First off, I wanted to thank everyone for commenting to my last post. Once again, I was unable to really respond to the comments. But this time it wasn't because I was in a quiet mood, it was because I was in the hospital and/or lying at home in horrible pain. What an ordeal!
I've mentioned several times that I'm a hypochondriac and addicted to looking at Web MD to see what I might be dying of. So I know sometimes people don't always take me seriously when I say something is wrong. They're concerned, yet they assume I'm overreacting. Which usually I am.
But this time, I really knew something was just not right at all. The only problem was, I couldn't figure out what it was. I had intense pain all over my entire stomach/abdomen area, so it was hard to actually pinpoint where the problem was coming from. Plus I felt achy and flu like, which made me try and convince myself it was a stomach bug and nothing more.
When I wrote my last post, I honestly thought I felt a little better. I'd been sitting at home all day not doing anything, so I was fooled into believing I'd improved. But when Nat came home, we decided to go grocery shopping. I told her I was alright and could do it. I had trouble walking to the car though. It hurt SO bad to move. But I went anyway. Then when we got to the store, it was hard to get out of the car. And attempting to walk through the parking lot was really painful and I was so weak and dizzy, I got out of breath before we even made it to the doors.
Nat saw that I was not suffering from a little tummy ache, so she made me get back in the car and said we needed to go to the hospital. Me being terrified beyond words of hospitals, refused. I just wanted to go home and lay down again. So I did, and Nat was poking at my stomach trying to find out where it hurt the most. It didn't seem to hurt in any one specific spot though. At least until she got to my right side and pressed on something. That hurt!
So she told me she was concerned it was my appendix and I needed to go to the hospital ASAP. I stubbornly refused yet again. We had a small argument over it and she asked if I didn't trust her nursing expertise. But of course that was not it. I trust her. I just hated what she was saying and refused to believe it.
But she handed me the phone and told me to call the advice nurse through my insurance company. She wanted me to tell them what was happening and see what they said. Some guy answered with a thick southern accent, and I actually felt better talking to him for a few minutes because he was really funny and nice. He distracted me. But in the end, he told me my symptoms sounded like appendicitis or an infected gallbladder, and both required immediate treatment.
Blah. I was really upset. Not that I expected him to say much different than what Nat said, because I DO trust her medical advice. But I was just hoping for a miracle or something. I still refused to go though. I know, I know. You probably think I have a death wish or I'm insane or I'm incredibly tough and think I can cure appendicitis with sheer strength of will alone. But the fact is, I'm REALLY fucking scared of hospitals.
It's a miracle that I met my wife in an emergency room of all places. Considering it's my least favorite place on the face of the earth. But I guess that's why I instantly fell in love with her. Because she made the experience way less scary and every time she walked in the room, I felt happy. I kept forgetting why I was even there. She was the sweetest and funniest and most caring nurse I'd ever had. (Unfortunately the nurse I had during this experience was NOT so nice--but I'll get to that in a minute.)
Anyway, I spent quite a lot of time refusing to go to the ER. I kept insisting I'd sleep on it, and in the morning, I'd just call my doctor. And Nat had to beat it into me that if it was my appendix and it burst in the middle of the night, it would be incredibly serious. I could even die. And she begged me to just go for her sake. Because she wouldn't be able to rest if she thought that was a possibility.
So finally around 10:30pm I bit the bullet. I told her we could go. I called Jack first because he had been on my case all day long to see a doctor. And I knew he was going to call me in the morning and get on my case some more. And if I didn't answer my phone because I was having emergency surgery, he'd be really worried. So I wanted to at least let him know where I was going.
But he insisted on meeting us there, which was really nice of him. He knows firsthand just how horrified I am of hospitals. And somehow, he's always been the one who has to take me there in the past. So he's experienced in dealing with my freak attacks at the mere thought of it. I was really glad he was coming because I needed all the help I could get. I was really scared at the idea of needing surgery. Like REALLY scared. I've never had any type of surgery at all, except getting my wisdom teeth out. So this was sending me into a panic.
