So I went to the doctor....

[jcj]

Went to the doctor yesterday for a sinus infection and dizziness. Sounds simple enough..right? Except it wasn't. I was made a guest at the hospital and it looks like I'm here tonight also.

Lesson learned? Avoid doctors

[sigmtnman]

Them DRs will kill you. Don't you know they just "practice"?

[Mike.357]

If i went to a doctor they would juust go on and send me to be enbalmed.

[laktrash]

I've been going for 2 years, seen them all. Made 2 trips to Mayo still no answers

[Guest pfries]

Went to the doctor yesterday for a sinus infection and dizziness. Sounds simple enough..right? Except it wasn't. I was made a guest at the hospital and it looks like I'm here tonight also.

Lesson learned? Avoid doctors

Psyc Hospitals don't count....

[Timestepper]

I feel your pain. Back the first part of November I staggered 2 1/2 miles from the truck stop in Mocksville, NC. to the local ER (no taxi service in Mocksville and I wasn't about to pay for an ambulance!) knowing that I was suffering from a bout of pancreatitis and needing some relief. 3 days and $6,000.00 later, they let me walk back to the truck.

Hope you get better quick! Still looking forward to getting together sometime soon.

...TS...

Edited December 16, 2011 by Timestepper

[peejman]

As an adult, it's perfectly legal to refuse treatment. That said, I hope they get you fixed up. I'm also curious how a sinus/ear infection landed you in the hospital.

[jcj]

As an adult, it's perfectly legal to refuse treatment. That said, I hope they get you fixed up. I'm also curious how a sinus/ear infection landed you in the hospital.

Me too. Apparently there was some concern about brain involvement with this infection.

My white blood cell count was still too high to get me outta here today. Unless I just get fed up and leave :banghead:

[NRA]

Hope alls well, but why go to the Drs all they ever do is look for something wrong.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I've been going for 2 years, seen them all. Made 2 trips to Mayo still no answers

Have no clue what you symptoms are but I will tell you about my experience.

I had recently moved from one facility to a different facility to work. The new facility always seemed a bit damp. Within a few months I began to start having problems with my health. Nothing really pronounced but a overall feeling of being sick. I had no energy to do anything. On more than one occassion my blood pressure dropped to a point that my vision was giving me problems. I had some fellow workers take me to medical and my BP was 60's over 40's. The nurses said I probably needed to go to the ER. I convinced them to let me drink some coffee and smoke a cigarette. It helped and every time I felt another episode coming on I drank some coffee and smoked a cigarette.

After dealing with this for over a year I went to seveal doctors and saw a number of specialists, all said they could not find anything to cause my problems.

I was moved to another facility and my symptoms disappeared almost over night. Then later it was determined the facility I was at was infested with mold thoughout the duct work. And because the duct work would routinely be disturbed the mold spores were probably being released into the facility.

I tend to be a bit sensitive to medications and I suspect I am also the same way with mold.

Dolomite

[gregintenn]

My doctor told me to quit drinking. I thought "I know more old drunks than old doctors, so I went home and had a drink." Hope they cure you up in no time!

[dats82]

As an adult, it's perfectly legal to refuse treatment. That said, I hope they get you fixed up. I'm also curious how a sinus/ear infection landed you in the hospital.

You are correct. However, keep in mind that if you are ever admitted to the hospital and you leave AMA (against medical advise), your insurance will most likely not pay for the visit, and you will be stuck with the bill. You can refuse any treatment while you are there, but you would be ill advised to leave if your Dr. wishes to keep you.

[Timestepper]

You are correct. However, keep in mind that if you are ever admitted to the hospital and you leave AMA (against medical advise), your insurance will most likely not pay for the visit, and you will be stuck with the bill. You can refuse any treatment while you are there, but you would be ill advised to leave if your Dr. wishes to keep you.

Indeed. I practically begged the Doc in NC not to admit me. "Can't you just give me an I.V. to help me get re-hydrated and then give me something for the nausea so that I can at least keep water down until I get home? I'm afraid my insurance won't cover it and I can't afford it if it doesn't." I was given a resounding "NO! You're very ill (Duh! I knew that!) and I believe you should be admitted." So I called my wife and Safety director and told them what I was up against, then allowed them to admit me.

Long story short, insurance won't cover it because it was "out of network" and I didn't personally call them (turns out no one did!) to ask permission before receiving treatment. All told, just over SIX THOUSAND bucks for three days of tests and treatment! Merry freakin' Christmas!

[Guest Ae-35]

I feel for ALL of you. I once went to the VA ER, in JC. Just a simple food poisoning, kept heaving, you know talk'n about ralph. Anyway, they took one look at my record, and bam. Sent on the meatwagon to Nashville VA, 3 weeks later , my Dr. said they could find nothing wrong !!!!. I got to go home. My wife had to make the 600 mile round trip to get me.

