An open letter to the ER docs of the world...

Thanks for such a great letter.
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That rocked! I don't think there is anything else to say! You nailed it!
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 That's a GREAT letter!!!LOVE IT!!

Dar

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Wow. Now that said it all. So so true.
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((applause))
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Jenny, that is a really beautiful letter.  You are proposing a win-win solution, instead of going in as an adversary, or tolerating being treated like an adversary.  It is truly humane and generous!  Great job.
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Jenny,

Great letter.  I find it hard to believe that it is not obvious when a true migraine sufferer comes to the ER versus a drug seeking individual.  However, I do believe that many people are very good at "acting" sick or acting like they have a migraine and therein lies the problem.  With little time to devote to patients, it becomes a very quick "check and see" sort of thing for doctors in the ER.

 

Unfortunately, I am highly allergic to codeine and hydrocodone (closely related) as well as penicillian and cephalosporins.  Have had anaphalaxis to both.  I would prefer something to break the cycle and not narcotics either because there is such a limit on what I can take. 

 

I appreciate you taking the time to write such an informative letter.

Thanks,

Nancy

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Great job, Jenny!

 

I never knew about the "narcotic-seeking" fake-migraneurs until I went to the emergency for a broken foot/broken ankle four years ago.

 

They asked me what my pain level was, and since I didn't want to "seem like a wimp," I said my foot/ankle was like a pain level "5 or 6."

 

Huge mistake.  The homeless lady claiming a migraine, (and making a big show of it,) called hers a "10" and got seen way before me.  I had to wait six hours, and this was with my very restless two-year old on my lap!  (Yes, he did manage to stomp my foot several times.)

 

(After all this, they read the wrong x-ray, told me my foot/ankle were not broken, and told me the best thing I could do was "walk on it" because it was "only a bruise."  I thought this was rather strange because I could actually feel bones moving in my foot when I walked, but I actually tried to take their advice for the next 48 hours, until I finally listened to my common sense, went back for the x-rays to see them for myself, and realized they had made a HUGE mistake.  No, I never sued the hospital.  Never even thought about it.  Don't believe in medical lawsuits.  My foot never healed right, and I still have a lot of pain in it to this day.)

 

But, it did teach me a lesson about not being so "proud" about what my pain level was when asked that question at the E.R.  It was stupid pride on my part that got me put "at the end of the line," and had me waiting there six hours.

 

I also learned then that there were people who faked migraines to get drugs.  (This was news to me.)

 

I also learned to trust your intuition and if something seems very, very wrong, then, yes, trust your inner voice.  Good thing I insisted on seeing those x-rays for myself, eh?

 

I have never gone to the emergency room since then, and have treated every "emergency" by "Googling" home remedies, right down to "lancing" things myself with needles.  Guess I lost my confidence in E.R.s.

 

If I'm really, really, really hurting, I won't take narcotics either, but I will do a shot of Bailey's Irish Creme.  It is the one and only time I drink, as I don't drink wine, (it triggers headaches,) and I'm not a social drinker.  But, somehow the alcohol acts a muscle relaxant, and since I don't take narcotics, I don't have to worry about mixing the two.

 

Beyond that, I just heat up a few "rice packs," (a sock filled with rice, with a knot tied at the end,) heat it up in the microwave, and keep one over my eyes, one on the back of my head, and sometimes one in the middle of my back, where i also get spasms, (I also have fibromyalgia, which complicates the whole headache thing.)

 

And, then, I simply go to bed, knowing: "Well, tomorrow couldn't possibly be any worse than today, so let's get today over with..."

 

And, almost always, things ARE a bit better in the morning.   (Then, I just have to contend with my normal morning headache, and THAT I'm used to dealing with.)

 

No more E.R.s for me.  

 

How you could possibly miss two fractures... Urrghhhh.... Sounds to me like somebody had a bit too much Bailey's Irish Creme himself....  

 

Ah, well, that's the past, what's done is done. 

 

Thanks again for a great letter.

 

Cheers,

Diana

 

 

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