I recently had the opportunity to see first hand how our medical system is doing.
Since the first time buyer market has been so alive I am running as fast as I can trying to be everything to all and get every possible sale. We don't know what the future holds here in Ohio . Well I guess I over did it a bit. About a week ago I had chest pains. So I took and aspirin and a very nice glass of scotch and settled into a nice hot bath. This worked very well. Then a week later I had the same feeling chest pains anxiety, sweaty shaky feeling. I just read an article in More magazine (magazine for 40 an up)about women and heart attacks and how the symptoms are tricky. Jack my fiance and Lynn my girlfriend who works for the clinic talked me into driving to the hospital. I was really scared. I started to cry. I called me oldest son just in case he was around. When he answered the phone (which is rare) My little voice came out. You now when you try to talk normal and you sound pathetic! He was at work and said he would be right there. Of course I told Jack to stay at work because we don't want him to lose his job. Sometimes when I look back at the way I think I find it strange. Amazing my loved ones hang in there with me.
Once I got to the hospital I kind of felt stupid. Here I am dressed for work in a skirt and high heels. When I went to park they asked me why I was there . To get past the guard arm and into the parking lot I had to tell the guard that I am bringing myself to the emergency room. That was just weird. If it was someone else who said I AM TAKING HER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! It just seems okay then. I get in there and have to wait for triage. I am standing there thinking I might faint! If I do will I split my head open too! Finally someone comes out of the door to talk with a man and I say excuse me I think I am having a heart attack!
She says come with me so I follow her her thinking this is strange. My legs are shaky, I am a nervous wreck and I think I might cry. She drops me in front of a desk of nurses and doctors and says to them can you take this she thinks she is having a heart attack. One guy says follow me. So I do and my legs are still there they haven't gone out from under me yet. I am shaking but no one really seems to care. He gets to a room and he says to me to wait outside he needs to clean it up. Great. No one offers a chair. I am still shaking and my chest feels tighter and I am now crying
My phone is ringing Oh, I have a business call, I let it go to voice mail. In fact I just turn it off at this point.I am feeling like I might just sit on the floor right there in the emergency room, high heels skirt and all. I am a germ Phoebe though and the thought of what is on that floor keeps my head busy enough to keep me standing. Finally they put me in the room and I sit down with relief that I am not going to crash down on the floor. These people act like I know my part here. Finally this guy says we need you to take off you shirt and bra, we have to hook you up. Oh okay and that's when their little party started! I am a real scared cat when it comes to needles. Before I know it I have a needle in one arm electrodes all over me. They had me aspirin. Give me Nitro. Shoot my belly with something that really hurts. I have oxygen. My blood pressure is very very high. They keep asking questions about is this normal for me. Of course not!My son gets there and shortly after that Jack arrives. They are concerned. It takes a few hours to get me blood pressure down. I have my blood drawn every three hours always from a different source. They admit me it takes hours to get a room. I am going to share a room with a ninety year old lady. She looks very nice and excited about the company. Oh no this isn't good at all. They tell me they are going to keep me for observation.I tell them that's okay I can go now I feel fine. The tell me that I am not allowed to leave on my own free will. I have been admitted which really means committed. I have lost all free will. They poke and prod and draw blood. The room next door sounds as though there is a party going on. People talk in loud voices at 2 am nobody is allowed to sleep. What happened to those lovely nuns who tiptoed down the hallway shushing people to be quiet and the gentle touch of a caring person. I am a human pin cushion. I haven't had a drink of water,or food for over twelve hours. Jack tells me I am not a good patient. He gets me a Walkman so I can plug my ears and not appear to be unfriendly. he brings me a book and recharges my phone/blackberry. What a wonderful man I have found! He takes really good care of me. Now it is my goal to get out of there. They schedule me for a Sono gram of my heart. Finally it is my turn for this test. I pass with flying colors. I talk to this very charming heart specialist with a beautiful accent. I tell him that I liked my scotch treatment a lot better then his. He laughs and schedules me for an out patient stress test and thankfully releases me from that mad house. The sweet roommate of mine is sad to see me leave as I can't get out of there fast enough. I get home and sleep until the next day. This whole time I have manged to do business via blackberry. The first day back I am up and running like a hamster on the wheel all over again. Lucky for me Memorial Day is coming and I can get a little break! Never once while I was in that hospital did anyone ask me my preference of treatment. They didn't care if I was a vegetarian or if I wanted holistic care. It was drug upon drug upon drug. The nurses would show up and administer what the doctor told them. The doctor spoke to me maybe 3 minutes total once I was admitted. The emergency room nurses and doctors seemed more human to me. The emergency staff talked to me like I am a person. I will never go to the hospital again unless I am carried in or kicking and screaming. That is an ordeal that I hope I am lucky enough to avoid. There needs to be changes to this system beyond billing and giving available care. We need to bring some peace and comfort through those doors. I felt like I was trapped in a horrible medical experiment. It is very clear to me that these nurses are overworked. The stress on their faces were apparent. There was a big management meeting the day I was there and everyone was talking about it. I think they have too many Chiefs and not enough Indians. Everyone seemed fearful of losing their jobs. I gotta say the place was packed they certainly were working at full capacity from my standpoint. Somethings gotta give. Unless you are a big money donor to the hospital the care is comparable to flying coach. They squeeze as many in, offer few choices and cut the staff to bare bones. Not my idea a quality care!
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