Morning ...
I will keep this brief. I didn't make it to Phoenix for the PET scan. Unfortunately, it would seem that there is no one in a medical position manning the office and I am STILL waiting on the insurance comanpany authorization. This in and of itself, irritates me to no end, it is totally uncalled for given the results they have to base an opinion on, and continued symptomatology.
Yesterday afternoon I was taken from my office to the local ER with chest pain/symptoms of a potential heart attack. This too, turned into an encounter I could have done without. Not only that, at one point I think I just threw my arms up said "fuck it," and told Hillary I was done being a good patient. Although I was taken in almost immediately given the fact I said I was having chest pain,I was triaged, and asked to wait back in the waiting room. That didn't last too long seeing as pain became intense again and I was taken back and placed in a bed located in the hallway (they were that busy, I guess), then ... after hooking me up to a monitor spent the next TWO hours and multiple people and pokes to get a line in .... THEN they offered me up nitroglycerine .... REALLY ...???? It was not until they gave me the nitro that my chest pressure has subsided completely, up until that point, it came in went, in various waves of intensity. Ok ... well ... as many of you can imagine, I'm not a happy camper at this point and my frustration is eating at me in more ways than one. I continue to lay in the hallway, as the staff bitches within ear shot of patients about their woes, budgets, short staffing, etc. (I can relate to this, I too, am dealing with it where I am employed) However .... it is a service area of employment .... and the patients, me being one at times, need not hear some of these comments when experiencing pain and/or didiscomfort. (something that I am experiencing at this moment) I should call the nurse, however, it is shift change, and my guess is they are all too busy, so I am going to wait the 10 minutes to see if the doc shows up at 7:00 as he stated. Maybe it will pass ... I will NOT stay in this hospital to undergo any sort of invasive procedure ... i.e., an angiogram and possible stent placement ... NOT HERE KIDS!!!
Ok ... nurse just came in. Nothing by mouth now until my test at 8:30 (my guess is doc will not be here in 10 minutes) ... I am tired, in so many ways ... I'm just wondering, how long does one continue to fight? I want quality, not quantity ... that has always been my outlook, and will remain. I am all for teaching hospitals, but I will not allow the medical community to use me as their own personal cash cow, with a lets take a guess and see ... and lately, I don't have a lot of faith in the knowledge I am encountering. I haven't heard one real educated guess even ... oh well ... guess all this frustration with the medical community and health care status has me on edge and isn't in my best interest, i.e., you know, the big one might hit!!! What really ticked me off yesterday was when I told the doctor I didn't want to stay ... then he dealt me this AMA card ... WTF!! I though as a patient, I had the right to leave and seek care elsewhere ... apparently there are loopholes involved in that information. Hillary tried to catch me before my coworker took me into the ER as once I was in ... anything I decided (like to leave) would have been considered AMA.
So .. it would appear I am being held on protocol in a place I am not convinced is up to par in these days of budget cuts and staff shortages ... I feel, from a patients perspective, it is all about how much money can we make on this visit ...??? Now if someone would like to argue me wrong, have at it .... but .... I feel I have dealt with this profession long enough in my life to pull the good ones from the bad, and that the good ones are being held down, held back, and literally tied with the rules and regs put on them by the Federal Government and insurance companies!!
Ok ... well ... it is 7:00 .... I hear familiar voices .... and am going to close my eyes for the next 90 minutes until they come to get me for this stress/echo .... wish me luck!!!!
Enjoy the day!!
Peace and Light
et
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