...except for the obvious dying scnerio, of course?
I got out of class this past Wednesday. As soon as I got on the Subway train, I started to feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I decided to ride it out, thinking I would go to an emergency hospital near where I live (Mount Sinai Emergency Hospital in Astoria, Queens). By the time I'd reached the hospital, I was in severe pain. I told the clerk but he told me to RELAX and the nurse would call me shortly. Ten agonizing minutes go by before the nurse calls me and takes my info. I informed her that I was in severe pain. She continues to write down info and finally took me into an emergency ward, which looked like a military field hospital. Other nurses come around just to take info. An hour passes before the doctor comes. I told her that an hour after I ate an Almonds Joy from a vending machine at Columbia University, I'd gotten sick. The bitch then told me that it was probably nothing without performing a diagnosis. She then give me two OPTIONS: I could either go home or she could give me some IVs. I then reminded her that stomach pain is the worst anybody can have. She gets mad and says that there are other more important patients. I then asked her how would she know if she didn't even check me out. The bitch then walked away, saying someone would be back. Half an hour later, and still in severe pain, I walked out of that emergency, took the train to my house, got into my car, and drove to St. Luke's Hospital, across from Columbia University. I had to wait another hour just to be called upon, but the doctors actually started to give me some medication for my pain, none of which worked. They give me four different shots of Motrin along with a cocktail of other pain medications. It was only after 10 hours of god-awful stomach and a final shot of Motrin and Pepcid that the pain just miraculously went away. I got an X-ray, two CAT scans, and a battery of other tests before they surmised that there may be some telescoping of my intestines; an inflammation of one of my organs due to surgery I had eight years earlier; or a breakdown of one of my organs. I have to see a specialist soon. I hope it isn't terrible news.
I honestly don't know what would've happened had I stayed at the ER in Queens but judging from the fact that the Doctor was basically asking me what I wanted to do, I didn't really trust her judgement. At St. Lukes, however, the staff really cared about the fact that I was in pain, inspite of the fact that I had to wait in the ER there. That is what has me wondering whether or not the ER should treat different patients differently as opposed to having a "first come, first serve" policy?
I got out of class this past Wednesday. As soon as I got on the Subway train, I started to feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I decided to ride it out, thinking I would go to an emergency hospital near where I live (Mount Sinai Emergency Hospital in Astoria, Queens). By the time I'd reached the hospital, I was in severe pain. I told the clerk but he told me to RELAX and the nurse would call me shortly. Ten agonizing minutes go by before the nurse calls me and takes my info. I informed her that I was in severe pain. She continues to write down info and finally took me into an emergency ward, which looked like a military field hospital. Other nurses come around just to take info. An hour passes before the doctor comes. I told her that an hour after I ate an Almonds Joy from a vending machine at Columbia University, I'd gotten sick. The bitch then told me that it was probably nothing without performing a diagnosis. She then give me two OPTIONS: I could either go home or she could give me some IVs. I then reminded her that stomach pain is the worst anybody can have. She gets mad and says that there are other more important patients. I then asked her how would she know if she didn't even check me out. The bitch then walked away, saying someone would be back. Half an hour later, and still in severe pain, I walked out of that emergency, took the train to my house, got into my car, and drove to St. Luke's Hospital, across from Columbia University. I had to wait another hour just to be called upon, but the doctors actually started to give me some medication for my pain, none of which worked. They give me four different shots of Motrin along with a cocktail of other pain medications. It was only after 10 hours of god-awful stomach and a final shot of Motrin and Pepcid that the pain just miraculously went away. I got an X-ray, two CAT scans, and a battery of other tests before they surmised that there may be some telescoping of my intestines; an inflammation of one of my organs due to surgery I had eight years earlier; or a breakdown of one of my organs. I have to see a specialist soon. I hope it isn't terrible news.
I honestly don't know what would've happened had I stayed at the ER in Queens but judging from the fact that the Doctor was basically asking me what I wanted to do, I didn't really trust her judgement. At St. Lukes, however, the staff really cared about the fact that I was in pain, inspite of the fact that I had to wait in the ER there. That is what has me wondering whether or not the ER should treat different patients differently as opposed to having a "first come, first serve" policy?
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