Being sick while fat in a hospital emergency room in Atlanta, Georgia, became my personal venture into a nightmare. I went due to hyperglycemia, nausea, vomiting, abdomen pain, and chest pain. My glucose by hand held machine in the emergency room was 585. On a metabolic panel it was 611. This should have been attended to immediately by a Doctor. I have diabetes secondary to two surgeries on my pancreas
I was taken into the back of the emergency room where the Doctor's treat patients. Blood was drawn and x-rays were taken. I have a implanted loop recorder in my chest wall. The x-ray said I do not. I showed the card sent to me by the company. I might as well had whistle Dixie. CAT scan later showed left lower lobe atelectasis. I was sent out to wait in the main waiting room. No IV had been started.
When I was called back into the area that the Doctor's treat patients. I was put into their no door cubicle for a saline lock to be put in. The cubical was filled with chairs against a wall. When full, patients are extremely close. A nurse has difficulty moving down the middle of this. From there, I was put into a room. Before going to that room, I got to listen to a discussion about me. Regarding who HAD to take me (nurse and Doctor). It was degrading and made me cry. A history of asking questions has got me placed on the difficult patient list.
I had to sit in a chair for over an hour in that room. The previous patient had spilled juice all over the floor. Since I walk with a walker, I was scared of falling. My gait is slightly unsteady on good days. Three different people told me, "It's just juice." The house keeping attendant who showed up was mad and rude.
It took another hour to get someone to fix the bed so I could get in it. By that time, my left leg was extremely numb. So, I just stayed up in the chair. A person who was supposed to be my nurse asked the nurse practitioner shouldn't I get at least one IV. This nurse had just argued with me that the saline lock counted as a IV. It was flushed open with 10 cc's of normal saline (She replied No, she has a history of heart failure.) I replied to both of them from my room, then what the hell am I doing here? I could give my self insulin at home. But, I came here because this has been going on for several days and nothing I did worked.
The nurse practitioner came in and I gave her an earful. She listened to my lungs and sounded shocked when she said they were clear. I told her "Yes, I had post-partum cardiomyopathy but my heart size returned to normal. When my heart rate stays up from 110 plus consistently, I go into failure. It hasn't been that for any period of time in over three weeks. She started IV fluids. I told her if I started having trouble breathing that I would let her know.
An angry nurse came into my room and told me he was my nurse for 30 minutes. He told me to get into bed. He appeared a little upset that I asked him to please help me to get my left leg into bed. My left leg has not worked well for the last year. I can't raise it. He helped me get my leg up. I received 4 mg. of morphine and something for nausea. This was the first time my pain was addressed. I had an hour of decreased pain before my trip to cat scan. Received 10 units of Insulin.
I went to CAT scan with my IVs. It was there, they became disconnected while receiving contrast. It was reconnected without a word. Over half of fluids went on the floor. They were not replaced.
Back in the ER, an intern was assigned to me. He was nasty to the max. This person who was intelligent and had the mental abilities to make it this far, had zero personal skills.
He told me that I come to the ER too much.. I told him "In the immortal words of the comedian Katt Williams, Hold up,wait a minute and let me put some pimping in it." I had him read the dates in question. Last year from a fall, I broke my back. Came to the ER at least three times for hyperglycemia. Turns out that each time I had a severe UTI. It is not my fault that the ER doctors ordered a culture without sensitivity. Only God Knows if the antibiotics ordered were effective for the bacteria. All I can say is most likely not. I told him that I know that I need to follow up with several Doctor 's. It is hard to get a Dr. who accepts medicare. I asked him to make any follow-ups for after the third of next month. He voiced understanding.
In Feb. of this year during a freeze, a pipe burst on the third floor of my apartment building. I heard a noise in the kitchen. Walked into the kitchen and slid due to ankle deep water. Woke up on the floor when the cold water started entering my ears. The concussion was the worst part. I went to the ER.
Went to the ER again a day later. While cleaning the kitchen with help, the ceiling, boards and some pipes fell on top of me. My left hip caught the worst when I fell. It has only been getting worse. The intern at least had the grace to say he was sorry.
The Doctor in charge saw me next. I was belittled and made fun of. She stood in front of me. Kept repeating,"raise you left leg up, you can do it." "You don't need help." When it progressed to,"Are you faking it?" I got up from sitting on the bed. She asked me where I was going? I told her home because I did not come to the hospital to made fun of. She said "OK" and changed her attitude a little. The exam was finished.
I was discharged. My follow-up appointments were not made for the the dates that I asked. I won't be able to pay the co-pay or pay for the ride to them. I liked it a little better when I was ignored and not set up to fail. It can't be anything but deliberate since I explained why I needed the appointments for after the third. I really live month to month. When I say there is no money, I don't joke. Setting these appointments for dates that I can't afford to go to is just another chance to belittle me and make me feel bad. It is another chance for someone to say that I do not do what the Doctors want me to in order to get better
I should say something really ugly about the hospital and its staff. But, it would change nothing. They treated me this way because they have no compassion. I saw others treated rude and just as bad. Patients privacy is not respected. It's a symptom of a problem that needs to change. It is a trickle down thing. They are exhibiting behavior they see from their department heads.
All I can do is turn it over to God and let him handle it. I hope each lives a long life. They will have to answer for their actions on judgment day. There is a part of me feeling a little mean. I know that I will have to answer for what I feel. My prayer is for each to live a long, long life. During that time, I hope they run into someone like they are. In time of need, they should be attended by a rude and uncaring person.
I read the following links before blogging on my experience.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-is-2020/201105/the-psychology-why-people-dislike-or-hate-fat-people
No comments:
Post a Comment