When we got to the hospital, I was not doing well. The pain was real bad and my terror just added to it. The waiting room was filled with sick people and bloody people, and it made me feel faint just being there. But I signed in and wrote down that I was having abdominal pain. And I prepared to sit there for several hours before even being noticed. After all, the place was busy.
To my left were three tough looking black guys who had obviously been in a fight. They were all busted up and bloody and had broken looking hands and bloody lips. And across from me was a chick wearing a bra top and a miniskirt and she was all beaten up and bloody too. I'm pretty sure she was a hooker. I guess her pimp got mad at her, or she had a bad customer.
I tried to focus on the TV on the wall which was showing a rerun of Bones. I actually like that show, but it did nothing to calm me. I watched as they called back the group of black guys to the triage area, and I assumed I'd be there forever before I even made it to triage. But to my surprise, 5 minutes later someone came out and took me right back to the main ER room. No triage. And we only waited about 30 minutes.
Do you know what that means? It means MY emergency was way worse than everyone else sitting out there! That scared me. And it also relieved me to be taken back so fast. But I kept asking Nat why they took me back and made me undress and hooked me up to monitors and started an IV, before even talking to me. Did they know I was dying and there was no time to spare?
She assured me it was fine, and the male nurse I had said that abdominal pain meant an automatic IV. Hospital protocol. And I warned him that I had severe panic disorder, so my blood pressure was probably high and he better not let me see the IV needle. I was very upfront with my horrification of being there, but he sort of ignored me.
At that point though, I was much more terrified of being there at all, that I didn't have time to freak out over the needle. He was fast too. So that ended up being okay. But then the doctor came in and talked to me for a moment, poked my stomach a bit, then she asked me why I thought I had appendicitis. And she said it like she thought I was a moron who was wasting her time, when all I had was a little gas and needed to go home and fart.
I explained how the advice nurse said it might be that, and then I looked at Web MD....she cut me off and didn't let me finish at that point. She just told me that I could never trust Web MD and that the advice nurse HAS to tell you to go to the hospital--just in case. Basically she was acting like I didn't need to be there, and I sort of told her if that was true, I would just leave. Happily. Believe me, I did NOT have a problem leaving.
But she said they'd do blood work and see if anything showed up. And when that came back, it showed a high white count and something was off with my gallbladder and my liver too. So she finally seemed to believe something was actually wrong, and she told me it was likely an infected gallbladder and I'd need surgery to remove it.
Cue a severe panic attack at that news. It wasn't pretty. But she said I needed an ultrasound to confirm, and I needed to calm down and stop worrying before we even knew for sure what was happening. Good advice. Pointless to me because it's impossible not to worry. But good advice anyway.
Her solution to my panic attack was to tell the nurse to shoot me up with pain medication. Even though I said I didn't want it. Too bad I guess. The next thing I knew, the nurse guy was smirking at me and saying, "this will get rid of all the hysteria...." as he shot a syringe into my IV. That did NOT work. The pain medication actually hurt like hell. I felt like I was dying. My body felt like it was on fire, and my muscles cramped up and my heart started racing.
I kept telling him something was wrong, but he just ignored me and said I'd be fine. Then he walked out as he informed everyone I'd be passed out shortly. He was so smug. And totally wrong. I don't react well to things like that. And they don't knock me out. In fact they just agitate me and make me lose my mind and go insane. Which is why I didn't want it. Nat tried to tell him not to give it to me, and to give me something different, but he ignored her too.
So long story short, I freaked out. I was going to leave. I have a history of bad reactions like this and escape attempts from hospital beds. I've done it before. Luckily Jack is strong and can hold me down. And luckily Nat is a nurse and knew how to fix it. She started arguing with the nurse on duty who did this to me and telling him to give me Ativan to calm my ass down.
I think he disliked the fact that Nat was a nurse too and was trying to tell him how to do his job. I guess I don't blame him, but she's not only a nurse, she knows me better than anyone. And she knows my medical history better than anyone, because I don't think this guy even read my chart at all. He was kind of a dick and basically told me if I wanted to leave I could, but I was going to die. And he asked, "do you want to die?"
