Current Events > Fuck emergency rooms and healthcare in general in this country.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I got sick on Saturday while working. I work installing cat6 ethernet cabling/jacks for various businesses, like setting up internet and phone connections for desks in a new office space. This weekend it was at a machine shop, replacing a few old workstations that were still active. We had to get it finished during their downtime on the weekend so that it wouldn't interrupt their production lines.

I felt fine for most of the day, tbh. It came completely out of the blue, with no indication or warning. I was talking to my buddy as we were putting the finishing touches on the main part of the job (pulling all the cables physically into place and through into the switch room), and I had one of those weird burp/hiccup/cough simultaneously moments that just sorta throws you for a loop. I sorta paused for a second, said "I think I'm gonna go to the bathroom...", took about 2 steps before I dropped to my knees and vomited on the floor. It was not pleasant.

But the boss had literally just been talking to us 10 minutes earlier about how good we'd been doing and how much faster we'd gotten everything done than expected. And if we could just knock out these last few things in an hour or two, we wouldn't need to come back the next day to finish up. So I asked my coworker not to say anything to the boss. Took a couple minutes in the bathroom just washing my face and cleaning myself up as best I could (thankfully didn't get anything on my clothes), then a quick trip to the custodian closet to grab a mop bucket and cleaned the mess. I obviously felt like shit at this point, but I was able to push through and we got the job finished.

Sunday I pretty much felt normal. Come monday, my stomach was a little upset but nothing more than a little discomfort. Then tuesday it spiked, and I threw up again. But it's been JUST my stomach, no trouble with anything else like aching joints or trouble breathing or anything. So I just went up to the store and got some normal otc stomach/nausea medicine. Then yesterday happened... -_-

I spent the majority of yesterday in the bathroom. Threw up twice and just couldn't do anything to get relief. Finally said fuck it and went to the ER. I then sat in the waiting room for over 5 HOURS waiting for a room to open up. I threw up 4 more times in the waiting room bathroom just while waiting to get seen. They eventually get me in, hook me up to an IV for some fluids and anti-nausea drip, and do some bloodwork. They say they want to get a CT scan too, but there's a list so it's gonna be a bit. I sat in the room for about 2 MORE hours before they got me in for the scan. Wasn't 10 minutes later that the doc comes back and basically says "Yeah, you're fine. It's just a stomach bug. Here's 2 days' worth of anti-nausea pills. Stay hydrated and get some rest. Bye."

So by the time I get home I still feel like absolute trash, it's like 6 in the morning and the pharmacy isn't open yet so I can't even get my prescription filled for the pills, and I haven't had a decent meal or sleep in like 4 days. I try sleeping, and it's not very refreshing but I do manage to get a few hours. First thing I do when I wake up is go pick up my prescription. I take the first one and it has no noticeable affect whatsoever. I threw up again about an hour later. I still haven't eaten anything more than a handful of plain cheerios, and can only sip on water to keep my mouth and throat from drying out completely. My voice is just shot right now.

The worst part of the whole situation is that I don't have insurance. My work is contract-based, and jobs have been very spotty lately. I can't afford insurance. But I also know that I probably won't be able to afford the bill I just accrued getting absolutely no help whatsoever. They asked me while I was there if I was interested in financial assistance, and I said yes, but I haven't gotten a call yet from anybody about it. So I have no idea how screwed I'm going to be.

And I'm still sitting here having to put in conscious effort to not throw up. Fuck this country's healthcare. It's fundamentally broken, and now it's going to break me.

But what about Hunter Biden's laptop?

You should always go to urgent care over the ER unless it's an immediate life threatening situation.

Father_ posted...

You should always go to urgent care over the ER unless it's an immediate life threatening situation.

This. Way cheaper, and surprisingly faster most of the time. (Although you'll still probably be waiting a couple hours.)

I was in the hospital for 16 days fully covered though

Father_ posted...

You should always go to urgent care over the ER unless it's an immediate life threatening situation.

Urgent care was already closed. It was either ER or try to survive until the morning on my own.

I feel ya. My parents were in a car wreck around a year ago and we were at the ER (they were taken by ambulance) for 6 hours for my dad and 8 for my mom. My dad was pretty messed up but it still took them that long. We actually left and took my mom to a different hospital and were taken straight back. My brother stayed with my dad.

I get triage but my dad was beat to hell, bleeding and had a brain bleed. It was a little ridiculous.

i would not have gone to the doctor, stomach viruses can easily last multiple days.

anyway hope u feel better.

Robot2600 posted...

i would not have gone to the doctor, stomach viruses can easily last multiple days.

anyway hope u feel better.

