Thursday, February 18, 2010

WHAT A WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING!


The nasty gastrointestinal bug has hit my poor hubby hard. He started feeling really ill around noon and made it home from work yesterday, around 1:00pm, after having to stop on the side of the road and "lose his lunch." I know....nice visual, HA!

Once home, he was wracked with chills, then he was hot, then he was cold, then he was hot, etc., and he was also having to visit the bathroom for more than one reason.

This went on all afternoon.

Finally, at around 4:00pm, I decided that enough was enough and we had to get him some medical attention. So, teen son and I took him to Small Town ER (about 20 minutes away). I figured that we could get him some meds to stop the "coming up and going out," and maybe some fluids, and then we'd be home by at least 8 or 9.

I really was overly optimistic.

That is NOT how it worked out!

We got to the ER about 4:30 ish. I noticed that the parking lot was full (bad sign) and that the waiting room was full (another bad sign). I signed him in and they said that there would be a brief delay, since they were so busy, but that they'd get him into triage to assess him.

Okay. Brief Delay.

Right.

After about an hour, the nurse called him back to triage to "assess" him (after he'd already upchucked again in the bathroom) and he was sent back to the waiting room.

It was now about 5:30 ish.

At 8:00 (yep, you read it right, EIGHT O' CLOCK!!!!) I decided that enough was enough! By now, hubby was sprawled out on those uncomfortable waiting room chairs, looking like a dead dog, and I had visions of being there all night. Now remember, he hadn't had anything to drink for HOURS and I realized that if I didn't do something, he was really going to be in a bad way.

So, I went to the counter and nicely asked the gal how much longer his wait would be. After all, I told her, it had been 3 hours. She was kind of taken aback and she was like, "well, we are really busy and have a lot of critically ill patients" and was implying that my hubby's condition was just, well, nothing. I looked at her and said that if something didn't get done soon, my hubby's condition was going to turn into something alot more worse than what it already was.

She then said, "Well, we have called in an extra doctor, so hopefully we'll be able to get to the patients that are already in the rooms and then, maybe, we'll be able to get to your husband soon." I realized then that this was NOT going to go well. So, I decided to take matters into my own hand. I mean, seriously, DON'T MESS WITH AN ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED WIFE!

I took the cell phone and went outside and called my doctor's answering service. Within 5 minutes, I had my doctor on the phone and was explaining this whole thing to her. She told me that she would call in a prescription to the local Walgreen's for his vomiting, and in her words, "get him out of there and get him home."

So, I marched back in, rounded up hubby and teen son, signed the form denying medical treatment (what a stupid form!) ( "How can you deny something that you haven't even been offered yet?" I asked the girl behind the counter. She had no answer.) and then left that awful ER.

On to Walgreen's we went, got the meds and Gatorade, got hubby home, parked him on the couch, gave him the meds, he kept them down, and by 9:30, he was fast asleep.

** Update** Hubby is now alert and awake, he slept pretty well all night long, isn't doing the "bathroom double duty" anymore, and even taste-tested some candy that was on the counter. Things are definitely improving if chocolate is tempting him!! :)


**A.Marie**

6 comments:

  1. Glad he's feeling better. I discovered I had a sinus infection all this time from my arthritis med. After several days of antibiotics so far I am beginning to be coherent again.
    Poor hubby- I would think small town ER is better than here where we look like the freakin tv show. But then my daughter lives in KY and you don't want to hear about the hospitals there or how Alex's dad really died due to lack of care-throwing up blood from gastrointesintal hemmorage and they sent him home with barely an exam.
    Way to go pitbull A Marie!!!!!!Would've liked to have seen you in action :-)
    Hi mom!!!!!! I've been sick all winter. My fridge is a mess and I just finally dug out my bed from coupons and more-oh you just don't want to know!

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  2. Glad to hear your husband is feeling better. The ER can be a nightmare. We took Maya in with the Krupp. We were amazed at how long it took them to see her.

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  3. Glad he's feeling better. I've had decent luck with ERs, but I've heard lots of horror stories. Glad your doc called you back so quickly and he got the meds he needed.

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  4. So sorry about that ER experience and so thankful you were able to get through to your own doctor! Hope he gets well soon and that the rest of you don't get it.

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  5. i hope your hubby gets completely well soon.

    did you know about the marshmallow trick? they will stop stomach contraction for a very short time. it's great for stopping dry heaves and other nasty rumblings. pop one every 10 minutes or so.

    i don't even LIKE marshmallows, but i try to keep them around for medicinal purposes. unfortunately myman thinks they are candy and eats all of them! i have to hide a bag in a tin in my closet.

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  6. Oh no, hope he feel so much better now. Hubby just got better too.

    I have something for you

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