Treated unfairly at hospital

[carlacat]

I have to tell all of you about this and I'm not sure what to do about it. I am so mad that I have to do something. My story is....I fell off my back porch so I went to ER at local hospital. I told the person at the desk when I first went in about my health problem with Pots and that I couldnt stand or sit a long time because I get dizzy, ill and may pass out. Well I told the same two girls who took my pulse and all info(they had no idea what Pots was and couldnt believe there was such an illness) anyways they told me to have a seat and they were putting me thru "fast Track" so I would get thru quicker. Then the lady took all my ins info 20 min later and I also told her about my health condition, she said that fast track didnt open up till noon. So I set....an hour later I went to the desk and asked when they were gonna start taking people cause it was noon..she said "oh they dont open up today til 1:00 so I explained my medical condition again. By this time I was starting to get the little signals that my blood was pooling in my legs so I told her that I cant wait out here much longer or I will pass out so she went back in the ER and came out and said"I'm sorry all the beds are full in the ER and it looks like its going to be a while cause we take people on this side of the room before fast track. I said you mean to tell me that this is a hospital and you have no place for me to lie down flat...the response was NO. Yes I could have laid flat on the floor but why should I have to embarrass myself by doing that, its bad enough that my life has changed so much to where I cant go places but when you have a condition and you need to lie down and a hospital cannot tend to your medical needs...IT MAKES ME VERY ANGRY!!!!!!!!! Sorry so long..had to share my frustrations and I feel like I need to do something with the hospital to let them know.

Carlacat

[stellakitty]

Carlacat,

sorry about your bad experience with the ER. I don't have dysautonomia myself, but my 14 yr. old daughter does. I have written about our experiences with the ER in my posts "siezures with POTS". We were just in the ER on Monday, my daughter did get a bed right away, she didn't not recieve the appropriate medical treatment. You can talk to the ER personal until you are literally blue in the face, they do not understand POTS.

I do find this interesting, the less educated population of the medical profession are open minded about dysautonomia. The school nurse is very accomodating with my daughter and has requested literature about dysatonomia.

Angie

[ethansmom]

I am angry for both of you!!! I can't believe, over and over again, the repeated incompetence of some medical professionals. I always appreciate it when they do actually listen to me and try to understand this condition- but I too have run into a lot of people who just brush it off like it's nothing. The first time I ever went to the ER b/c I was basically passing out trying to walk for three days straight, they left me sitting in the waiting room for 3 hours, eventually moved me to a bed in the hallway for another 3 hours, and I never even got a room- then they told me I had asthma and gave me ALBUTEROL!! This sent my tachycardia into overdrive and I think back on it and it's no wonder they didn't kill me. I am so happy that enough time has passed that I have been able to educate myself, since a lot of nurses and doctors are so uneducated, despite their so-called training.

Sorry if I sound hostile, lol!! But it really gets to me- makes me want to be a doctor so I can at least make a difference and help somebody!! I put my foot through glass last week and had to get stitches, and I was very impressed with the care I received from the paramedics and the staff in the trauma center. They were very cautious with me, and listened to what I had to say, which was great. Major props to all the doctors who DO care- I hope those of you struggling through this right now can find one very soon = )