Sick Sick Sick

[Rabbit Hero]

Hey guys, I haven't been around much lately. My best friend's wedding is finally over, Its been a long few months preparing for it. It was the most amazing, beautiful wedding I've ever been to.

But unfortunately... everyone is sick! Me, The Bride, The Groom, the other Maid of Honor, the honorary Bride's maid , and an aunt have all come down with a serious cold. The bride's even escalated to a viral infection due to her asthma. (Of course this is only the people that I know of)

As soon as I found out how serious people were getting I went to the hospital. I had a fever and a bad cough, chest pain. I waited four hours and the Doc took 30 seconds to look at me. she said "Your fine, go home and take a Tylenol." And she rushed out of the room.

I was so upset, and since then I've only gotten worse. We're always told to put our health first, don't wait, go see a doctor right away. Then we get treated poorly and fear going in the next time something serious happens because "its all in our heads".

This has not been a fun few days.

 

[Brandy456]

A lot of doctors do that here, and it's really annoying.

Try going to a walk in clinic, since the hospital is usually for more serious things.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

This was a walk-in. several hospitals have them.

 

[Brandy456]

Like emergency?

 

[Rabbit Hero]

HAHAHAHAHA omg the sarcasm was amazing! That totally made my day. I'm all about the dry humor.

No, this hospital has an emergency, as well as a clinic that's open from 8 - 10 every day. I've been there before, and had a great doctor. So I was a bit surprised by this Doc's attitude.

 

[Brandy456]

:? i'm trying to help you, no need to be rude.

 

[degrassi]

I'm sorry you were unhappy with your doctor but that doctor probably sees dozens of people with the flu/cold each day and there isn't anything they can do for it besides tell you to take a tylenol and get some rest. So they aren't going to take the time or $$$ to test you if you are just showing symptoms of the flu.

This is why if you have the flu dont' bother going to the doctors unless you are VERY sick(persistent high fever, can't breath, ready to die etc) as they aren't going to do anything for you and you end up plugging up the system. Thats why clinics and hospitals have 4hr+ wait times.

 

[akane]

The treatments for viral infections are limited, expensive, and risky so unless you are having serious problems they are not going to give you anything. You pretty much have to reach the point of being hospitalized before they'll do anything but suggest some over the counter medication. Even if you do get that sick they will mostly just do supportive care and treat the secondary symptoms rather than the virus itself.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

I'm sorry Brandy, It was not my intention to be rude. It just happened to make me laugh. I'm sorry If I made you feel bad.

I see I see... when I heard of the amount of people who have gotten sick I got concerned. I do have a history of bronchitis, I was worried. So I went in. Personally I don't really see a problem with that. I do of course understand what it is you guys are saying.

However this is kind of my point. We're told not to go see doctors for things people consider as un-serious. And then when something that is serious comes along, we ignore it. I'm not saying I needed t be rushed into a bed or anything, I just didn't need to be spoken to the way I was.

I have no family doctor here where I am, and it was after 5, so a walk in clinic as not an option. when someone is concerned I don't feel we have the right to deny them a doctor's attention.

 

[Brandy456]

but, as you live in a big city you can probably imagine the sick people that go in there. Like, broken limbs, exteme sicknes so when they get a patient with a cold I can understand where they'd get annoyed. Meaning the wait time for people who are very sick goes up. I'm not saying you shouldn't go, but when I go to the hospital (i'm always breaking something, or getting violently ill) I get pissed off at the people who are just sitting there looking perfectly well that I want to throw my puke bowl at them lol.
I'm just saying, doctors at hospitals are usually meant for very ill people, as like you said, walk in clinics are open during the day, when it is not that serious.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

Remember that because someone looks well, doesn't mean that they are. I'm not really angry about the wait time, I should have excluded that point. But I have in the past put things off because they didn't seem serious at the time. And then things escalated and became dangerous. Had I just gone in the first place I wouldn't had gotten to the point I did.

I work 'round the clock and was too worried about my health to wait until a day off. What I'm trying to get at is that we can't tell people not to go to see a doctor, any doctor be it your own,, a clinic, or emergency, if they feel there may be a need.

I'm not upset that I'm not serious, or didn't get drugs or anything of the sort. What makes me upset is the way I was treated. She was rude, and she felt condescending. No one deserves bad treatment when they are concerned for their health.

But I do understand the frustration you feel when you go into a crowded clinic. I'm just saying I don't have the right to send any of those people home.

 

[Brandy456]

A lot of flu's and colds require some sort of medication, and medication isn't cheap. Maybe she thought you didn't need anything *yet*.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

That wouldn't be a good way to treat people! Nip it in the butt before it gets worse!

 

[Brandy456]

Maybe,
then again some doctars just shouldn't be doctors.
I got told I belonged on the corner (get it?) because I was wearing shorts.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

by a Doctor!??

 

[akane]

If you get anything for a cold or flu it's just going to be a cough suppressant, to help thin out mucous, lower a fever, or to stop nausea if your vomiting. For the most part you can accomplish the same by taking over the counter meds. Very rarely do they prescribe anything that's actually going to treat the virus. Those are reserved for people with weak immune systems that could die from it. Generally young children and the elderly.

I went in with a severe stomach virus that had me throwing up black stuff and blood if I so much as sipped water and all I got was a shot of fluids and some nausea pills that did nothing. Taking stuff for nausea can't help when an illness is making your stomach swell with gas and not digest anything. Irregardless of how well you try to block the sensation eventually the stomach can't swell anymore and it attempts to empty the only direction it currently can. I spent the next week unable to have carbohydrates because whatever I had absolutely loved bread, pancakes, etc... I don't think any flu or colds I've had is in the same ballpark to that stomach virus and I still hardly got any treatment.

 

[kirbyultra]

I just went thru hell as i got sick abroad. I went to a foreign.hospital twice. Language was a problem. I got misdiagnosed at least 3 times. I had to cut my vacation short and return home. When I called my regular doctor from abroad she was still trying to blow me off as if it were not serious. I was calling her international long distance, in tears, and told her I was literally on the next flight back, and going straight to her office from the airport. I was not exaggerating. I was extremely ill with what, I did not know. And she would not speculate without examining me. It wasn't until I landed and got.there when her nurse took one look at me and said oh my god I'll get the doctor here asap.

She took me and all my questions very seriously at that point forward but it really took THAT much to convince this specialist MD to pay attention and treat me properly. And even then, I have been suffering for 3 weeks with subsequent allergic reactions with multiple drugs from when I was misdiagnosed.

I hear you! Some doctors have awful bedside manner. They do not listen. They blow you off for what they think you most likely have. They could be dead wrong. Again and again. I've definitely learned from this experience that if you know you are susceptible to complications in your health, do not wait. Do not allow yourself to be ignored and go unheard. If that doc won't hear you, find one who will. Seriously.

 

[Rabbit Hero]

Akane - Omg! I got better treatment for Food poisoning and it wasn't nearly as bad as your stomach virus!! I had no idea about the medication though.

Helen - wow... That is absolutely terrible! I don't even know what to say.

My grandfather went to the hospital complaining of chest pain. They barely examined him, told him it was juts a cold and to go home. Later that evening, he died of a heart attack.

 

[Brandy456]

Rabbit Hero wrote:

by a Doctor!??

yes, worse part was it was a psychiatrist