as there was pretty much no one there. However, I got the most taciturn doctor I have *ever* met. Anything I said was met with monosyllabic grunts.

Third time, next November - idiot me let the (obviously overstimulated) kitten play with my hair, and he took a swipe that got me in the eye. I freaked the hell out, because, you know, EYE, and cried for ages before I managed to calm down enough to notice that I could, in fact, still see. But it was a Sunday and so we went to USCF again because no one else was open, and it was my EYE. I spent most of the time defending my poor kitty against people who insisted on calling me "the girl who got attacked by a cat", and going, "yes, he's our cat, yes, he's had all the shots he's old enough for, yes, he's healthy, no, my vision isn't obscured, no, it doesn't really even hurt anymore". In the end I was treated by the most hippie doctor EVER, all scraggly white beard and bandanna on his head, who insisted I get an injection of antibiotics *and* a scrip for a course of oral ones, *and* an antibiotic ointment for my eye, which was the only one that made any sense to me. (Turns out my Fluffles only got a teeny tiny scratch on the far left side of my eyeball, and most of the damage was on the underside of the eyelid.)

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2007-02-19 07:45 pm UTC (link)
	I thought it was horrible personal ER experience anecdote time. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	chibikaijuu 2007-02-19 07:57 pm UTC (link)
	Well, the excess of antibiotics after the cat scratched me did lead to a yeast infection.... And the first one was kinda bizarre, with the urine sample and everything, and the offering of Vicodin like candy. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2007-02-19 08:29 pm UTC

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2007-02-21 12:12 pm UTC

lykomancer
2007-02-19 08:07 pm UTC (link)

What's with the ER staff always assuming everyone even remotely female-seeming might be pregnant, even after you tell them (bluntly, confidently, REPEATEDLY) that you're not?

...no, I mean it. I'm really not. It's impossible without a divine act of God, and in that case, his name shall be Emmanuel, for I have not gotten laid in years.

I already feel like death, and now you bastards have to rub in the nonexistence of my sex life, too, to add insult to injury?
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
CAN I HAVE AN IV AND MEDICATION FOR WHAT I CAME IN HERE FOR NOW, PLEASE?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	chibikaijuu 2007-02-19 08:11 pm UTC (link)
	I was about ready to just shout "I CANNOT POSSIBLY BE PREGNANT BECAUSE I'M A SOCIAL RETARD AND HAVE NEVER HAD SEX, OKAY? I'M NOT JUST SAYING IT BECAUSE MY MOTHER IS NEXT TO ME. CAN WE GET ON WITH THE TREATMENT PLZKTHNX." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2007-02-19 08:34 pm UTC

	v_digitalwytch 2007-02-19 08:19 pm UTC (link)
	After a point of each time being asked that when I'd go in the ER, I just started to joke about it. "If I am, it's either the Second Coming or the Anti-Christ with probably a 30-70 split." It's gotten a few laughs, a couple strange looks and a request as to where's the betting pool on it. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	gweniveeve 2007-02-20 01:51 am UTC (link)
	That happened to me, but in part that was because I was having symptoms that could have been a ectopic pregnancy (turned out it was a kidney stone), and I was 19. The resident (I will always remember that he looked like a young Bill Nye the Science Guy) even sent my mom out of the room to ask again, "Are you SURE you're not sexually active?" (Reply to this)(Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2007-02-20 02:32 am UTC (link)
	Liability. If they gave a pregnant woman something that could possibly damage a fetus they could come back and sue. Granted, I would think that you saying "no, I'm not," should protect the hospital, but there's probably some stupid reason it doesn't. Like those idiot women who have kids in bathroom stalls and claim they never knew they were pregnant. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	lots42 2007-03-01 05:32 pm UTC (link)
	Way I hear it, some of the times, people end up saying 'I can't be pregnant, I only had sex once and then it was on the full moon'. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	luthe 2007-02-20 08:36 am UTC (link)
	Our ~~Death~~ Health Center does that. Of course, at a women's college it makes sense, but still, it annoys the heck out of the 2475925783 lesbians on campus (myself included). What do they expect, a lesbian Annunciation? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	seiberwing 2007-02-20 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	That would be hilarious, you must admit. Spontaneous lesbian pregnancies. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	kindest_demon 2007-02-21 04:01 am UTC (link)
	Oh man, my women's college health center was like that too. We actually devoted a skit to that on our skit night, with girls coming in for various complaints and all being given antibiotics and condoms. Even the lesbian with a "broken leg," cause you just never know... (Reply to this)(Parent)

(no subject) -

sequinedlizard, 2007-02-26 05:45 am UTC

slwatson
2007-02-19 09:31 pm UTC (link)

It's funny; I've never had a long wait in the ER waiting room. And I spent a month in and out of there for severe and absolutely brain-destroying pain. St. Elizabeth's in Youngstown, of course, has its fair share of people coming in and out (because, let's face it, it's Youngstown. And it's a level one trauma center, life flight included), but they never left me to suffer in the waiting room.

