er & hospital

[stretch1967]

I recently landed in the hospital. They had no clue as to what was wrong with me. They did a lumbar puncture in the er checking for meningitis. Dont ever let the er are do it. I had 2 doctors pushing around a needle in my spine. Finally they quit. Let me tell you that hurt. They admitted me do to my temperature  was 103 and my bp was 94/48. They kept running all kinds of tests. The next morning they took me to radiology for them to try the lumbar thing again. This was kind of neat and a lot less painful. They had some lind of xray machine and they could see where the needle was going. I reccomend not getting one in the er if you ever have to have one. I was in there for 5 days. First 4 in ICCU. My own private bathroom, flat screen tv and my own nurse. They moved me to the next floor. The nurse call button didnt work. The tv was miniature I couldnt even see it. There were too many patients the nurses couldnt keep up. In the end I had caught a uti infection, causing more infections in my body and my immune system couldnt fight off the infections. My organs were shutting down. Before I got to leave they informed me that I have diabetes now. Why is it everytime you go to the doctors or the hospital it seems like they seem to give you more bad news?

[jwallbank]

I can feel your frustration. I had an emergency room visit about 7-8 years ago and it seemed the doctor did not have a clue. I was out for work on my Truck which was still under warranty and since it was taking 3 hours to take care of, I went to lunch and had some fried fish. I started heading home about 1 hour later and started getting severe chest pains. When I got home I layed down for awhile, the problem got worse. I started have shortness of breath on top of chest pains, my wife brought me to the ER. Once I arrived they put me right in because I could hardly breathe  and was grabbing my chest. I must have spent 2 hours in the ER, they raised my BP, they lowered my BP, they injected me with about 6 different IV's, they also took a sonigram of my stomach and xray of my chest. finally the pain started to subside after about the 7th drug I was given. The doctor told me that I didn't have a heart attack but, don't know what it was. I could have told him it was a massive case of Heartburn or indigestion. He diagnosed it as "smoking disorder" since I am a smoker. I have not had this problem since but, I was put on medication for GERD.

[vp44]

So sorry these things happen to you both. Must remember hospitals is big business and they tend to do test that they feel deem to help and in end only cost more. I guess this is why Obama want's to reign in this type of malfunction.

[stretch1967]

Thank you guys. I took my sugar last night and it was only 87. I just hope thast they didnt misdianose my problem.

[BMaston12]

I recently landed in the hospital. They had no clue as to what was wrong with me. They did a lumbar puncture in the er checking for meningitis. Dont ever let the er are do it. I had 2 doctors pushing around a needle in my spine. Finally they quit. Let me tell you that hurt. They admitted me do to my temperature  was 103 and my bp was 94/48. They kept running all kinds of tests. The next morning they took me to radiology for them to try the lumbar thing again. This was kind of neat and a lot less painful. They had some lind of xray machine and they could see where the needle was going. I reccomend not getting one in the er if you ever have to have one. I was in there for 5 days. First 4 in ICCU. My own private bathroom, flat screen tv and my own nurse. They moved me to the next floor. The nurse call button didnt work. The tv was miniature I couldnt even see it. There were too many patients the nurses couldnt keep up. In the end I had caught a uti infection, causing more infections in my body and my immune system couldnt fight off the infections. My organs were shutting down. Before I got to leave they informed me that I have diabetes now. Why is it everytime you go to the doctors or the hospital it seems like they seem to give you more bad news?

I can tell you a horror story about hospitals. My husband has COPD and after he was admitted for too much caron dioxide in his blood, the doctor put him on a BiPap machine to get the blood mixture og oxygen and carondioxide correct. During his stay, he contracted MRSA, which sent him to another hospital, since he is on Medicare and disabled, which was just a glorified Nursing Home. His treatment intravenously, was to last for 25 days. The day before he was to be released, he was injected during the night 3 times with insulin, because his blood sugar reading was high. He has an overactive pancreas and controls his blood sugar by eating sugar when his body tells him he is low on sugar and has done this all his life. However, the hospitals always want to treat hiim as a diabetic, not hypo-glacemic. This is just the opposite of needing insulin, he needs sugar for low blood sugar. By giving him so much insulin, he was taken to another hospital ER for Insulin SHock, which could have been a coma. After he finally got home from all the treatments, he has been permanently on an oxygen machine. When he was admitted, he did not need to be on oxygen at all. Now he can't breathe without being hooked up to a machine. Makes you think that the hospital wanted to make him a permanent resident of an assisted living center or Nursing Home.
BMaston12

[stretch1967]

Prayers to you and your family. I will say a prayer for him.

[msmoneybags48]

I know this:  you may as well be dead.  My husband woke up one morning and complained that he could not move his legs.  He contacted my sister in-law, who took him to the emergency room.  To diagnose him with arthritis, prescribe him pills and send him home, he nearly passed out when they sent the letter; the cost for that one visit was $1,200.  I tell you, hospitals are a ripoff.  My late uncle was talking one morning and passed out.  My aunt and cousin took him to the hospital.  He was placed on an oxygen machine and wished he could breathe like everyone else.   In addition, the doctor asked my aunt what she was crying for, since he was going to die soon.  In my opinion, that was cruel.  He got up the morning of January 9, 2004, went outside, went to the bathroom to run the water for his bath, and died of a heart attack.  I understood he had emphysema as a result of smoking Salem cigarettes for many years, but the heart attack was sudden.
You have my deepest sympathy for your loved one.

[cutiepie9447]

I'm sorry to hear all these horror stories. I work in an ER (and the OR too actually). I am not a nurse or doctor, I don't do anything clinical for that matter but I do get to "be in the action" and see everything that happens. Let me tell you that from my experience the nurses and doctors want nothing more than to help their patients. Please remember that doctors are humans too. Sometimes, they don't have all the answers. Also, they see THOUSANDS upon thousand of patients in a week. Imagine that kind of pressure. Put yourselves in their shoes. Being sick is insanely scary (I've been admitted into the hospital several times as well) and there are always gonna be some bad apples but I truely believe that all intentions are good. I have seen countless lives saved.

[stretch1967]

I understand that they have a lot of patients. I have been taking my sugar and it has been normal. I am waiting 2 weeks and then I am taking my results to see what my family doctor, says.

[oldbuddy]

For every horror story, there are thousands of miracles!

Medical science today is amazing and I for one am very pleased to be alive today.

I am in recovery right now from surgery to remove my gallbladder and look forward to many years without the pain and misery it caused me until I ended up in the ER and all the tests, scans and scopes led to the solution I needed.

I have no problem paying the bill when I look back at how it was before.

[diala84]

I'm a caregiver working in home care. I know the hospital staff is really overworked and in a stressful job but it seems ridiculous that some patients get even worse when staying in the hospital. A lady I take care of got a really bad UTI while in the hospital and I have seen people get bed sores and other terrible infections being in rehabilitation centers. It is really sickening that the places that are supposed to heal and help us can actually make things worse in some cases.

[bessie1111]

This is totally diverting from the topic (but related).  I had a family member recently admitted to the ER.  While he was getting tested, we kept hearing music.  Everytime an ambulance arrives, the ER plays the ER theme music to alert the staff a patient is being admitted into ER.  Go figure. 

[cyncity831]

So sorry to here of your troubles at the er.  I know how frustrating it can be.  Also sorry to hear of your new condition.  But at least now you know and can work on taking care of the situation.  Good luck!!!

[stretch1967]

Thank you all for your support