Let's just say he wasn't very calming or sweet or nice or any of the things Nat was to me when we met. But finally he did as she requested and got the Ativan. He shot me up with that, and I calmed way down. See, she knows me. She knows what I need. She knows I'm crazy and she loves me anyway. And that's because she knows how to calm me down.
So anyway, I got the ultrasound done eventually. That came up negative for anything wrong with my gallbladder or my liver. So the weird test results were a mystery. I think it has something to do with the medication I take because it can be hard on your liver. But she basically implied that I was an IV drug user and might have hepatitis. Puhhlease. Didn't she see me freak out over the pain medication? Is that the reaction of someone who actually enjoys shooting up drugs??
But whatever. The main problem was that something was still wrong and she didn't know what it was. So I had to have a CT scan instead. That was an unpleasant experience because they shoot iodine into your veins and it makes you feel like your body is on fire and like I wet my pants. Which I did not. But it sure felt like it.
After that part was over we waited some more, and finally the doctor came back and told me the verdict. Part of my colon was infected. Diverticulitis. I'd never even heard of that before, but she said it was very common and usually easy to treat. At least if you catch it early, which I did. I just needed antibiotics and then I could go home.
Thank God!! And yes, I was worked up and freaking out over nothing. But it's not like I can help it. I was convinced I needed surgery and would likely die and never wake up. I know it's irrational, but that's just the way my mind works. I'm crazy. I'll freely admit it. But at least I wasn't dying so I was relieved.
They made me take some pills, then they handed me prescriptions and information about my illness, and told me to get dressed and go home. I think they were happy to see me leave. I was not nurse dickhead's favorite patient. And he couldn't resist getting one last dig at me when he took out my IV. He asked me if my hysteria was really worth it considering it was for nothing. And how if I had just listened to him and calmed down, we could have prevented the entire episode.
Fuck you, dude. If it was really that easy to calm down, don't you think I would have done it? I don't think he understands panic disorder very well. He needs to go back to school and study mental illness some more. I can't help the way I am. And if someone doesn't like me because of it, then that's just too damn bad.
I was beyond relieved to get the hell out of there. I practically ran out to the parking lot. And I could do that because the pain meds were still in my system and working so I didn't feel much. At least until later. Then it hurt really bad again. Plus we'd been up all night, so I was dead tired. But Nat stayed up long enough to call her work, and I called mine. And she went to get my prescriptions, while I went to sleep. But we both spent most of Thursday napping together.
At one point she had gotten up, and I was still sleeping. And when I woke up, there were flowers for me on the coffee table. They were from a surprising source though. Nat's office had sent them over for me! How nice is that? My own office didn't send me flowers, but her's did. The card said they were all thinking of me and wishing me a speedy recovery. That was really awesome and thoughtful, considering I don't even know those people.
But obviously they all love Nat and were worried about me for her. She must say good things about me there, huh? That made me smile and feel good that people I didn't even know were thinking about me.
I am doing much better today though. The pain is much less severe and I can move around now. I even washed the dishes yesterday because they'd been left in the sink since Wednesday morning. It was pretty gross. But we didn't actually have time or energy to care about them, considering the situation.
I'm just glad I'm on the road to recovery. I don't do sick very well. And I'm SO incredibly thankful I have my own nurse, because it makes me feel much better to know I'm in good hands at all times. I think she helps me get better quicker :-)
Anyway, so that was my ordeal. Maybe I should be embarrassed by how freaked out I got, but eh, I don't think anyone expected me to handle it any differently. I don't do well with things like that at all, and everyone knows it. I'm just thankful they all still love me anyway....
