Speed It Up "Emergency"

[PJ]

Well, atleast my 2 hour wait LAST night was faster than my 5 hour wait a few years back.

I understand there's a lot of work to do in a hospital, but I don't understand why there isn't enough people in Emergency for everything to be done faster. Like my waiting for 5 hours example is ridiculous for someone suffering from an asthma attack (Although, again, that is my years ago example).

So, basically, onto last night. I get a VERY sudden eye infection (Seriously, it just... kind of happened) in my right eye, and since it wasn't itchy or anything, she didn't use the eyedrops instead, but then opted for me going to the Emergency. So, while waiting 2 hours for anyone to see me, my other eye is now infected despite my best efforts to not transfer it (Easily contagious, I guess, I probably shouldn't even be typing on this keyboard http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif) and I develop a very dry cough. I'm in a very sorry state, btw.

So I finally got in. My doctor's synopsis? "Your eyes are infected," well, golly gee, I think I knew that. The prescription was nice, but since I still don't have my medicine here now (Couldn't find a 24-hour Shoppers Drug Mart or anything), it doesn't help me much. So clearly I'm not very happy with this doctor. Or probably just the whole system.

It's just me ranting for the sake of ranting. I've been sick with something different almost every other day this week. A bad fever on Saturday/Sunday, cold symptons on Monday and Tuesday, and now my eye and this cough.

[rena-ko]

its all a matter of costs. would you pay twice as much for a slightly faster service?

[PJ]

I guess I never thought of that. It's Canada, so it's free health care.

Last I checked http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[rena-ko]

you guys dont play health insurance tho? its tax money in the end after all http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[KodiaX987]

Come to Quebec. Some emergency rooms have a 48 hour wait.

And many people need to wait for over 2 years for surgery.

[Schubalts]

Wow, to hell with Quebec! 48 hours! 2 years! That, people, is just ridiculous.

On an unrelated note: I did not know the "quick reply" box has a built-in spell-checker.

[rena-ko]

youre using FF2.0 ? that one has >.>

back on topic... well, the emergency is for open wounds and gushing guts anyway. you'll always be the blind guy that has to wait until everyone else got treatened, i guess.

[Schubalts]

On 2006-12-28 07:14, rena-ko wrote:
youre using FF2.0 ? that one has >.>



Eh, I just downloaded the first one I found, to stop certain popups from a...site.

[DonRoyale]

Wow, sorry to hear...

CURSE YOU INFECTIONS! GTFO PJ.

You're fired! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[Tengoku]

On 2006-12-28 04:58, PJ wrote:
I guess I never thought of that. It's Canada, so it's free health care.

Last I checked http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif
Um, that's why it sucks. Pseudo-Free =/= Good.

[KaFKa]

dont get me started on emrgency rooms *still sore about his last trip*

And I agree its pretty bullshit how bad its become.

[ABDUR101]

If it's free, it's free. Here in America, you should have seen my brother's bill for when he was in the ER after blowing apart his hand. Ambulance pickup, ER quick-prep to clean the wound, then they flew him to another hospital hours away, only to change direction mid-flight to goto a different hospital.(That was quite a night of driving, let me assure you).

As was said, you're not supposed to goto the ER for something like an eye infection. Thats why you have those long waits, because everybody is rushing to the ER for shit that it's not necessary. Emergency room. Eye infection? Not an emergency. Someone being rushed in after a hit and run or going into cardiac arrest, emergency; life threatening.

You were upset about waiting, but you know, if a doctor was wasting time on someone with a damn eye infection, and one of my relatives was dieing afew rooms down, yeah, we'd have words. Words, as in, my foot scraping you across the room into a nice smear, the kind that would have been ER worthy. =]

[PJ]

I'd like to make a point, I didn't personally deem it necessary to go to the Emergency room, but it was insisted that I needed it.

Good point though

[Jehosaphaty]

On 2006-12-29 15:56, ABDUR101 wrote:

You were upset about waiting, but you know, if a doctor was wasting time on someone with a damn eye infection, and one of my relatives was dieing afew rooms down, yeah, we'd have words. Words, as in, my foot scraping you across the room into a nice smear, the kind that would have been ER worthy. =]



That logic is completely sound; but what if that simple eye infection isn't merely just a little infection and you've managed to contract something that causes you to lose your eyesight? And what if you rushing to the ER saves your eyesight? Furthermore, let's forget we're talking about eye infections and instead talking about any number of disease/illness you could have and not think it was necessarily ER worthy, yet you still go and find out you just saved your life/many days of unnecessary suffering. Would waiting all those hours have killed you? Perhaps, or made you infinently more uncomfortable.

