So, here’s my story.
I first went to Summit Hospital in October for pain in my chest and pain all over. So, the system didn’t want to take care of me in the hospital for a long time because they were losing money on a person who didn’t have the money to be in their as long as I needed to be. And for a person like myself who has a lot of illnesses, I need the care. So, when they tried to rush me out, it really didn’t help me much. Because they were trying to get heads that had money and could afford to be there. Then they sent me home because they said they couldn’t find the cause of the pain after about a week.
And then I went back in November for chest pains and I had good doctors who tried to get me out of pain. But they couldn’t. So, they did all kinds of tests and they even sent me to San Francisco to a specialist hospital that does tests that Summit can’t do. So I stayed in Summit for a while more because of the chest pains that wouldn’t go away and the tests. They had a specialist come and talk to me about my chest pains. They tried, but couldn’t figure it out. So, they sent me to San Francisco CPMC (California Pacific Medical Center) to do tests. They sent me back to Summit after looking at the test results. They said everything was fine, but I wasn’t. I was still in pain. So, they sent me home with medication for the pain. When you leave, they all say “If it gets worse you can always come back to the EMERGENCY ROOM and we will see what we can do for you. And, you are important to us and we will do everything possible for you.” I think they say that just to say something.
I think this second hospital stay was pretty good. They were very good about attending to my needs, and were really very helpful in trying to help me. But they didn’t know how to help me with my pain. But they tried. They put me in touch with a GI doctor who I saw on Tuesday and he changed my whole diet which is now boring and tasteless.
It’s Sunday morning at 2:14 a.m. and my chest is killing me. I took a pain pill and will see how that goes. I woke up this afternoon still with pain but it’s not as bad as it was last night, but it’s there.
So, I’m writing this piece to say that the system is not working for everybody, especially for people who don’t have the money or don’t have the support system to help them stay in the hospital and get what they need. If people have systems in place to help them, maybe that could help. I am very grateful that I have a support system and that I can speak up for myself. And I sometimes have good doctors who listen to me. That is the key. If you have doctors who listen to you, that could go a long way. Because if you have a relationship with a doctor, you can always refer back to them. So I think it’s important that you have a strong relationship with your doctor while you are in the hospital because if they understand you and you understand them, that’s good.
I had a few good doctors when I was in the hospital. They understood what I needed and they tried to get it for me. The problem is they didn’t stay with you for long periods of time because they would have to do different stuff. When you got used to a doctor, they would change the doctor up and you then would have to get used to another doctor, and over and over again until you got discharged. When you are discharged, you can follow up with your own physician and talk about what they did in the hospital and what medication they had you on, and why. Then your physician can decide if you need that medication or not.
I have a great doctor who is aways there when I need him. When I get out of the hospital, he tells me that I don’t need all of the medication I was on when I was in the hospital. So, I’m glad I have a great doctor who listens to me and works with me.
I think that the medical system has a long way to go before they start treating people with all kinds of illnesses and knowing what people need to treat us. But until then, we get the short end of the stick. We have to fight for what we need and fight for what’s right. And what you need is very important to you.
I think it’s important to have the healthcare that we deserve. But we need to be sure that we have enough people fighting for it. It’s important for us to know the enemy in this fight. And the enemy is not our friend. Some people think they know what is right or isn’t right. But we have to educate ourselves to know what is right and what is wrong. And when we find out what that is, then we are half way there.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and story with us!!