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evil_twin posted on Aug 23, 2008
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Comments
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secretlife said on Aug 23, 2008....
i share your hatred of hospitals.i think they're very very dangerous places and the people there make so many mistakes-i know they're there to help you, but you see how they made assumptions where you were concerrned? i think they do that all the time, and only the strong survive.....i'm glad you're feeling better-and that you're out of the hospital relatively unscathed! -
silver_phoenix said on Aug 23, 2008....
ugggghhh hospitals! hate em hate em hate em!! i cannot believe you got stuck with a doctor and nurse with poor bedside manners. ok...maybe that is more common these days. that sucks it really does. you'd think they'd be more nicer or as least not as dickheaded/ bitchy.
i wish you a speedy recovery. good thing you've got a nurse =P
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nytquill17 said on Aug 23, 2008....
For someone my age I've spent kind of a lot of time in hospitals. I am always a little nervous in case I might have to stand up for myself about something, because there are always mistakes that can happen and you could end up with assholes. But I'm lucky enough not to hate hospitals or be scared of them. In fact I feel kind of familiar there because I'm used to shots and bloodwork and stuff in my daily life.
But most of those times I was in Canada and hospitals and their staff here tend to be a little nicer I think. Hell the post office workers here are cheery :p Plus I have a serious chronic disease that sort of forces them to pay attention to me. One of the very few perqs that comes with diabetes!
I am so, so sorry you had a bad experience. It's absolutely AWFUL when the person who's supposed to be taking care of you gets a bug up his butt and won't listen to you. Hospitals in the U.S. are in serious trouble these days. Everybody's getting shit, but especially the patients. You were OBVIOUSLY terrified and not doing well at all, and they had no right to treat you like they did. I'm SO glad Nat and Jack were there for you and could stand up for you, get you the treatment you needed and then get you the hell out of there!
Honestly, in your shoes, when you are feeling better, I might write a complaint to the hospital director. I mean, this is not just a "bad hospital experience" because your nurse and your attending were assholes. This is a violation of several of your rights as a patient.
You have a panic disorder diagnosis from a psychologist? Write and tell them that you felt discriminated against for your mental health issue, which you revealed at time of treatment. Tell them you were given medication against your wishes - you have the right as a patient to refuse any medication and any treatment, so long as you are competent to make decisions and not a danger to yourself or others. These are serious issues and you could even, if you wanted, press this a lot further than a complaint letter. You have some good ammo to scare the shit out of the hospital direction if you use it properly ;)
Also tell them about the nurse's attitude. I know with corporate culture being what it is, and nurses being so hard to find, it might not change anything. But it's the kind of thing where, if in the course of a year or two this guy has a complaint folder an inch thick, it's going to make his superiors take notice. Maybe one day he will be competing for a promotion with someone, and having your complaint on his record will mean the other guy will get the spot. So your one experience might not change much, but make sure it's reported anyway, to add to his total bad record in the future.
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kruuyai said on Aug 23, 2008....
I hope you're feeling better soon. And honestly, after reading this account, I think that you and Nat truly are a match made in heaven! It doesn't get any better than that. As usual, you find a way to make us laugh, even through reliving a terrifying experience like this. I share your dislike of hospitals, doctors, etc. and I'm suffering for it now, because I tried to self treat a UTI, and it didn't work, so I just prolonged the disease and let it spread further before I finally sought help and got on antibiotics. Sometimes, I think all it would take is for someone to hold my hand and go with me, or at least to call and make the appointment. I ended up just walking into a clinic that doesn't normally take walk-ins. After the consultation, the doctor reminded me to make an appointment before coming in, even if it was for the same day. Well, he doesn't know about my Fear of Phoning, but that's another story. -
evil_twin said on Aug 23, 2008....
secret--Thank you :-) I agree that hospitals can be dangerous places. Everyone is so busy and distracted that they don't always pay enough attention to you. I don't think my nurse or my doctor, even bothered to read my chart. And without Nat there with me telling them what to do, I don't know if they would have ever gotten me calmed down. And they don't listen very well either. *sigh* I hope I never need to go back....
silver_phoenix--Thank you :-) I am happy I have my own nurse! I'd be lost without her. And I wish I had gotten a nicer nurse/doctor too.
nyt--You are probably right that I have a basis for a complaint. I was upfront with my panic disorder, plus they knew I'm bi-polar too. It was all right there. And they had a list of my medications too and it's obvious what they're for. People don't just take Depakote and Paxil for the hell of it. But I don't think either of them really cared to take that sort of thing into consideration when dealing with me. I did definitely feel like the nurse guy thought I was making a scene on purpose just to be a pain in his ass. But that was not at all how it was. I was already panicked, and for some reason pain medication interacts with my already messed up brain chemistry, and makes me go nuts. *sigh* I was just glad I had Nat there to stick up for me and make sure I got the care I needed. But it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to complain anyway....
