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Update on my ER visit

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Posted 4/3/2008 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
They did another set of Xrays, a CT with contrast and an ultrasound. I saw one doctor twice for about 2 minutes each time which included the most minimal of exam. When I asked for something for nausea, they tried to give me something I'm allergic to. Its in their computer, I'd already gone over it with them and it was on my wrist.

When I got to the Ultrasound room, I found out they were looking at fibroids. I know I have fibriods, so unless they are wraped around my intestine at the moment, they aren't really my main concern.

So after the contrast has made me sicker than I was when I came in, and the poking and proding from the ultrasound made me more uncomfortable, a doctor I had never seen came in to tell me that there is nothing wrong with me and I can go home! Hello. I haven't had a BM in 3 days (typically have 8 a day), I have NO bowel sounds, and I look 8 months pregnant. Obviously I became visable upset, it was 3 in the morning, I'm in pain, and they are not helping. So he offers to give me "a couple of pain pills" if I need them. So, now I know what I'm up against. They think I'm a drug seeker. He says he can keep me over night if I want to talk to GI. At that point what's the point. I can call my doctor myself from home. They obviously aren't going to treat whatever is wrong, or continue looking for the cause.

I'm going to wait to see how this all plays out, but I think I will be calling the hospital patient advocate. This doctor was a bit crazy. He just walked out in the middle of our conversation. I'm trying to ask him what are the pros and cons of going home and staying and he just says again, I can give you some pain pills if you want and left the room. A minute later he sent the nurse in to pull my IV, so I guess he had made the decision for me. The only thing on the discharge order is to drink more water. They had me drink 48 oz in an hour and a half, still nothing. How much water would they like me to drink?

I'm just so frustrated. I have a call in to my doctor, but he's doing procedures all day, so I'll sit and wait another day.
Posted 4/3/2008 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Zanne Sounds like you have had a rough go of it I went to the hospital late one night and I was asked if I wanted to stay and get test done the next day. I went home. I guess they must think it isn't urgent enough to have to keep you. It is often hard for us to know how urgent things are. Hope you are feeling better today. Has your bowels moved or are you hearing any sounds now? Hang in there and keep in touch. lol gail
Posted 4/3/2008 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Oh Zanne I am so sorry you didn't get any relief and ended up being treated like a drug addict. Is there another hospital you could go to? I know that you had called the doc yesterday, did he ever call you back? I am just wondering if you can tell the phone horse that this is an emergency and you need a call back asap. I am so sorry you got treated so poorly. I can relate to how you feel, I am still really nauseous myself and probably need to go in but don't want to go thru the same thing as you did. (((BIG HUGS)))
Posted 4/3/2008 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Trips to the ER can be so much fun, can't they? I totally understand where you're coming from, as I just went through a similar trip myself.

When I have infuriating trips to the hospital (which are most of them anymore), I try to remind myself of a couple of things.

1. Most doctors and nurses in the emergency room DO tend to deal with a lot of idiots. They have lost their "detection abilities" at figuring out who is an idiot, and who isn't. Therefore, by the simple fact that you are in the ER, you are treated the same as the man who busted his head open because he's falling-down drunk.

2. Most doctors and nurses HATE IT when a patient arrives with a disease or condition that they are unfamiliar with. For us crohnies - that's most doctors and nurses - most of the time.

3. If something goes wrong or some mistake is made relatively early on (ie them trying to give you the wrong nausea medicine), pride requires that they ACT like they know what they're doing regardless. I had a very nice nurse once, who I thought was just drawing blood, but then I realized after she stuck me with the needle that she was inserting my IV into the inside crook of my elbow. I tried to explain very nicely to her that it was a painful spot for an IV to remain for any period of time, and that if I fell asleep with my elbow bent it could cause problems (as it had in the past). From that point on she was the opposite of nice. My blood pressure rose accordingly.

4. The ER's sole purpose in life seems to be rushing you OUT of the ER. If you're not dying of blood loss or some other obvious wound, they're often just going to give you a bottle of vicaden and send you home. (This is the exact conclusion of my last two trips)

I realize that I'm making terrible generalizations here, and that not all docs, nurses and hospitals are like this. I HAVE been to good ERs, and seen good doctors and nurses. They are just few and far between. I used to live 5 blocks from a major (Barnes Jewish) hospital, and I would still drive 30 minutes out into the county to go to their "West" branch, because the ER was sooooo much better there.

I understand your frustration Zanne - really I do. The only helpful advice I could offer would be to find out what hospitals your GI is "on staff" at. If he, or anyone else in that practice that you're comfortable with, practices out of any other hospitals - perhaps you could try a different ER. It sounds silly, but sometimes it makes a huge difference. My last GI office had someone at almost every hospital in the bi-state area... so I had my choice of where to go, knowing that I would still be receiving care from someone with MY records at MY practice.

Best of luck to you... I know the waiting game sucks.
You'll be in my thoughts today.
Posted 4/3/2008 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor just called me back. And lo and behold, I'm not just constipated. Wow, I do actually know the difference. My intestine is folded back on itself near the joint of my resections. When it did that, everything just shut down. Why it has done that, Why it keeps doing it, and How to stop it, are all yet to be determined. BUT at least I know I'm not crazy. Since the ER doctors really didn't LISTEN to me and what had been going on they just saw a blockage of stool and said, oh she's constipated and seeking drugs.

Of course, his order are to go back to the ER if I'm not better in 12 hours, not **** likely. Maybe 24 hours. Because I'm not going back without him calling ahead.

So he will be calling surgeons to find out if that is the best/only way to make this go away. Or if it is even an option. He also said he's not sure there is a fix. I just know I can't go on with this happening once or twice a week now for the rest of my life.


