ER Visit

I'm just now getting a chance to sit down! Dan came home, and I said good-bye. I ate lunch on the way and had a big bag of multiple books and a sweater. I was ready...

to sit in the waiting room for 6 hours and 45 minutes.

When I got there at 1 pm, this entire row of people were saying that they had all gotten there between 9 & 9:30, so I knew it would be bad. I sat down and told the girl next to me (or mumbled it), "I don't even have to be here." She says, "Me neither. They wouldn't let me make an appt with my PCM." Ah! It felt nice not to be alone. And of course she and I watched tons of people who came in after us be called back before us because WE DIDN'T HAVE EMERGENCIES!

Even she was called back and left the hospital before I did. In fact, everyone that was in the waiting room with me when I first got there (even those who got there after me) left the hospital before I was called to the back. And you KNOW (because you know me) that I knew every one of them. I made friends with every person in that ER. If I'm going to spend a day with you, I might as well be able to talk to you. Plus, I had no children that I had to keep up with! Every time someone would come back out to the waiting room, they would tell me their diagnosis and course of treatment. I wouldn't say it made up for being there, but it was enjoyable getting to know the lives of some other people.

So after sitting in the waiting room for almost 7 hours, they called me back. At first there was a flurry of activity (EEG, chest exam, chest x-ray). EEG fine, chest exam fine. Then no one came to my "room" for 2 hours. The doctor checked for nothing "GI" related, which is what this is (Just call me Alicia Smith, MD). At the 2 hour mark (or 2.5 hr mark) I called the nurse to say, "Hey, haven't seen anyone in 2 hours. I would love to know what my status is."

In a few minutes, there was another flurry of activity. The doc, a couple of nurses (I think 3 actually), all doing different things. My doctor gave me a piece of paper that said, "chest pain-other". I guess the symptom was my diagnosis? I got a prescription of some pain reliever. Then the doctor said the words I knew were coming, "Follow up with your PCM within 3 days."

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

That was on the inside. On the outside I somehow got out (as I had already explained to him at the beginning of the visit), "With my symptoms, they won't allow me to make an appt with my PCM. Would you please write me a referral to a Gastro?" He looked up at his nurse clearly contemplating whether or not to do that, and then he goes, "I'm feeling generous." BAM! Got the referral.

And it only cost me 9 hours and 45 minutes of being at the ER!