This is what I'm seeing...
So I'm in the emergency room, which is where I spend most of my life these days. I was sent directly here because I'm losing so much blood again today. The next step will be to admit me but I still need to go through the process. There's at least a 3 hour wait but they'll get me in sooner because of the critical nature of my reason to be here, or so they say.
I've done this so much I could do it with my eyes closed. I know what's about to happen. There's nothing for me to do except to watch the people around me. They're getting on my nerves, btw... The things that people consider an emergency amazes me. Because of them, this emergency room stays packed. There's a grandma who just rushed in with her 2 year old grandbaby. The mother was already here waiting for the Grandma to get here with her child. She needed a nebulizer treatment (the mother) because of her asthma. This could be serious, I know so I don't begrudge her much. The thing that gets on my nerves is that this 2 year old baby stopped eating and drinking a couple of hours ago. THIS, my friends, is the emergency with this family. I don't know about any of you but my kids, quite frequently, stop eating and drinking for a few hours at a time. The Grandma is shouting at the intake nurse that her baby needs to be seen now. I'm hearing the intake nurse ask about this baby's medical history. I'm SURE there must be a medical history for all this drama. There is not. They didn't even call the pediatician before they came here because they just knew there's something terribly wrong. Meanwhile the baby is running around acting like a normal 2 year old. She' yelling and playing and running. She doesn't want to be held by the grandma. The mom of the baby looks like she's about 15! She has nothing much to do with the situation except to yell at the triage nurse that her nebulizer treatment isn't working. She YELLED this so I'm guessing that the nebulizer did indeed work.
The next thing on this family's agenda is to start shouting back and forth to each other, "Mom, did you call Matthew?". I'm assuming Matthew is the dad. Matthew has indeed been called and he's taking off work to come into the emergency for the big family drama. The Grandfather and the great aunt have been called too. Everyone will be here soon. Now the Grandma hass decided that her knee is in terrible pain because she had to walk across the parking lot holding the 2 year old. She may need to be seen too, she tells the intake nurse. Before she, too, can be triaged, she called her son to bring her som Naproxen. She's very loud and sitting across from me so I can hear her conversation. "You may need to take off work to go home and get my Naproxen. My GD knee is KILLING me because I had to carry Autumn across the GD parking lot and I'm about to die now son". Now she tells him there's no hurry but she's in so much pain that she doesn't know how much longer she can take it. Nobody is watching the baby.
All this because a 2 year old hasn't eaten or drank anything for a couple of hours? I'm hoping that I'm missing something! These things keep me occupied while I'm in here for my own 3 hour or so wait. Maybe I'm getting bitter in my old age but these people stink AND they get on my nerves. I'm wondering when they've had a bath last? I can guarentee you it hasn't been within the past few days much less the pst few hours. Blech.
Comments
Reminds me of all the times I spent in the Baltimore City emergency rooms. It was the worst in the middle of the night. Here I had a true blue emergency (my ped had sent me there) and these people were there like it was a party!
Sorry you are back in the hospital again. I'm praying for you. (I'm Nicole's little sis, btw)
Oh. My. God.
You know, I think I should go to the hospital too. I stopped eating and drinking for about an hour there.
And how will her knee pain kill her? And if it does, will it make her MUTE first?
I'm with LD....Oh.My.God.
Do you have clinics in your area/city?
In our city, we have MANY clinics that handle a lot of things to take the pressure off the emergency room and when someone can't get into their doctor and need some help but its not life or death. If these people went into an emergency room here, they would have first asked if they called the pediatrition and also been referred to a clinic closeby which could help them faster....and thus not clog up the emergency room and annoy folks like yourself.
I hate that you are back at the hospital. It looks like your doctor would bypass the emergency room for you . I hate the er.here in Paris. Hopefully, your hospital is better than the one here.
Isn't it funny how every time you go there is someone like this same family there.? I don't think you are getting bitter. Your still sweet as ever. I can't beleive that they brought the baby in because she hasn't eaten in 2 or 3 hours. lol.
I'm a neurotic mom myself, but... not eating for 2 hours? A two year old? Some people are crazy.
I'm so sorry you're back there again.
Hey Janie! I see you around other people's blogs everywhere! Welcome and Thank you so much for your prayers. I could use as much ass people are willing to give me.
Do you mind me asking why you were a frequent flyer at the ER too? It sucks doesn't it? People truly either act like their cold is going to kill them or that it is a party. You're right. Most of the time, I can take it but today, I'm just not feeling it for these idiots.
ROFLMAO!