I REALLY didn't want to. It was my mom that convinced me to go. I told her exactly what would happen (and was 100% accurate, sadly) and how it would be an expensive waste. But in fairness, she was kinda right. I was clearly extremely dehydrated at that point and without an IV drip I didn't really have any way to get fluids in that would stay. I kind of HAD to go see a doctor. I just hate how I was basically screwed no matter what I did. And that's how the fucked up healthcare system in this fucked up country is designed.

Father_ posted...

You should always go to urgent care over the ER unless it's an immediate life threatening situation.

Not necessarily. I was suffering with a stricture(narrow area) in my esophagus. And twice, food got stuck, and would not go down, so I went to the ER, and underwent an emergency endoscopy to remove the blockage. They cannot do that at an Urgent Care.

Robot2600 posted...

i would not have gone to the doctor, stomach viruses can easily last multiple days.

anyway hope u feel better.

If you can't stay hydrated you should go to the hospital.

Why did they give you a CT though, that's a lot of gratuitious radiation and likely money.

That's got to be pure misery. I'm sorry to hear you're going through that. It does sound like a stomach bug like the flu. At least you got an abdominal scan to check for something serious since it very well could had been. Yeah this healthcare system is completely fucked up. Health care should be a right not a privilege and we shouldn't put a price on someone's life or health. Did they do any blood work too?

Melzargard posted...

Why did they give you a CT though, that's a lot of gratuitious radiation and likely money.

I think you just answered your own question. I dunno what else they were thinking it could have been. Maybe an ulcer? Or constipation? I hadn't really shit in 2 days, but that's mostly because I hadn't been able to keep any significant food down. Would a CT scan even show those? I'm not 100% sure what all the different scan types do or can show.

--Zero- posted...

Did they do any blood work too?

Yeah, there was some bloodwork too. Same as the scan, the doc said it didn't show anything significant.

did you do a covid test?

that CT scan was just so they could charge you, completely unnecessary without other symptoms

Most 1st world nations have universal health care, hell even countries people do not count as 1st world have universal health care. We do not. Why is America so f'ing stupid? People go bankrupt and lose their homes over some medical bills it's stupid asf imo

thronedfire2 posted...

did you do a covid test?

I didn't even think of that but no, they didn't. Which is kind of surprising.

Aristoph posted...

I think you just answered your own question. I dunno what else they were thinking it could have been. Maybe an ulcer? Or constipation? I hadn't really shit in 2 days, but that's mostly because I hadn't been able to keep any significant food down. Would a CT scan even show those? I'm not 100% sure what all the different scan types do or can show.

I'm not American and work 100% on public service so the idea of giving someone the equivalent radiation of 200 x rays just to get money out of them is beyond fucked to me, so it was a reasonable doubt.

Ulcer on a CT? Fuck now, unless there was some massive perforation. Constipation? There's absolutely no need for that, unless you're suspecting a blockage, in which case you ask the patient if they've farted recently and stick your finger up in there to check. Did they ask/do that?

Melzargard posted...

Constipation? There's absolutely no need for that, unless you're suspecting a blockage, in which case you ask the patient if they've farted recently and stick your finger up in there to check. Did they ask/do that?

They asked if I'd shit. I said no, but I hadn't been able to keep anything down in days so I wasn't expecting to. They seemed to accept that and moved on.

They don't actually care about making people better. They just want to make as much money as possible. Unfortunately, they're the ones who have the resources to make people better, so we have no choice but to go to them when something is wrong. I fucking hate every single thing about hospitals and medicine in this country.

Aristoph posted...

They asked if I'd shit. I said no, but I hadn't been able to keep anything down in days so I wasn't expecting to. They seemed to accept that and moved on.

They don't actually care about making people better. They just want to make as much money as possible. Unfortunately, they're the ones who have the resources to make people better, so we have no choice but to go to them when something is wrong. I fucking hate every single thing about hospitals and medicine in this country.

I dunno about that. When my uninsured ass showed up in an ambulance suffering bradycardia, they examined me, then admitted me to the ICU, then I spent 3 more days in the cardiac ward, and went home with a pacemaker. If all they cared about was money, wouldnt they have just sent me home?

mustachedmystic posted...

If all they cared about was money, wouldnt they have just sent me home?

They can't charge you if you're dead. I mean...they CAN, but it's way more of a pain in the ass for them. They also can't charge you if you don't get the scans/procedures.

The Pro Life and Christian republican party prefer if you die instead of getting the proper care you need from the hospital

Aristoph posted...

They can't charge you if you're dead. I mean...they CAN, but it's way more of a pain in the ass for them. They also can't charge you if you don't get the scans/procedures.

