Hospitals.......

[guvna2004]

I hate them. HATE HATE HATE. In the UK the hospitals are grubby and grimey. Im now seeking private hosptials, they have to keep clean or they get shut down. Im also very scared of them. The fact that you might never come out, theres so much speculation about them, people go in for stitches and end up dead because the stupid nurse injected him with an overdose of morphine. How many have you have been on the Cardiac Ward, ive never been on there, ive visited a friend who was but it looks scarey, like a horror moovie. I would probably die if i went on there, it would freak me out.

[morgan617]

I've had very positive and VERY negative experiences. It just depends on what you're going in with and what kind of doctor you get stuck with. We all have nightmare stories, but I think some of us,(HOPEFULLY) have had a couple good visits. Mine good ones are usually when it's my hubby or son that need care, however Once we start explaining my stuff, it's pretty much over. But the hospitals I've been to here are very clean I must say, and they now have scanners so it's just about impssible to make meds errors. It's just more about getting a med you won't tolerate. Sorry you've had such bad experiences sweetie, I think most of us are pretty burned out on ER visits and only go if we can't fight hard enough to stop the person that's dragging us there. morgan

[guvna2004]

Wow, lol. I thought everyone hated them. Its prolly just me, im always a negative thinker, and death is negative, assosiated with hospitals most the time, so a hospital is negative. I also get a small panic attak when i see an ambulance. Im weierd and freaky i know. lol

[TexasGrrl]

Most of the hospitals here are very clean or they get sued, so I don't think that's a major problem here. What I have a problem with is not the physical hospital itself but the doctors and nurses IN the hospital. Particularly ER doctors and nurses. They are, by necessity, jaded creatures and don't have much sympathy for such mild problems as passing out or having a high heart rate. They see gunshot wounds, car accident victims, heart attacks, and other life-threatening problems day in and day out. To them, what we experience is laughable in comparison.

I guess I can see their point, but then, they don't have to live with it. And they don't understand it, since trauma is their forte. The combination makes for a rather unhelpful and callous staff.

I remember going to the ER once many years ago, back when I thought a high heart rate was going to kill me. I had been standing in line at the post office, and this was the first time I noticed that my pulse was high when I was about to pass out. I took my pulse and it was 160, and I sort of freaked out. I already knew I could avoid passing out by sitting down, so I plopped down in line and scooted forward until I got to the counter. When I got there, I called a friend of mine to pick me up and take me to the hospital.

Once I got to the hospital, I explained to the nurse what was going on. I was laying on the gurney, and she took my pulse... normal, of course. When I told her it was only when I stood up, she said -- get this -- "Well, then don't stand up!" She passed along her thoughts to the doctor, who promptly told me that he had more "important" issues to deal with in the ER than a high heart rate, and booted me out.

Don't stand up, indeed... Needless to say, that was the very last time I ever went to an ER for anything related to my POTS symptoms.

[Dawg Tired]

As a (former) nurse in an urgent care facility I remember a patient who was what we could call a frequent flier. She was in at least twice a week demending to have her heart cardioverted. She was always in perfect sinus rythm when we hooked her to a monitor so of course there was nothing we could do, and in any case we dealt with ear infections and such - not cardiac events and we could not have done a cardioversion no matter what. I guess one time in the distant (more than 10 years ago!) past she had a cardioversion - but didn't know why! It is patients such as this that hinder the rest of us. Poor lady needed a cardiologist but she said she had been to all of them in town; no one would help her and we were the nicest place she had been. What a terribly sad situation! She came in one time in a beaded dinner dress and stilleto heels on her way out on the town; like she was just going to "drop in for a cardioversion!" We speculated that maybe she was telling this to her friends and family as a ploy for sympathy... Who knows?? Unfortunately, with no testing in her background and her refusal to establish with a Dr that might have helped her there was no way we could help her.

But I don't think we tend to be frequent fliers... Unless, of course, we are dragged kicking and screaming due to the ill treatment we tend to get. The few times I have been dragged in - kicking AND screaming as I go - I have been treated as a nut case.

[DawnA]

I hate the ER. I think I will have to bite the next person who tries to drag me there. JK lol.

Dawn A

[ethansmom]

I hate hospitals...just my humble opinion They know nothing about POTS...I have only been to the hospital ONCE since I got sick, for POTS related stuff anyway (I've had stitches in my foot, surgery on my ankle, and childbirth) but other than that I try to avoid them altogether unless we have a true emergency. When I first got sick I went to the hospital and they gave me albuterol for the shortness of breath, coupled with diuretics for my dizziness- I didn't get out of bed for months after that. Pretty scary!!

[guvna2004]

I avoid them completely. I went to hospital when i fisrt noticed my fast HR. I choked on a sweet in October 02' and quickly rushed to the doctors, he gave me a beta blocker and told me im fine. I had a high HR, 160+ . I went straight to the hosptial because he told me i had a panic attack and i thought he was lieing, the ER Doctor told me if i do this again he will fine me ?500 for wasting time. Thats the last time i went to ER.