God PLEASE make her a mute before she dies!
Hey, take care of yourself because you know our bodies need nourishment to survive! I don't know if you should last much longer than an hour without eating. They may need to call the ambulance for you soon! lol
EVEN MORE, I am SO sorry you are back at the hospital. Please keep us posted as often as you are able. Prayer offered, my friend.
wow... annoying, loud, and stinky??? that's sounds almost more comical than an episode of scrubs!
It's so freaken crazy, Netta! You'd think that I could bypass all this crap but my choices were that I could go get my blood checked in her office and then sent here (because they have no beds - too many people with the flu). I'll wait in the er for a bed to be available. I plan on fighting for a private room this time. I'm getting tired of smelling other people's crap when they put me in a room with someone.
You're right, there is a person in the er like this every time. I could write a book.
LOL! You know, I probably shouldn't even be making fun of them because I, too, was a neurotic mom. Every time they'd get a cut from a bike crash, I was right there to see if they needed life support or stitches! lol
These people just smell bad and get on my nerves. If you're going to be neurotic, at lest take a bath. Those are my rules! lol
HA! I think it should be called St. Michelle's instead of St. Anthony's! lol No, they told me that this was going to happen until I have that surgery and right now the surgeon is at a conference. The earliest that I can have it is in the middle of April now. I only get out for a few days and that's good for me, I guess. It's better for me to do this than to stay in the hospital for 2 more weeks straight. I need a break from it when I can get it.
YOU take care of yourself. If you need to cry, you cry until your heart feels better. ((HUGS))
Thanks for the prayer, my friend. ((HUGS))
I understand that this is the only place for people without insurance but this is a 2 year old. They have medicaid if their parents can't afford insurance, don't they? It used to be that way anyway.
I'm going to be back and forth to the hospital until I can have the surgery. Which may be in the middle or beginning of April. They told me to expect this. My few days at home are just blessed vacations from here. I only get them to release me because they know I'll walk out of here if they don't. Otherwise they'd keep me for the next few weeks. Yuk.
My grandma used to say the same thing. "Water's cheap". People in the old days used to do all their washing in a wash tub (clothes). We live in a lazy society nowdays.
I would think you had 2 VERY good reasons to overreact! OMG! Either one of those episodes would have me calling an ambulance! You strike me as a very level headed person:-)
Feel better soon.
I hope you get your operation sooner than later.
Smelly people should take a bath before they force themselves upon others.
LOL can you imagine if that was the case I would be in emergency alot since my 4 year old goes a few days without eating anything. I hope there was more behind the story
I hope you get better soon.
Huggggs
I'm glad in your old age, you still find humor in life. People are amazing! Nice to hear you are keeping busy. You should write a book on waiting rooms :)
Does make me stop and think what lesson you are supposed to be learning from all this?
It looks like they could do something other than make you wait in er for a bed. I hope you do get a private room. It sucks that you have to wait until the middle of April to get this taken care of. In the mean time you have to run back and forth. I don't blame you I would fight them to go home when I could also. (((HUGS)))
i came home and i was like where is mom? then i found out that u were in the hospital and i was like, dude this sucks. but idk i love u and hope u get better just like i do every time u r there im praying for u. but i like ur story its funny.
foxsy, in the US it is illegal for us to refer a patient away from the ER. If that is occurring in your local ER, they are beaking a huge law and coud be fined well into 50 plus thousand dollars.
See anyone presenting to the ER in the Unitd States must be given a Medical Screening exam, which is not triage, its a screen with appropriate tests and a physician exam. We can not legally refer them to a clinic. It is simpy aganst the law.
Shellackers really should have aso been admitted by her doctor and been allowed to bypass the ER. Often Docs send patients to the ER for admission just because they know we will do all the lab tests etc quickly, but if it already know that the patient needs admission, there is no reason to go to the ER, they can be a direct admit, which is much easier on the patient and the ER staff as well.
carol, we must trige patients quickly because it is part of the job, despite what their complaint is. I had an adult man show up in the ER with a complaint of sore throat. Well seems he could have waited, but he actually had a peritonsilar abcess which is an actual emergency. But when asked what the problem was, he said "sore throat" Once a patient is triaged, they ofen go sit back in the Waiting room for a few hours, once we now that it isnt something emergent
As you know people can not be turned away from the ER, unfortunately nor can theybe encouraged to use tylenol and go home. Again that would be considered a huge violation of the Emergency Medical treatment and active Labor act.
But for me it is job security, and thoe sore knees and healthy kids never give me cause to worry so, bring them on, we are used to it.