Mind you, I had some problems there. They tended to take far more patients than they had capacity to handle (which the doctors and nurses clued me in on) and waiting for a room upstairs even though you're under a 'direct admit, get this girl ready for surgery TOMORROW' order from your surgeon still lasted twelve or more hours. And it was crowded, and chilly.

I only had one complaint about care, though, and that was that one nurse who was having a bad day and I clashed. And both of us realized it was pain and stress and came to terms not long later.

So, while the ER wasn't fun, they were good to me. They never left me hurt for long, and even though once they had the pain managed they kinda forgot I existed for hours at a time, I was all right with that. They did their best to make sure I had blankets and pillows, and they were just as frustrated by the overload of patients as the patients were.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you need to get out of pain quickly and be treated fairly, and you don't mind waiting sometimes forty-eight hours for proper admission, St. E's in Youngstown is a good hospital, and none of 'em seem to subscribe to the unkindness of the Copypasta OP.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	caito 2007-02-20 12:14 am UTC (link)
	RANDOM, but several of my siblings were born at St. E's! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

slwatson, 2007-02-20 12:58 am UTC

(no subject) -

caito, 2007-02-20 04:52 am UTC

	black_spot 2007-02-19 09:54 pm UTC (link)
	I have three kids; of course I’m in and out A&E like a yoyo. If it’s not them, it’s because they are the cause of it. Telling children off is a dangerous occupation. Using the jabbing, pointed finger without noticing something is in the way, can lead to a cracked finger. My non-musical career is over. Woe was me. (Reply to this)

	sadisticferret 2007-02-20 12:22 am UTC (link)
	This one time I went to the ER, and they sent jack-booted nuns to my house to kill my dog. Then they stole all of my tea and shoved ferrets down my pants. ~emo tear~ (Reply to this)(Thread)

	chibikaijuu 2007-02-20 12:56 am UTC (link)
	But did they leave your cream and sugar? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	caito 2007-02-20 04:53 am UTC (link)
	Were they sadistic ferrets? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) -

sadisticferret, 2007-02-20 05:06 am UTC

	luthe 2007-02-20 08:40 am UTC (link)
	Ferrets make everything ~~better~~ worse. ~~laughs at you~~ sheds a tear for you (Reply to this)(Parent)

	A BURNING QUESTION! (Anonymous) 2007-02-21 03:38 pm UTC (link)
	What were the ferrets' thoughts on yaoi? (Reply to this)(Parent)

(Anonymous)
2007-02-20 02:25 pm UTC (link)

If you are well enough to complain about the wait, you are well enough to go home.

Yeah, about that? Not true, and an assholish thing to assume.

My mom had to get rushed to the emergency room twice in the same week about a month ago. First time was because she had shortness of breath and a bad cough and her doctor said she should go, and the second time was because of a 104 degree fever she got the day after being released.

One of the nurses (I think, I wasn't actually there when this happened) implied that perhaps my mom was faking or had done something to spike the fever if she was there again after being out of the hospital for one day. As it turned out, my mother has lung cancer. So, yeah, she totally faked the whole thing.

(Reply to this)

	(Anonymous) 2007-02-21 04:09 pm UTC (link)
	Damn those health care providers! Don't they understand my broken finger is more important than a stroke? How dare they make me wait! (Reply to this)

	azhidahaki 2007-02-23 04:20 pm UTC (link)
	Do not lie to us. If you lie about one thing, we will assume you are lying about everything. You don't want us to assume that. Everybody lies, according to Dr. House. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	seiberwing 2007-02-23 04:21 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, but House is a dick. ...much like this guy, actually. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	lots42 2007-03-01 05:23 pm UTC (link)
	Ahaha, this is great. I defended part of the list, then it sunk into the morass of c_s and I didn't see it again. I am horribly entertained that the OP bahleeeeted her journal. (Reply to this)

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