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Virgin Experience #3: Emergency Room and Follow-up Treatment
I’m in serious need of a rant. For those of you who are queasy about health-related issues, you don’t have to read this post. But I have to write it.
Sunday night, my husband took me to the emergency room. (He had to wait for me in the car for four hours due to virus restrictions.) I was in pain, and after taking tests (some very painful) and checking me over, they found nothing conclusive. So they suggested I consult with a gynecologist about a biopsy of the uterus. Yippee.
Meanwhile, I’m in consultation with my very knowledgeable nurse practitioner. She is suspicious after all the details I’ve given her (I don’t need to bore you with them), that I have interstitial cystitis. (If you want the gory details, you can go here.)
My last gynecologist closed up shop some months ago and I hadn’t yet set up with a new one. The emergency doctor gave me a referral. I learned, however, that since I will be a Medicare patient, I need a referral from my primary care practice, not an emergency doc. So the nurse practitioner faxed in the referral. But you see, that referral goes into “The System,” which has to chew on it and eventually attach it to my new account. It can take 48 hours to locate it. Normally, that’s not a big deal, but you can see that I have a sense of urgency (pun intended). I hope to learn that the referral has shown up this afternoon. But of course, that’s only for the consultation regarding a biopsy, which I hope will be a tele-med meeting.
Are you keeping up? Meanwhile I talked to a urologist doc who felt I needed a cystoscopy. (Oh boy, can’t wait.) But there was not an opening (pun intended again) until May 19. Well, I guess I will have to wait and hope there is a cancellation. Then I realized, wait, this is probably an elective procedure. They probably are assuming the lockdown will be canceled by May 1. Great.
So I’ve made a decision that I think even the gynecologist will agree with (and even if he doesn’t, too bad): I will wait for the cystoscopy and then decide if a biopsy is warranted. In consultation with all the relevant doctors, of course.
The irony of all this nonsense is that if I have that condition, there’s no real treatment or cure. Except that flare-ups can be food-related. People have found that coffee, chocolate, alcohol, and citrus can aggravate the condition. In some ways, that’s the worst part.
I take that back; I can work on my diet. The worst part is being in pain, unable to do anything about it, and waiting. Because we are all shut down.
I do know that many of you have medical conditions much, much worse than mine. And have long-term grievances with receiving medical treatment. But I’m spoiled. I have been blessed with good health. It just seems that when I turned 70, everything went to hell.
It’s life unfolding. I will get through it. And I will live.
Published in Healthcare
I had a very similar experience in January. When all the stars align, the system works really well. But when they don’t, . . . :-)
What our “leaders” have done to the medical system is a crime. Our medical source (a practice with 20+ physicians, almost as many PAs and NPs) has basically gone into foxhole mode. If you call, they make you do a telemed (which actually isn’t a bad idea most of the time), but then they are only doing that from 9AM-2PM when their regular hours used to be 8-5. They had a walk-in clinic that has been completely shut down. If they do have you come in after the telemed, it has to be from 9-2. I’m still not understanding this change.
The local medical center has gone into full panic mode, with tents being set up in the parking lot and cancelling virtually all procedures not critical or emergencies. This in a county of 80,000+ residents with a total of 73 positive cases, no deaths, and ZERO current hospitalizations, according to the state website.
And now the Goobernor is calling for 30,000 volunteers to help the hospitals to deal with upcoming surge, when the number of new positive cases in the state has been decreasing for the last 5 days, except for one day.
@susanquinn Hoping you feel better very soon.
It’s so discouraging, @oldphil. When I walked up to Emergency, there were a half-dozen staff. I felt interrogated, first, about why I was there (trying to make sure I didn’t have THE VIRUS. Then two people asked questions while the rest of them stood around and watched. When they finally finished, one fellow asked if I needed a wheelchair. I said no, but I think he was so desperate to have something to do, he insisted on transporting me in one. Whatever.
I went to the ER a week ago Monday with a kidney stone. I was the only patient at 2 am. They said normally they would have admitted me but said they didn’t want me and I probably didn’t want to stay. They shot me full of drugs and sent me home. Luckily I passed it at 5:30. Oh what a relief it is. I am supposed to follow up with my urologist but I am going to wait a couple of weeks. 70 does seem to be rubicon or time for a 100,000 mile tuneup. I know I am in the fourth quarter of the game but would like to think it’s not the two minute warning yet.
I do want to make sure that this is not an attack on any specific group of medical professionals. One-on-one, people have been apologetic, but the answers don’t change. And I don’t know how much of my experience can be credited to CV-19 or to the current state of medicine.
According to NRO this morning, New York State has 90,000 hospital beds of which 18,000 are currently occupied, and they are setting up “emergency” hospitals in city parks.
It’s beginning to seem that the hospital bed catastrophe is a little over-hyped, if New York is a typical example. In fact, according to the actual number of reported infections New York is an extreme example of over-reacting regarding the hospital situation.
Your urologist might not see you, unless it is tele-med anyway. Frankly, for just a conversation, that works for me. Glad you’re feeling better, @phcheese.
I’m there in 2 weeks, but I feel like it’s just early in the second half.
Mrs. B had an ER visit some weeks ago. After a couple of days in “observation” (in hospital, but not “admitted” for insurance purposes) they released her and told her to go to her PCP and a specialist for tests that could have been done in the hospital. We went to the PCP and specialist, had the tests. A few days later, the system posted her results on the web site. All tests appeared to be in the normal range, but we already had an appointment with the specialist, who confirmed to us a couple days later that all tests were in normal range (couldn’t he have had a nurse give us a phone call?). The specialist recommended we go to a more specialized specialist who took more tests that showed things definitely were not normal. There’s more, but it seems the system is definitely broken.
