My post #274 goes into my (vicarious) kidney stone experience. I can't imagine how hard it is to go through it; it's hard enough to watch. I'm sure I'll learn, because both of my parents and my little sister have had kidney stones, so I'm predisposed. Dad's had enough of them that I think his ureters are mostly scar tissue, and the last time he had one he drove himself to the hospital.
But I'm afraid, however rudely the ER staff put it, they were right -- first priority goes to the people at greatest risk of dying or suffering permanent disability. The risk of either from a kidney stone is slight, however painful it is. So even a bad case of gas that *might* be masking a heart attack takes precedence over a stone. It sucks, but the folks in the ER are doing a hell of a lot for too many with too little, so they have to prioritize.
That goes without saying. However, they weren't busy. There were maybe 3-4 other people in the waiting room, obviously in no distress. And when they finally took me to the back, I found the same level of inactivity. A treatment area full of staff, cutting up and telling jokes, etc.
MM