My LONG eve in the ER...
I've been having bad stomach pains for a week now. Called Dr Aranow's office and talked to Lois on Monday, only to find out that Dr A is out of vacation this week.
I let the pains go for one more day and Lois called me back yesterday to check on how I was doing and she suggested that I at least be checked by someone on call.
So, hubby and two kids pile me in the car and we head out to Middletown (an hour's drive each way). I get a call in the car to not come to the office, that Dr Blancaflor wanted me to go to the ER...SO, that's where we went.
Hubby had been up at 4am for the early shift, and kids don't do well waiting....
Having said that....
I get to the ER at 4:30 and don't get called in until 7:30pm. Even though they had a call from Lois that I was coming, they didn't have any said "orders" from him, so they started from scratch.
I got a resident...Very nice, but had to check every single thing with the attending.
Saw the attending and went over the same old stuff I did with the resident.
Nurse comes in to take blood.
Waiting, waiting, waiting. It's now after 8.
Attending comes in and says he's gonna call Dr Blancaflor. Resident comes in with a totally different set of directions. To take Prilosec and do a liquid diet.
Resident, (Who's very nice, by the way) comes back in and says, "Oh, I didn't know that attending was calling surgeon, have to wait some more."
Waiting, waiting, waiting, no tests, no iv, no food, no water, nothing...Hubby is growing VERY tired and weary. Kids are bouncing off the walls asking every two minutes when we were leaving.
Resident comes in and says I'm almost ready to be discharged. With NOTHING done..except blood and that's ok. No infection.
I get dressed...Hubby goes out to car with kids...
A technician comes in with this bottle and a cup and says I have to drink this "contrast" for a upper GI series and CT scan. I say, "Whoa, it's almost 10 pm, I live an hours drive away and hubby is tired, and has to get up again at 4 am for the early shift again plus, I have my two small children with me. I CANNOT DO THIS"
More waiting...no one comes....
I walk out to hall and find resident. Tell him this and he has no clue that Dr Blancaflor ordered these tests. Will find attending.
I find Bob and he comes back in.
Attending and resident come in and I said, "Look, it's 10pm, you've done nothing since I came in at 4, I'm going home, I'll do the test another day."
He give me an order to have the test either here in my town or to come back to Middletown...
It's after 10pm...I'm tired, in pain, had no food or liquid since 2pm, hubby is exhausted, kids are weary....and NOTHING was done. It was a total waste of time.
Can you read my madness???
It's time to call Lois and tell her what happened and see if I should go back to Middletown or stay here in Westerly for the CT scan, GI series. I don't even know if I can get in at Westerly Hospital for it today anyways. GRRRR
Dr Aranow isn't around anyways...he'll be in hospital for surgery on Friday, but no office visits. I'll probably just wait till he's back and find out from HIS mouth what he wants me to do.
I'm confused, mad and feel like crap.
I'm afraid to drink or eat cause it hurts SO bad once I get something in. When my stomach is empty, I have virtually no pain. After I got home at 11:30 last night, I had a few sips of water and that hurt. I decided on having nothing to eat. Well, they put me on a liquid diet, so I can't eat anyways. So, broth it is. YEAH.
I don't even know how I'd drive myself to Middletown, I'm very weak. Plus, no kid care.
Bob is at work and I'm not going to do a repeat of yesterday by having him bring me or the kids.
I'll figure it out...I'll post when I find out what's on the agenda
Sorry to droan on. I needed to vent... I hate ER's...I hate doctors...I hate it when one doesn't know what the other is doing...I hate waiting...I hate miscommunication...I hate it when you've never been sick since surgery and when you are, your doctor is on vacation...
Paula
Just talked to Lois...she was VERY frustrated that they didn't do anything for me in the ER...AFTER she had called in orders for them to give me an upper GI series with contrast and a small bowel follow through...All of that waiting was not necessary. She sounded mad, and felt bad for me.
She said that if Dr Aranow was around, he'd be livid and would be reeming them all new *you know what's* right now.
So, it's another surgeon on call in their office today and she's finding out if I should come up to Middletown (she said it's better to have my test at the hospital cause Dr can read them right off their computer at their desk and access it anytime) today or wait. I don't know.
So, another time to wait...At least my jets have cooled and I'm not so mad.
I just have to coordinate when I get an appointment up at Middlesex Hospital, kid care, and account for an hour's drive to get there.
Thanks, all for listening to me crab... this is not usually my nature
paula
Paula,
I know we don't know each other that well, but I will drive you to Middletown if you need to go tonight. I can either pick you up, or you can meet me at my house. It's about 1/2 from my house.
I would love to help you out, whether it is driving you or watching you kids, or taking care of the hubby for you. You helped me, it's my turn to help you.
Jen
Hey Paula
I am soooooo sorry your kids and your hubby went through this for nothing! Wish I can drive for u today but i cannot drive because of my surgery. I wish Dr Aranow have new partner who can back up for him when he is not there. He needs that! It is not first time I heard about this.
Hugs
Kathy K
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