That’s what I thought, too . . .
With Mrs. B the stars are never aligned
My wife is looking forward to that hell this May . . .
I hope you’re all right in the long run.
Sorry to hear all this, Susan. Hang in there.
I think most folks are pretty clear that the medical professionals are just as much at the mercy of the “experts” and their flawed assumptions/projections as the rest of us. Sure, those experts have the moral high ground, because disagree with them and that must mean you want people to die, but after one after another experience where the projections have been so very wrong, it’s no wonder people are jaded and fed up.
I’m beginning to wonder if we’ve been looking at this all wrong, and whether, instead of turning the country inside out in the way we have been, with field hospitals being built and then dismantled without ever seeing a patient, very lightly utilized military hospital ships being moved into position (wasn’t one supposed to go to Washington State, and then sent to CA?), and all the other contortions the country has been going through, it might not have been easier to set up large regional hospital centers for COVID patients, and move the people to them. All sorts of insurance and payment ramifications, but , Geez Louise, as they say, maybe it’s worth a thought, especially since the hospital stay for this disease is, in comparison to much of what’s done these days, relatively lengthy.
Susan, your experience sounds like a horror.
You’re falling apart early. It wasn’t until I was 81 that I began to fall apart. Right now I have two swollen feet, a sore shoulder, and a sore tooth (my last one). None are getting better. Such is life.
I’m so sorry, @kentforrester. I hope I do better, emotionally, when I’m pretty sure what is going on. Yes, it is life and we’re all on that same path. Thanks.
My father’s lungs are compromised because he was a heavy smoker for decades (he quit 9 years ago, but the damage was done). Lockdown for him is a no-brainer. But he has had a femoral-artery aneurism for years, and goes in for a full body MRI every year to look at that and sundry other conditions (like his mild emphysema). His doc had to badger the scan center to convince them that no, this is not “elective”, because if there’s any change, it will need surgery ASAP. Delayed him by weeks, but he finally got the scan (no changes in the aneurism or lungs). Sometimes you have to be a pest to get these things addressed.
I had interstitial-cystitis when I was about 45-50 and was cured, and still at 82. However, I refused to allow some of the things the doctors suggested. Since it may take awhile for you to get appt and a good urologist, and decide on treatment, let me suggest starting with your diet for some relief. Eliminate all citrus fruits and veggies as oranges and tomatoes. If you smoke, quit. No caffeine, coffee or coco. Good article by Mayo Clinic below.
<https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/diagn>
It took about 3 months but I was completely cured. My first inclination I had a problem was bleeding from the bladder. Gads, this brought back all the memories of those first miserable weeks, so I will pray for you, at least for the elimination of pain. To keep my bladder in working order, now, all the time, I drink pure cranberry juice from the organic food section. The stuff is bitter as gall as no sugar in it. So dilute it half/half with pure apple juice, no sugar. One regular glass a day is sufficient.
Wish you more than good luck but a cure. And fair skin, redheaded women are more prone to having this condition than any others.
Didn’t they at least give you some pain pills? I am all in favor of pain relief.
After I finished radiation treatments about 10 days ago I pretended my breast hurt more than it really did. At first I told my radiation doc I didn’t need anything but decided later to leave him a message. In the meantime I saw my medical oncologist and asked for something for the pain. So she wrote me a script. And the next day the other doc sent another script in. So I ended up with 30 Tramadol and 40 hydrocodone. Whoopee! I really wasn’t trying to manipulate the system. So now I have a stash for when I really have some pain.
Well, my condition is getting worse and more painful. I may just have to pull a few chains, @skipsul. It might not work but it may make me feel less victimized.
Sorry about your dad’s medical condition. I know it takes its toll on all of you.
Thanks so much, @kayofmt! I read that same article–I was a strawberry blond, once. And although I’m prepared to do just about anything, I will miss the foods. And my glass of wine with dinner. Thanks for the tip about cranberry and apple juice. I didn’t mention bleeding, but that’ true for me, too. I feel so much better knowing there may be a cure!!
Let me offer my prayers that you come through this.
Thanks, @tedley. I’ll take all the help I can get!
I was there five years ago so just wait. Remember at 70 you need to make it until 140 to still be in first half.
The system is broken due to government interference. All the extra rules and regulations and trying to force mergers into massive systmes.
He’s much happier now that he got his scan. He’s pretty tough, but he always gets anxious around the time for this scan, and he’s especially concerned over his lungs since my mother’s sister died suddenly of undiagnosed lung cancer 5 years ago – she was an inveterate smoker as well, but never quit.
Thats not really true. There are a number of medications and other therapies that can be helpful, even if they don’t provide a cure.
That’s good to know, @kozak. I just need to have the diagnosis confirmed. Also, I think in the meantime restricting my diet might help, and if it keeps it in remission, that works for me. Thanks.
I know at least 2 doctors on ricochet who may be able to answer your questions
That’s very kind, Mister Bitcoin. But unfortunately they can’t treat me.
Not to mention the bogus math of “saving money” and “reducing paperwork” by spending more money and increasing the paperwork.
One of my daughters had a cartilage growth in her knee that was tearing the meniscus. An MRI would have picked it up right away.
But first….
Her GP HAD to refer her to a sports medicine place.
The sports medicine place HAD to have her do 6 weeks of physical therapy.
The PT place, despite protesting that the PT was making the problem worse, still had to register 6 weeks of appointments.
Only then would insurance allow us to get the damned MRI.
Which showed that yes, she needed surgery, and yes, the PT had made the surgery that much more urgent.