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To: DMedic91B
You hit it on the head on all points. It's really difficult to describe to the layperson what goes on in the ER. It is not like the TV show! We have to be detectives, teachers, counselors, and advocates, all the time. We are often only as good as the information we receive from the patient. Of the patient downplays his/her symptoms, we will usually do so as well, and silently ask, "If it's really nothing, then why the hell are you in my ER?"

No offense to the dear reader, but if you come to the ER, please express the same urgency in stating your complaint as you felt when you decided to come out here. You may find yourself back in a treatment room a lot faster that way.

115 posted on 09/16/2006 11:12:33 PM PDT by 60Gunner (Leftism: preoperational egocentrism with a gun)
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To: 60Gunner
No offense to the dear reader, but if you come to the ER, please express the same urgency in stating your complaint as you felt when you decided to come out here. You may find yourself back in a treatment room a lot faster that way.

LOL! My husband had spent the morning cooking a big family dinner. About midway through, he told me he thought he was having an appendicitis attack. Now, the only reason he thought so was because he was having "some" pain in the correct area to be his appendix. The pain was getting worse, but it still wasn't too bad. So, he went to the ER.

The docs weren't quite sure what to do with him. He really didn't seem to be having enough pain for it to be appendicitis (no fever, no nausea), but they decided that was what it was and then put him at the bottom of the surgery list because (I assume) he was the most comfortable. It took nearly 24 hours from the time he entered the ER until the surgery.

I wasn't at all surprised when the surgeon told me the appendix had nearly burst. My husband insisted that he wasn't being stoic. He just never really felt THAT bad.

145 posted on 09/16/2006 11:41:35 PM PDT by Dianna
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To: 60Gunner

I just wanted to say thank you for this thread.


159 posted on 09/17/2006 12:14:48 AM PDT by kenth (There are three kinds of people in the world. Those who can count, and those who can't.)
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To: 60Gunner; DMedic91B

I would like to thank you both for doing the jobs you do. My DIL is an emergancy room nurse, I always knew it was a stressful job but I will now treat her with even more respect!


247 posted on 09/17/2006 2:51:50 PM PDT by pepperdog
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