Friday, May 1, 2009

Dear Grandview Hospital

Let me start out by saying, I don't make a habit of going to ER's at 6 AM. In fact, I try to avoid it. However, when you have a child that has been vomiting since 1AM, and her dr says to take her to the ER, then to the ER I shall go.
Which is why I did not appreciate being treated like a hysterical mother by the ER doc who saw us. A very kind nurse gave us something to make my daughter stop vomiting, and while we were waiting in one of the rooms, we got some rest, which was wonderful. Then the doctor came in and informed me that she did not have the swine flu (which I knew, I was exhausted, not stupid). I informed him the her regular doc told me to take her to the ER because of the chance of dehydration due to the extreme vomiting. He then dismissed that, and told me that there was no way she could get dehydrated (she had been vomiting every 15 minutes for roughly 5 hours, so there actually was a chance). Then he sent us home. In short, your ER doc was a jerk, and we were the first patients he saw that day.
And when we were leaving we passed him in a room with an old woman in O2 hectoring her about her shortness of breath, so apparently it was not just us.
Just an FYI, I don't care what hospital my kid's dr is associated with, next time I'm taking her to St. Luke's.
Sincerely,
Me**

That said, when you have spent two days with a sick kid and are so tired that you can't open a can of cat food, you should not, and I mean NOT, be allowed to make decisions. Such as "gee, my cat stinks, I think we should give her a bath". And if you do make that decision, the person who lives with you should NOT go along with it. In short, while the cat smells very nice now (she was rant, she's too fat to bathe all of herself), my brother and I look like we were wrestling a thorn bush. Just an FYI.

** slightly less snarky version of this letter is actually being sent to the ER I took my daughter to on Wends morning because this did happen. One thing I do not tolerate is nasty doctors. I certainly do not have white coat syndrome.

4 comments:

  1. My SIL has a serious chronic condition. She developed couldn't-stop-crying calf pain (a symptom of blood clots in the legs, for one) and went to the ER. After no examination and no tests, they sent her home with percocet.

    She wrote a letter, too.

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  2. Good for her! So many people don't, even if they have a chronic condition. And you know who tends to get treated worst by doctors? Why women, of course. Because male doctors, especially ER docs, don't believe them.

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  3. oh doctors can be so stupid... here's an example of one of the doctors I've had in my life... I was just starting to date a guy and I went to be put back on birth control... My doctor asked me if I was pregnant and told me she would have to do a pregnancy test before putting me back on the pill. I told her there was no chance of me being pregnant.. to which she then asked "Are you sure?"

    ..."Unless it's the Immaculate Conception, yes I'm sure"

    I hadn't had sex in 5 years, how would I not be sure?.. She was an idiot and I changed doctors. Not that the next was much better.. I once again was starting a new relationship and I thought that since it had been awhile, I should get a pap smear ect ect.. My doctor came in and said to me… “I haven’t done on of these in a long time”…. Um… she has female patients and I’m sure most women should have this done at least once every 2 years… how has she not done one in awhile???

    I usually end up diagnosing myself and going to the doctors to tell THEM what’s wrong with me so they can arrange treatment… shall I go for number 3?

    I told my doctor I was having problems swallowing small things, which felt like they were going up my nose. So she arranged for me to have a barium swallow test. Next time I saw her she said the test didn’t see any problem, so I asked again, why I would have the feeling of small things going up my nose when I swallowed, to which she said “Oh a barium test wouldn’t find something like that”….

    They make me want to hit my head to stop the stupid… Leigh you are not alone… and I hate cat scratches, they make me really itchy ;)

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  4. i am glad you are writing a letter! you should totally bolster your point by referring to the patient's bill of rights.

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