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evil_twin said on Aug 23, 2008....
kruu--We were commenting at the same time :-) You know what? I have a fear of the telephone too! How weird. I seriously hate it and will avoid it at all costs. I prefer to have Nat make all my appointments and deal with things like that, because I always put it off. It does help to have someone there who does hold my hand and make me do the things I need to do, because I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. I'm sorry you've been sick too. I hope that you're on the road to recovery as well. -
FutureGoddess said on Aug 23, 2008....
I empathize with your hospital-phobia - The last time I was in hospital was at 2 am after Easter Sunday, 2006. I, too, was having unexplicable pain all over my abdomen and was nauseus and sicking up everything I had eaten that day. Now, since it wasn't my holiday, it wasn't like I had been at an Easter dinner and ate too much. No, just a normal Sunday of doing chores - but all day my stomach hurt. Finally, since I live alone, I noticed a good friend who is a neighbor whose lights were still on. I called her and she took me to the hospital. Where upon they IV'd me, shot me up with Morphine, and took all sorts of tests. When the MRI came back clear, they sent me home with a prescriptions for anti-nausual and vicodin which I filled immediately at a 24 hour pharmacy.
I don't know how long I had been home, because I passed out from all the narcotics, still in pain, when the phone rang. It was the hospital: "You need to come back as soon as possible, we think you have a perforated apendix".
Me: "I can't see straight from all the morphine you shot me up with - I'll be there when I can."
Them: "No, really - you need to come immediately!!"
Me: "It's a good thing I am an an attorney, I've always wanted to own a hospital."
Called my (poor) friend, who still hadn't been asleep and she took me back to the hospital whereupon they put me into surgery about 2 hours later.
I don't like hospitals either!
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Mr_Box said on Aug 23, 2008....
I'm glad you're feeling better. It was a really scary ordeal for you, and of course everyone still loves you afterwards.And I knew that if you needed surgery, you'd need someone there to hold you down and keep you from running ;-) I don't blame you for being scared though. I would be too. Plus you were in pain so that makes everything worse.I agree that your nurse was an asshole too. I'm assuming he had a long night and just didn't feel like dealing with anything, which doesn't make it right. It's his job to deal with stuff like this. Grrr....I kind of wanted to punch him on your behalf.But all that matters right now is that you're better and you're going to be fine. Keep resting and don't overdo it. Let Natty pamper you ;-)Take care of yourself. -
CreativeWoman said on Aug 23, 2008....
et,
I hope you are starting to feel better. I am not real crazy about hospitals either. It's great that you had family there with you to help you through it.
Take care,
CW
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Mamie said on Aug 23, 2008....
For the love of God, Man, what were these people thinking? I HATE that you had to go thru that! I get all panicky too about hospitals and I would have been sick and pissed off! Thank God you had Nat (YOU GO GIRL!) and Jack to be advocates for you.You are the FUNNIEST damn writer though and although I am sorry for the trouble, may I just say that it cracked me up!!?? You noticed so many funny things and I so get your sarcasm! Get well soon and keep on writing!! Mamie -
botoni said on Aug 23, 2008....
The part that blows my mind is the doc suggesting you are an IV drug user. For pity sake! Even I know if there are no needle tracks you're not using IV!!! Much like future I would be explaining about my passion to own a hospital.
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polarheart said on Aug 23, 2008....