True enough. The financial aid people told me I wasnt eligible for Medicaid, until my sister went to them and told them that they would never get paid, cause I had no money, suddenly they were eager to get me on it. Of course they care about money, without it, they wouldnt be able to help anyone. But, if all they cared about was money, they wouldnt have gotten into medicine in the first place.

mustachedmystic posted...

I dunno about that. When my uninsured ass showed up in an ambulance suffering bradycardia, they examined me, then admitted me to the ICU, then I spent 3 more days in the cardiac ward, and went home with a pacemaker. If all they cared about was money, wouldnt they have just sent me home?

They legally have to treat you.

Lonestar2000 posted...

They legally have to treat you.

Exactly, if all they cared about was money, why would they enter an occupation that forces them to serve everybody, even those without a cent to their name?

Woman wakes up in empty Alabama urgent care office

https://www.wral.com/woman-wakes-up-in-empty-alabama-urgent-care-office/20579473/

mustachedmystic posted...

Exactly, if all they cared about was money, why would they enter an occupation that forces them to serve everybody, even those without a cent to their name?

Because the doctor isn't being paid by the patient?

The doctor is getting his paycheck from the hospital regardless of whether or not the hospital sees a dime from that patient. I'm not sure why you think any doctor who is only concerned with money would care at all who they're treating? As long as they work, the hospital will pay them their ridiculously overinflated salary.

Ahh, youre one of those people that think doctor salaries are the #1 reason American healthcare is so damn expensive.

Aristoph posted...

It's just a stomach bug

i had one of those a few weeks ago. had 2 days of diarrhea with 10 bouts of making soup day 1. it was a mess.

shower every single time :(.
wasn't a result of food poisoning.

Aristoph posted...

Because the doctor isn't being paid by the patient?

The doctor is getting his paycheck from the hospital regardless of whether or not the hospital sees a dime from that patient. I'm not sure why you think any doctor who is only concerned with money would care at all who they're treating? As long as they work, the hospital will pay them their ridiculously overinflated salary.

What makes you think their salary is overinflated?

mustachedmystic posted...

Ahh, youre one of those people that think doctor salaries are the #1 reason American healthcare is so damn expensive.

No, I'm not. The problem with the healthcare system is a combination of the insurance industry and the drug industry both being filled with some of the most despicable human beings alive.

I'm just pointing out that your statement made no logical sense whatsoever, because the doctor isn't getting paid by the patient. So why the fuck would they care how broke the person is when it comes to helping them? Whether they actually care about helping people or they only care about money, the end result is the same: they'll help anybody who walks in the door and asks for it.

My point is, money is not their first priority. If it was they wouldnt go into medicine. Do doctors make bank? Yes, at least specialists do. But they work very hard, and theres any number of professions where they can make more money, with half the schooling and late nights.

mustachedmystic posted...

My point is, money is not their first priority. If it was they wouldnt go into medicine. Do doctors make bank? Yes, at least specialists do. But they work very hard, and theres any number of professions where they can make more money, with half the schooling and late nights.

Prestige is a thing too, y'know.

You said they can't be only interested in money or they wouldn't help poor people. But that statement is patently untrue, as has already been explained. There are people in every high-paying profession who are only there because of the fact that it's high-paying. And I frankly think you sound a bit naive with how much faith you give doctors by default. There are countless examples of disgusting human beings taking advantage of their position and status in the medical fields to do some truly despicable things in order to gain wealth, fame, and influence.

Aristoph posted...

Prestige is a thing too, y'know.

You said they can't be only interested in money or they wouldn't help poor people. But that statement is patently untrue, as has already been explained. There are people in every high-paying profession who are only there because of the fact that it's high-paying. And I frankly think you sound a bit naive with how much faith you give doctors by default. There are countless examples of disgusting human beings taking advantage of their position and status in the medical fields to do some truly despicable things in order to gain wealth, fame, and influence.

Would you explain why you think doctor salaries are overinflated?

Aristoph posted...

There are countless examples of disgusting human beings taking advantage of their position and status in the medical fields to do some truly despicable things in order to gain wealth, fame, and influence.

The vast majority are administrators, not providers.

I only read the topic title

Hear hear!

Dont get me wrong, I completely agree with the sentiment that the American healthcare system is FUBAR. However, if you blame doctors, you are barking up the wrong tree.

My mother in law went to an ER recently for a lump in her ankle.

Twelve. Hours.

mustachedmystic posted...

Dont get me wrong, I completely agree with the sentiment that the American healthcare system is FUBAR. However, if you blame doctors, you are barking up the wrong tree.