Should imdediately life-threatening cases be tended to? Of course. Are people generally hypocondriatic? Yes. (not referring to PJ, just in terms of generalities) There is most definately a fine line between being worried enough to go to the ER, or simply waiting it out; but when it comes to your health, arguably the most important thing a person possesses, who's to make the call of severity other than the person themself? And while all those "what-ifs" earlier are a bit farfetched, the real tragedy is that hospital ER's are generally vastly understaffed. Good friend's wife is a physician's assistant, and she's constantly on call due to shorthanded help.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jehosaphaty on 2006-12-29 19:54 ]</font>

[icewyrm]

Haha, this reminds of the time I was trying to do a forklift course...

Just a short little 2 day course, so I could legally drive a particular class forklift. I'd finished the first day, which was all the theory and a couple hours of practice at the end. After the first day was over, I headed home. I felt really tired (had to wake up pretty early to catch the train and walk to the warehouse where the course was being held) so I slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon. The only problem was, I'd forgotten to take my epilepsy medication for a while (triggered by sleep deprivation/sleep cycle disruption) and I woke up feeling a bit jittery.

Anyways, I had to go out and get the money needed to pay for the course (didn't have the exact figure before that morning) so I asked around to see if I could beg a lift with one of my housemates out to an ATM. No good, they were all busy with stuff.

So I jump on my pushie and start riding down the road. It's about 25 minutes cycling to the nearest ATM, so I'm not worried. I get a street away from my house, and bam, I have a seizure while I'm riding my bicycle. It affects my arms, and throws them off the handlebars. My legs get caught up in the frame, and I fall over sideways onto the road. Ow, that hurt. Quite a bit in fact, so I pick up my bike and start walking it home; I can't risk riding when I'm like that. When I'm about halfway back another seizure hits me, and I fall over again, onto the same shoulder I landed on last time. So I get back up and leave my bicycle on the side of the road, and stagger on home. One of my housemates noticed my coming in looking kinda screwed. After I explained what'd happened, he offered me a ride to the hospital. I said nah, just get me to an ATM. Somehow I was still thinking I'd be alright for the prac tomorrow. Anyways, I get the money out and the adrenaline is starting to fade, so I get the dude to drop me off at hospital.

Went up to the desk and let em know the details, then sat back down. 2 hours later, a nurse gave me a quick examine and fixed with up some gauze in a makeshift sling, and gave me some painkillers. Though by that time I was used to the pain and didn't bother with 'em, haha. Anyways, I went back and sat in the chair, waiting for a doctor. At that time it was around 1 am. I was getting a few little seizures again, but couldn't sleep anyways. So I just waited. 5 am, got to see the first doctor. 9 am, got to see a specialist and get an xray done. 11 am, they fix me up with a slightly better sling and give me some more painkillers (none of which I ended up taking, what is it with doctors and painkillers?) and show me the the treeline fracture in my collarbone, and one in the back of my shoulder (can't remember the name of it).

Man, I was feeling pretty worn out by the time I trained home that day.

Obviously I couldn't finish the course until my shoulder was healed up, and when I was finally up to it, the warehouse wasn't even running it anymore, so 200$ straight down the drain, without the license to show for it.

The only thing worse than losing the 200$ was having to sit through over 12 hours of reruns of the olympics on the tiny tv in the hospital waiting room. Goddamn, I hate the olympics!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: icewyrm on 2006-12-30 10:07 ]</font>

[Tengoku]

On 2006-12-29 15:56, ABDUR101 wrote:
If it's free, it's free.
Taxes ain't free, brother. You pay out the nose for that "free" sub-standard health care that those socialists loooove so much, even though it fails in every country it is instituted in. Every. Country. Without exception. Oddly enough, you wouldn't know it from reading the news or listening to the 'dems. British/ Canadian blogs FTW.


You were upset about waiting, but you know, if a doctor was wasting time on someone with a damn eye infection, and one of my relatives was dieing afew rooms down, yeah, we'd have words. Words, as in, my foot scraping you across the room into a nice smear, the kind that would have been ER worthy. =]

Your fantasy "rightous crusader" scenario wouldn't happen. Hospitals do have prority and a dying person is moved up the "list" above things like eye infections. Don't worry, you won't be going to jail for reducing a doctor to bloody smears any time soon.

[ABDUR101]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious?

[Tengoku]

On 2007-01-01 15:27, ABDUR101 wrote:
Thanks for pointing out the obvious?

You weren't so somebody had to. Glad to be of asistance!

Now, move along citizen.