Twinny, you know I sympathise having gone through severe abdominal pain myself not so long ago. I still remember that 3hr flight home from Iceland feeling like an absolute eternity! I am just glad you are ok. When I eventually when to the Accident and Emergency at hospital it was also awful. . .there was an old lady who had dementia and was shouting things out that nobody could understand. . .without a rest. . .it was awful. And one just cant "get comfortable" there. Dont feel bad about freaking out. I just hope everything is ok with you now.
Love Polar x
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skald said on Aug 23, 2008....
When I have had to go to hospitals I must say I have been treaded good and the only ordeal was having to go to a hospital in Slovenia, Ljubljana after having had an accent. everything was so backwards there and for the fist time in my life I was in a country where I could not understand a world that was said. I was competently cut off -
Twylarants said on Aug 23, 2008....
Poor you, just reading this made me panicky.
I agree with Nytquill. The nurse's attitude was completely unprofessional and someone should be made aware of it.
Like you, I don't want to hear that something is wrong with me, I react badly to even small amounts of pain medication (Tylenol puts me to sleep), and my biggest fear is that I'll need surgery, I'll be over anesthetized, and I'll die.
My husband has surgery almost every year, he doesn't suffer from panic disorder, and, to be honest, he doesn't know enough about medical procedures to be frightened of them. He actually didn't know, until I told him, that they had to break his breast bone in order to do bypass surgery. But he still hates hospitals. He is such a difficult patient that it's embarrassing, but I don't blame him. I think you get more respect if you're an asshole than if you're scared.
I'm glad it turned out to be treatable rather than cut-out-able. Take care.
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Eilan said on Aug 23, 2008....
I'm glad you got a diagnosis! And lucky for you to have a nurse to advocate for you. :)
I'm not much of a fan of hospitals after the ER staff put my grandma on a ventilator when she was DNR. And don't even get me started about my mom's experience with cancer!
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queenparanoia said on Aug 23, 2008....
dude don't be embarrased. i'll panick too... especially if i have a dickhead nurse like that guy... but thank God for natalie!!! woohooo she's an angel. thank goodness someone who was there for you at those moment kyle... take care!!! ;-) -
MissMimi said on Aug 24, 2008....
Poor you! What an ordeal... I hope you will consider writing a letter to the director of nursing, or whomever is responsible for the nursing staff. It is absolutely wrong for them to have given you ANY kind of medication without your consent. And then for this nurse to have ridiculed you on top of it all... I'm sorry, I'm outraged on your behalf.
All that being said, it was the right thing to do to go to the ER. Ignoring something like that can cause things to get real ugly real quick. I know I don't need to tell you that Nat is an angel. :) Feel better soon, sweetie.
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Lucytorial said on Aug 24, 2008....
Please ET can I do a "DAY IN THE LIFE OF ET" its hilarious the shit you get yourself into! but.. I am very glad you are okay now. -
RollingC said on Aug 24, 2008....
I'm glad that you're feeling better and yes I know from having it happen to my wife that what you went through is a very painful experience. You now are probably required to avoid certain foods with small seeds and take some medication.After the medication has done it's job consider the diet of avoiding stuff with small seeds and taking on a regular basis a mild natural laxative.It's nothing that cannot be controled so don't worry about it. The only thing you got to remember is that it's a permanent condition so get used to it kiddo.Rc -
day2day said on Aug 24, 2008....
hi et,
Rc is right. Diverticulitis is a life long condition. My husband (live in boyfriend at the time) had the same exact thing happen to him. He was in severe pain for 2 days before i convinced to go to the hosp. He was finally diagnosed with the same condition as yours. No matter what, he has to take a mild laxative daily. This seems to be a common illness as of late. My sister was diagnosed with it about 5 yrs ago. I wonder just how many people suffer from this? day
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husbandhater said on Aug 24, 2008....
Thank God for Nat. She's right the Ativant would work and it would have at least calmed you down so that maybe you'd sleep eventually. It has become a best friend in the nursing profession. I love it that Nat stuck up for you and I'll be honest we have some real DICKS that have come to occupy the profession of nursing as of late. From rude aides to nasty know it all Rn's. I think they should make bedeside manner a class in all training for medical professionals as this new breed has NONE!
