VCU - My Hell

Having a fair amount of autoimmune issues, I have a lot of experience in emergency room. I was in the hospital recently, and like every other time, it was hell.  I have determined that most emergency room visits are, the only difference between hospitals is how bad of a hell it is.  After many ER visits to various hospitals around Virginia, VCU Medical Center is the worst. If any simi-complicated case comes in, getting an ER doctor to listen to any helpful information is nearly impossiable.  Ever doctor thinks he's house and all patients are idiots.  Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of miss information out there, but when a patient tells you something you don't know it does't mean they are an idiot, but maybe the patient knows there own conditionds and body better than you.  There are also instinces when things don't go by the book, and should not be completely ignored.

Doctors of varing specilities devote years to learning very specilized fields, and often ER doctors are internist or have very general knowledge of medicine, while working on a speciality. Many of VCU's ER docs are espically difficult to explain out of the ordanary conditions to, and tend to sespicious of anything that is outside the box and thus distrusting of you as the patient. I suffer from abdominal migrains and that is not only uncommon but even more so in an adult, and once they are going full blast nothing but pain medication can help which only adds to the suspicision.

The wait in just trying to get a room even when brought in by an ambulance is absurd. I was brought in, directed to a section and once there waited 30 minuits just to be sent to another section where I waited next to an empty room being told there were no empty rooms. After they call someone who just went in to the room, looked around and left, I was finally put in that room all the while screeming in pain. The nurses told me I nedded to be quiet which lead to my ambulance crew explaing to her that is was not like I wanted to be in that much pain.  The treatment still took a considerable amount of time to be completed, but was actully on the quick side compaired to the many other times I have gone.

In terms of waiting there is not much that can be done, but some things that help if you go to the ER fequently is having your doctors have a note in your file, as well as a copy for you to cary, that has a set out treatment plan.  If pain managment is a problem a new section of medicine know as a Pain Clinic has recently emerged to help with long term pain managment and can often help with setting up a plan for emergencies. Also, try to get in contact with your specialist before you go into the ER so they can give the ER a heads up.  Even with all that hospitals and ER's are hell in general, and to make them a little less hell be prepared and have a plan.