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I believe it.

My brother does autobody work on custom cars. He dresses shabby for work (it's messy work!) and usually looks like heck when he's done. His appendix bust and within 24 hours, he was sick as a dog. His wife worked an hour away, so my parents picked him up from work and took him to the hospital.

After triage, they brought him back. Sometime later, my father inquired how J. was doing. Mom had an awful feeling something was wrong, and wanted to wait with J. The nurse didn't have an update, so she let my parents go back.

J. had been laying on a gurney in the hallway and threw up on himself. He got up to clean himself off and passed out in his vomit. A cop was kicking him, calling him a drunk, and telling him to get up.

My father exploded. He tore up one side of this guy and down the other, hauled J. off the floor and carried him out of the hospital (no mean feat, both J. and my father are big men). Took him to another hospital and got him treated immediately - Mom was on a rampage now and wasn't going to let anybody neglect her baby (her married, gainfully employed, 22 year old baby!).

Years later, my husband brought me to the same hospital - I thought I had a ruptured cycst. Turns out, I had Shingles with a whopping 104 temp. They didn't even feed me for two days, gave me no medication for the rash (thanks for nothing!) and tried to charge me $600 for a test they never performed. My Mom brought me food and gave me medication she got from our family practitioner.

Based on my personal experience, Nassau County Medical Center on Long Island SUCKS!

Conversely, Baylor Medical Center was OUTSTANDING! Went there several times, particularly for the birth of my babies, and was treated like a Queen every time. They did a fantastic job with my daughter, and her stay in the NICU. Very compassionate, very professional, wonderful staff! Can't say enough about how good they are :)

One thing I have learned over the years is to be your own advocate; don't let the triage nurse or doctor ignore your medical history. Our family has a history of low blood pressure. Throughout most of my life, my BP was 60/40, HR steady 55 PM. I can't tell you how many times I've been met with disbelief, or accused of lying, when I stress this. I lash back that I have lived in my body all my life, I know my medical history a hell of a lot better than they do, and they had better write that down because they could be ignoring something or kill me if they misdiagnose me. I had preclampsia and a 30% abruption in my 32nd week, my BP was only 120/77.

Second, avoid going to the hospital alone. Take someone with you who knows your medical history, your wishes, and can advocate for you. Bring a group of folks, if you have to. They are less likely to ignore you if you have a contingent of folks hanging around, watching out for your care.

One thing I have learned over the years is to be your own advocate;

Very true. I had a similar story with appedicitis when I was in college.

I was ignored by the triage nurse even though there were no other patients in the waiting room and even though I was lying on the floor in pain. Finally, my housemate barged through the curtains, found the one doctor on duty and assertively told him "This girl has appedicitis" and demanded he see me.

The surgeon who performed the emergency appedectomy told me my appendix had ruptured. My friend may have asved my life that night. I think the triage nurse may have thought I was pretending to be sick, although I had never been there before, I did have insurance, and I was a student at the university the hospital was affiliated with. She didn't even take my temperature (which would have indicated an infection) or any other vital sign.