From the doctors,Nurses to the Aides. Nat is one of the rare ones you encounter who realizes that you have to treat the patient with respect and kindness to get anywhere. Some also let their degrees get to there head. She's becoming a dying breed. I know that the things we encounter in nursing and medicine sometimes hardens us but you can't take the job home with you. And some are just as nasty in ordinary life as they are at work. Now that I've said enough on that front. Hope you feel better soon Evil(Kyle). I'll be looking for your next post to hear that you do. Give Nat my regards. And the same for Mr.Box(Jack).
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evil_twin said on Aug 24, 2008....
FG--Your story is exactly the sort of thing that freaks me out! I was pretty anxious after we got home from the hospital, that something else was actually wrong, and they just didn't catch it. I was still worried about my appendix, because they pretty much just ignored that idea altogether. But I trusted that if something was wrong with it, it would have shown on the scan. But apparently not in your case! I'm glad you made it back to the hospital in time though.
Mr. Box--Thanks for coming with me the other night. It really made me feel better to have you there. And you're right that I needed someone to hold me down! I'm already a very anxious person normally and pain and fear really do make it so much worse. I'm feeling better now though :-)
CW--I am starting to feel better :-) Thank you. I know you hate hospitals too.
Mamie--Thanks :-) And I'm glad I could make you laugh with my ordeal! It wasn't too funny at the time, but I have find some humor in parts of it. It was an experience I hope never to have again!
botoni--Yeah the doc was pretty annoying. When she asked me if I did IV drugs I told her no, of course. And then she just sort of smiled and made it seem like, "yeah, whatever you say..." But I HATE needles! That's the last thing I'd ever do for fun.
Polar--I actually thought about you when I started feeling sick. Wait, that didn't sound right did it? :-P But I meant that I thought of your stomach ordeal, and I wondered if I had a blockage too. Stomach pain like that is NO FUN at all. I can't even imagine sitting on a plane feeling that way :-( And I definitely couldn't rest at the hospital, even though I was exhausted. Every time I'd start to fall asleep, some sort of loud horrible noise would happen!
skald--I can just imagine how scary it was to be in a hospital where you didn't speak the language. I really would have panicked in that case!
twyla--It's sad to think if I was an asshole I would have gotten more respect. But I can definitely believe that. If you're scared, everyone treats you like you're stupid. But I'd like to see them be the patient! I really am terrified of anesthesia. And it didn't help that when I relayed this tale to my neighbor across the street, he told me he went in for knee surgery once and he died! They had to do CPR and shock him to bring him back. And it was just outpatient knee surgery!! THAT is why I hate the idea of surgery :-(
Eilan--I am lucky to have a nurse who can stick up for me. So far, no one seems to have any good things to say about hospitals. Even the people who work there know they suck sometimes!
queen--Thank you :-) I'm really glad I had my angel with me too.
Mimi--Thank you :-) I think that part of the reason they gave me the pain meds, was because at FIRST I agreed. But that was when Nat told them to give me a certain one that I'd already had in the past and it worked. But then the guy said he wanted to give me a stronger one because I have a high tolerance. THAT is when I refused and he ignored me. So I don't know how that works. I intitially gave consent, but only when I thought I was getting something I was familiar with. Blah.
Lucy--Leave it to me to notice the little things like the hooker in the waiting room huh? :-P At the time, I just hoped I lived through the experience so I could blog about it!
RC--You know, the doctor never told me this was a permanant condition :-( I saw where you (or someone else) mentioned that to me at my other post, but it's funny they never told me. But I do see my regular doc tomorow, so he might tell me more hopefully. I have had stomach issues for several years, so I have a feeling this is something I've had awhile, yet it never progressed to infection before now. So I really need to take better care of myself!