*******************

I edited out your swear word. Sorry, Zanne. I'd be saying exactly the same thing in your situation!

- Ivy.

Post Edited By Moderator (ivy6) : 4/3/2008 6:22:50 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/3/2008 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
Glad your doc called back and hopefully now things will start getting better for you. But I would follow your doc's instrux and go back in 12 hours.

Don't want something even worse to happen to you.

God Bless,

Gail *Nanners*
Posted 4/3/2008 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Zanne,
Is it like what I had the intussusception where one intestine telescopes into the other? If so, they are still trying to figure out why that happened and what to do. I just had the capsule endoscopy yesterday and will hopefully get results next week. Some of the reasons they said this happens is inflammation (duh??), lesions, enlarged lymph node. Hope you are feeling better soon. The ER is a dreaded place sometimes.

Chris
Posted 4/3/2008 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
Have your doctor inform the ER of what was really going on so that they will know in the future if someone else comes in with similar symptoms. Its a passive aggressive way of saying HA HA you were wrong! I hope you find relief soon. And.... it is not too much to ask for him to call ahead to the hospital so that if you do come in they will know why.
Posted 4/3/2008 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
Chris, I had never heard of intussusception until you had it, but I asked if it was similar, and he said no. I'm hoping that I won't have to go back in the middle of the night. If things haven't resolved by the morning I won't have any choice and I will have to go in, but I will call the office first and have them give the hospital a heads up.
Posted 4/3/2008 8:57 PM (GMT 0)

Wow, that's horrible, I can't believe they treated you that way because they are a bunch of dolts who can't read.  Can't read wristbands or charts that say what you're allergic to, can't read imaging results that show your intestine is doing contortional tricks and isn't working anymore.  Please please have your doctor's office put in a note with the ER that you may be coming in anytime within the next 24 hours and that your problem is a folded intestine and not just constipation.  That way if you do need to go in during the night, you won't have to try and get a hold of the doctor first when they are closed, and you won't be ignored at the ER since it's malpractice at that point after your doctor has informed them of your serious intestinal problem.

Good luck, I hope you don't have to go back there again and your doctor finds an answer for you.

Posted 4/3/2008 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Zanne,

Well, as if you haven't been through enough! Does your GI think you will need a fourth bowel resection to get the bend out of your bowel? If you aren't well, I hope you go back to the hospital like your doctor advised. I know it is frustrating, but you have to look out for yourself these days. You know your body better than anyone, and you have been dealing with crohn's for many years, so you could probably teach the ER staff a thing or two. Please take care, and don't forget your pred as you may need it for your adrenals. Thank you for writing me back about that! Keep us posted, as I will be thinking about you.
Posted 4/3/2008 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
I've learned that when you are treated and released from the ER and then return within 24-48 hours with similar symptoms, the ER docs believe it is a signal that something more should be done. (at least in theory). So if you go back, I would think they would at least need to keep you until they can get a surgery consult. You might want to pick a hospital where you know there's a good surgeon on staff. Good luck!
Posted 4/3/2008 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Zanne my heart hurts so much for you. I know you are really suffering. I think ski bum might be on to something. You should go back, because I think that would show that things are way out of control and they need to keep looking into what is causing all this. I know when I have gone back the next day, they finally start doing something. Hope you get this figured out and get on the road to recovery.

By the way, how do you treat your gastritis? I kinda think thats whats going on with me right now.
Posted 4/3/2008 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
The flood gates opened a little bit ago, so I don't have to go back to the ER tonight. Thank GOD. My Doctor is trying to find the best way to "fix" the issue. He isn't sure that surgery will work, but he isn't sure what else will help. That is why I switched to him. He is associated with one of the best teaching hospitals in Boston, and has access to some of the best doctors/surgeons. But, apparently the quality of the local hospitals ER is severely lacking! I can only go to the Boston hospital as a transfer, but as a regular thing I don't really want to go to Boston because its too far. And the local hospitals floor care is fine, and I've had good care in the ER in the past. Its just been recently that its been really BAD/Dangerous.

Thank you all for your concern. It is so nice to know that others who know what its like are thinking of me. I know my family cares, but they really have no idea what the pain is like, especially because I am REALLY good at hiding it.
Posted 4/4/2008 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
I am so glad the darn broke per se. Are you feeling better or still with some pain? I wish whatever dam I had would break loose and I would start feeling better myself. I am just glad you are feeling some relief. I was really getting worried there.
Posted 4/4/2008 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
Zanne, I think that idea of having the doctor write a note for the ER is a good idea.

However, since they obviously don't read your file there :-) might your doctor be able to write an explanatory note for you to carry with you and give to the ER nurses whenever you go there? I don't know if you remember our member Maddi, but she had unusual pancreatitis and had a similar note to give to the ER. It protected her against some of the trouble you've had. I know she still had problems from time to time, but if you have documentation to prove you're not a drug-seeker, you can at least *start* to get proper treatment.

I'm so sorry this has happened.

I.
Posted 4/4/2008 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
I am feeling a bit better. I do still have a bit of pain, but it is so much better than it was. I hope you get some relief too Nanners, don't let it go too long, tomorrow is Friday after all. I Hate Fridays when I'm sick. The thought of 2 days with no doctors offices open scares the beejeppers out of me!
Posted 4/4/2008 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
Zanne, Glad to hear things are moving. Sorry to hear about the E.R visit, I remember years ago it wasnt like this at all. now it seems as though they dont want to take care of another D.r's problems. I also have had to many encounters with the E.R teams in the last 9 months and only twice can I acutally say I was treated with respect and the problem taken care of. I of course can be pretty out spoken and do send my surveys in with vengence, and give thanks when deserved.Good luck with everything. 

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