[jdi731]

Timestepper, you being better is all that matters. Trust me when I tell you $6,000 is nothing when you're talking about your health.

When I was 21, I ended up in the hospital for almost a week at the beginning of December in 2007. It took them 3 days to even have an idea of what was wrong. On the 4th day, they biopsied my liver to see if they were correct. The good news was they knew what the problem was and it was my dad's birthday, the bad news was that it was Autoimmune Hepatitis (your body's immune system attacks your liver), I have stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver, my liver had just about entirely shut down by this time, I was being put on the transplant list (I was VERY high on the list at that time), and it was a super bad present to my dad who had stayed with me at the hospital the entire time. I had to have a procedure called paracentesis done to drain 25 pounds of fluid off my stomach since nothing could get through my liver and it all just backed up into my stomach. I missed 3 months of work because of all this and during those 3 months I spent probably a fourth of my time either at the hospital or a lab having blood drawn to monitor all my levels. I forget what the total bill ended up being for my hospital stay and all the lab tests but it was over $100k. And then to add insult to injury, I have another disease called Ulcerative Colitis which is a type of IBD. No cure for either of them.

A year after that I ended up not being able to eat without having severe pain in my abdomen so I had to have surgery and have my gall bladder removed but I missed 1.5 months of work because of that.

Four years after being diagnosed with AIH and UC, I'm off the transplant list because I'm doing so well that I no longer need one at the moment and it could be years before I do. If you were to look at me, you'd never guess I had any kind of health condition except for maybe being a little crazy. The only times I miss a beat is when my meds make me extremely tired and I don't feel like going out OR my friends go out to eat at a place that only has spicy food (spicy food and UC don't work with me) so I can't eat if I go. I just had a baby girl on August 30th so I'm as happy as can be.

I guess what I'm getting at is, don't let money you owe for staying healthy get you down or frustrated. It'll all work out in the end.

jcj, I hope it's nothing serious and they are just being overly cautious!

[jcj]

Just a quick update.. I'm still here. I might get to go home this afternoon, but I think thats just me being hopeful.

I was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday. Hopefully I can manage it with diet and not have to leave here with any long term medication..

[peejman]

Just a quick update.. I'm still here. I might get to go home this afternoon, but I think thats just me being hopeful.

I was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday. Hopefully I can manage it with diet and not have to leave here with any long term medication..

I have several familly members covering the range of diabetes management options. One has a pump, 2 or 3 manage only with diet. Ugly consequences if it gets out of control, take care of yourself.

[Timestepper]

Just a quick update.. I'm still here. I might get to go home this afternoon, but I think thats just me being hopeful.

I was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday. Hopefully I can manage it with diet and not have to leave here with any long term medication..

Damn sorry to hear that, Jeff! One of my best friends in the world lost his leg below the knee a couple of years ago due to diabetes complications. Lots of sweetener alternatives out there without resorting to using aspartame products, so for goodness sake (and yours!) do a little research. In the mean time, here's hoping you continue to get better quick!

[jcj]

Day 427 of my hospitalization....oh wait...it has only been four days.

I'm beginning to think they don't know what's going on with me. More CT scans today, white blood cell count consistently elevated.

Officially I have " cellulitis" of the nose. But whatever caused the underlying infection appears to be a mystery.

I'm now wishing I'd gone to a different hospital. I'm getting the "throw stuff at it til something works" approach to medicine..

[Guest pfries]

Still got you in my prayers jcj,

just don't start throwing stuff back.....

[jcj]

Still got you in my prayers jcj,

just don't start throwing stuff back.....

I'm beginning to think I should stop being a "good" patient. Maybe encourage them to get rid of me.

[Guest pfries]

Just keep in mind I am unenployed and it would put a hurtin on the budget to bail you out....

[Guest WyattEarp]

mostly guesswork in a white coat. there's a reason they call it a "practice".....

I can't say anything bad about doctors though, they've taken quite good care of me.

[laktrash]

Like I said earlier 2 years no diagnosis. I'm pretty soured on the medical profession and their oversized egos. I'll have to say that there is a few good and caring doctors out there but for the most part its all about running you thru for the money.

One of favorite quotes from the hospitalist. From ER to 2 days in hospital. The Doc comes I'm in laying in bed looks down "I got nothing you'd be better off feeling bad at home than here in the hospital so I'm letting you out" WTF !!

Edited December 18, 2011 by laktrash

[jcj]

Jdi731, my mom has autoimmune hepatitis. That's a rough one! Hope you stay healthy.

I'm improving greatly I think. My white blood cell count decreased by 3000 in the last 24 hours. At 13k this morning. They'll let me outta here when it dips below 10k.