Day--I was told that it is a pretty common illness in the US because we eat crappy food and don't get enough fiber. But amazingly I'd never heard of it before now :-(
HH--I was hoping you'd see this and offer your thoughts on it. It was a horrible experience! Nat truly is a dying breed of nurse. But she hates the atmosphere at the hospital and all the assholes with chips on their shoulders, which is why she quit and went to private practice. And she said after this experience, she didn't miss the ER at all! Being a recovery room nurse is much more suited to her style, because she really is very sweet and caring and has the magic touch making people feel better :-) And yes, I am feeling much more normal now than I was. I think I'm gonna be okay now :-) Thank you.
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uniquely-ironic said on Aug 25, 2008....
Your "adventure" in the hospital sounded awful. I think ER staffs are notoriously cynical because of the types of people they deal with. Unfortunately that doesn't help people who already are nervous just being there. I'm sorry it was such a traumatic experience, but like others have said, you had Nat and your brother there to help out. -
Lucytorial said on Aug 25, 2008....
Diverticulitis is pretty common though, far out lucky that its treatable. Not as bad or embarrassing as having Celiacs though, imagine shitting yourself in public! -
silverwhisper said on Aug 25, 2008....
kyle: dude, that's ten kinds of fucked up! like everyone else, i'm so glad that nat was with you--and here's a shout-out to jack for being a kick-ass big brother!
i'm with u-i re: ER staff/cynicism, to be honest. you get enough gang-bangers & the like and i suppose that would make anybody cynical, you know?
OK, seriously: am i the only person who doesn't have a horror of hospitals?
ed -
Lucytorial said on Aug 25, 2008....
Nope, I have no problem with them, I've been in them for so many years w hubby that it just doesn't phase me. -
Battycat said on Aug 27, 2008....
I hope you've recovered from your ordeal, it sounds dreadful. -
evil_twin said on Aug 27, 2008....
uniquely--You are right that the hospital people deal with a bunch of lunatics and icky people, so they just don't seem to trust anyone. And I know I was a bad patient too :-( But I'm sure they'd had worse! (I hope anyway) I was glad I had Nat and Jack there with me too.
Lucy--I guess it is really common. I'd never heard of it, but now that I have it, everyone I've told says they know someone who had it, or they've had it. I had no idea! Luckily I never shit my pants though. Ugh. Sorry you had to deal with that with the Celiacs Disease :-(
silver--I know that working in a hospital can make you weary and cynical. That's why Nat quit the ER herself. She didn't like it at all. But I'm glad she was there with me, along with Jack. It helped me out a lot.
Batty--Thank you. I am feeling much better now :-)
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nytquill17 said on Aug 27, 2008....
Ed: I don't. You're not alone! I've spent a lot of time in hospitals, either as an inpatient, getting bloodwork done, or seeing specialists. They are not the most comfortable of places but I'm not scared of them. It probably helps that I am desensitized to a lot of medical stuff (like needles). Hell, I always look when they tell you not to look, I think it's cool :p But even the first time, I wasn't really scared - I was too sick going in and too glad to feel better after I got there, to bother being scared!
Kyle: How are you doing now? I'm so glad you're getting better! I know they make you change your diet; is it a big adjustment?
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evil_twin said on Aug 27, 2008....
Nyt--I am doing better now :-) And I've been pretty much scared to eat anything, so I haven't even thought about adjusting my diet yet. I'm just eating not much at all. But I don't think it'll be a huge difference. I just need to eat healthier. No more junk food diet. And a lot more fiber. I haven't had coffee for over a week either! But since I've been scared to have much of anything, I haven't missed it that much.... -
wishyouwerehere said on Aug 29, 2008....
E_T - I am so sorry to hear you were sick. Sounds like we both had fun weekends. I am glad you didn't need surgery.
I don't think there is any reason to be ashamed of feeling panicked - that nurse sounds like a real asshole, pardon my language. I did OK at the hospital because I work in one, but when we got to the OR and they started strapping me to the table, I freaked. I think most people would. I usually don't wish bad things on people, but I hope that nurse has the opportunity to meet with a circumstance that will allow him to develop some much needed empathy.
I hope you are feeling better - Wishy
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