I’m sure all the non-parents saw ER and immediately prepared for sympathy zaps. If this is you, WAIT and read ahead! You veterans know that not every ER visit is all that traumatic. Well, I’m in the lobby for one such visit.
A few observations:
- The ER is now the ED. I’m not joking. It stands for emergency department.
- Humans can be so passive-aggressive. I hear so many parents mutter very loud to themselves about other people or their kids without actually addressing the party in question.
- This is the true inspiration for this post. I’ll just let each picture from the CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ED speak a thousand words for itself:
If you’re the praying type and have read this far, please ask we can just get a room in the ED, DON’T get admitted (last time cost $6k AFTER insurance, still paying that off), get some meds, and go home!
my advice is to stay out of the ED if at all possible. consider urgent care, or a virtual family doctor visit on demand first. people in the ED do not think unless there is a real emergency - it's a fast-paced human conveyor belt of triage and guideline-completion.
glad you got out quickly and didn't stay long. the vending machine is quite revealing of what the priorities of the sick-care is: to keep the conveyor belt going.
Yup, I’m with you on all the things to do first. This was something that required an oxygen machine. The urgent care we go to just says to take all respiratory stuff straight to the ED.
having been to the belly of the beast, i constantly wonder what are some simple home-made ways to prevent illness from progressing. for example, when i got a cold with some wheezing, my mother would make me breathe over a pot of hot freshly-boiled potatoes under a blanket (a do-it-yourself sauna). with febrile pneumonia - wrap me up in cold wet sheets and read the bible to me. i'm still here. for people with breathing issues i recommend to go to the beach more often - instead of "saline breathing treatments" - inhale fresh marine air while bathing in the sun!
Best wishes. I remember those visits.
Thanks, yeah, this one isn’t one of the scary ones. It’s one of those waiting for hours on end with nothing to do trips that I’m sure you know just as well.
My first one was when my daughter was an infant. I had no idea what the croup was. I was terrified.
The ER is a such a crazy place... stresses me out.
You can literally have 10 staff members coding a patient who then dies, with family members sobbing audibly... and in the next room as soon as you get out a family member who heard everything through the curtain will start yelling you upset they didn't get the sandwich they asked for.
The real dregs of society show their true colors... I don't know how triage nurses don't go crazy.
Hope the kiddos are doing better!
Sorry for not being able to be of help but in the third world country that I live in (without exaggerating) literally a fully trained doctor tells you, if you don't bring the equipment, implements, medications, the doctor who will treat you and even if you are not lucky You can't even use the premises, and on both sides there is the dark side of the menu, yours is very expensive, mine is supposedly free but at what cost
Yes, I don’t envy your position at all. It’s not just and, while I don’t like the way things are moving in the west either, I really want to do what I can to see big changes in the developing world.
Wishing you and your family the best. Try not to eat too many Doritos.
Thanks, we’ll be fine. I do feel for the kids in this city though when these are the options at the hospital. Friends like these, who needs enemies?
Good luck! We haven't had the pleasure of this parenting adventure yet.
Thanks!
It is hard to eat well conveniently these days that’s for sure. And the hospital food doesn’t promote healthy healing either if you are admitted.
Yup, it’s really frustrating.
And if kids see that stuff of course they will want it
Im glad you got in and out quick.
Half the time you get more sick when you are at the hospital.
Oh, we’re still here. It’s gonna be one of those all night (at least, last one we got admitted for eight days) trips. I was just saying that it’s one of those issues that isn’t really scary once the pros are monitoring things. Thanks for the well wishes though!
Oh man, I hope all is well.
Keep away from all the people hacking all over the place.
People dont seem to have decency anymore.
I'm reminded of my visit to ER six weeks ago here in London. I waited more than three hours before being seen by a doctor.
Several other patients were not very... patient (no pun intended), one of them couldn't stop arguing with the personnel because his son was being "neglected", another one was cursing and shouting in his native language (Arabic, I think) and started smoking at the door! The nurses wouldn't say much, it seemed to me that they were used to this anti social behaviour, and did not want to put themselves in dangerous situations with strangers... It was surreal! I was just sitting there watching the whole spectacle, another patient was not comfortable and just left, I can't blame him.
On a related note, some things are the same everywhere, like the junk food they sell or serve to patients in hospitals!
The local hospital just got bought :/
I’m insulted. I would have zapped you regardless, sympathetic or not.
What resonates with me is that if I were in your situation, I would have taken photos of the vending machine too. So cute!
Haha, oh I always want and appreciate your zaps! :) I’m just not in need of any sympathy zaps.
What's the upheaval about? Snacks?