Please reread some of my posts. I'm not blaming the doctors. The doctors aren't "the problem." There are SOME problem doctors. They don't get a free pass just because they're a doctor. But like I literally already explained:

Aristoph posted...

The problem with the healthcare system is a combination of the insurance industry and the drug industry both being filled with some of the most despicable human beings alive.

At no point did I say that the doctors were the problem. It's not the doctor's fault I had a useless CT scan done. The doctors are constantly pushed by the hospitals to get excessive and unnecessary tests and scans as often as possible. This has been a known problem in the healthcare industry for years. It's not news. And if the doctors don't play ball, they get pushed out or passed up for promotions and advancement. The problem is systemic, and it's not going to change until we change how the system works.

Ooooooranges posted...

Would you explain why you think doctor salaries are overinflated?

Sorry I missed your question the first time. Not trying to dodge it.

The biggest issue is that nurses do the majority of the actual work and get paid a fraction of wage that the doctor they work with gets. My entire interaction with the doctor in this situation was a grand total of about 5 minutes. He asked for my story/symptoms, said "here's what we're gonna do" and then left the room so the nurses could actually do it. Then he came back at the end and said "you're all good to go. The nurse will give you the prescription" and left again.

Now once again, I don't blame him. He's probably working long hours, it's the middle of the night in a packed emergency room, and my problems were probably very low on the totem pole of severity that he's dealt with that night alone. But I have several very close friends who have worked in various medical fields for years, and the stories I hear about the day-to-day work they have to do compared to the doctors that they work with are just absurd.

It should be noted that when I'm talking about overinflated salaries for doctors, I'm not referring to people like open-heart surgeons, for example. There are obviously many medical professions that absolutely are worthy of a crazy high salary due to both the insane skillset required and the mental discipline to not let seeing such horrible trauma constantly break you down. It's fucking impressive. And if I'm going under the knife for a serious life-saving procedure, I'd probably feel more comfortable if the surgeon is making $300k than if he was only getting paid $70k as an indication for both his motivation and his skill level/experience.

You don't seem to understand how the medical system works. Doctors do not get promotions based on how many tests they order. If anything, ER doctors order unnecessary tests due to the risk of being sued in this country if they were to miss something.

I've worked in an ER before. The physicians there basically work nonstop for their entire shift. The idea that they're doing nothing just because they only spent a few minutes with you is ridiculous. They have way more patients to see than the nurses do. There are several nurses to each ER doc. Not to suggest that nurses do less - but they definitely don't work any harder than an ER doc does. They work equally hard. But the doctors have to do a lot more training and pay a lot more money for schooling to work the jobs that they do, so of course they should get paid more. If they didn't then we'd have an even larger physician shortage in this country.

The problem with healthcare in this country is corporate greed leading to understaffing and burnout.

Ooooooranges posted...

The idea that they're doing nothing just because they only spent a few minutes with you is ridiculous.

Yes it is, which is why nobody suggested that. I literally explicitly stated the opposite of that, in fact. That I'm sure he had more important shit to do than to sit with me, who was probably an extremely low priority compared to the other shit he's got coming in to the ER.

If you don't want to have a good faith debate, and actually read what I'm saying before responding, then I'm just gonna say we'll agree to disagree and move on. I'm sharing my opinion based on the conversations I've had with the close friends I mentioned. Two are nurses, one is a pediatrician, and one is a general practitioner. All 4 of them echo the same sentiment: the salary disparity between nurses and doctors is too extreme, and nurses are frequently expected to do more actual work than the doctor. It's the extra training and education that make up the difference in the salary. The idea being that though they don't do as much actual work on a day-to-day basis, they have the knowledge to step in when more extreme or more complicated situations arise and make effective decisions that the nurses simply don't have the same amount of information to make. But the difference is too much.

Even the 2 doctors hold this same opinion.

i seem to remember something now... when i sprained my ankle and had to go to the emergency room since urgent care was closed.

340$ for an xray, crutches and a splint.
seems rather tame. insurance covered all of it.

worse one was the seizure incident as a result of hot weather (guessing my body gave out and did that)
1.5k dollar ambulance ride for less than 3 miles.

kingdrake2 posted...

i seem to remember something now... when i sprained my ankle and had to go to the emergency room since urgent care was closed.

340$ for an xray, crutches and a splint.
seems rather tame. insurance covered all of it.

worse one was the seizure incident as a result of hot weather (guessing my body gave out and did that)
1.5k dollar ambulance ride for less than 3 miles.

Thats insane... Why do you guys like getting fucked over when other countries have already solved healthcare