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The ER is packed

Spryte

By Spryte,
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Spryte

Spryte

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Our hospitals are full of Covid patients plus the everyday stuff. It’s too much for our local hospitals to handle both. 

This is a nightmare. My mom fell, and has probably broken some bones (shoulder, elbow, needs CT of head, and hip hurts, too). EMTs carried her down the stairs and the ambulance was rerouted because the hospital close to us is not taking patients. There’s no room at the hospital where they brought us either, so she’s (uncomfortably) in a wheelchair. We are in a packed waiting room with about 80 people. There is a Covid waiting room, but triage nurse advised us that many in ours also have Covid. It’s impossible to distance. We are masked, and just … waiting. Nurse said the patient that’s been here longest has been waiting for 6.5 hours. Most people are masked. A few are not. The kids and babies are not.

Its such a nightmare. And I can’t do a thing to help her pain. Or confusion. 
 

Going to be a long night.


 

 

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Spryte
Spryte

Our hospitals are full of Covid patients plus the everyday stuff. It’s too much for our local hospitals to handle both.  This is a nightmare. My mom fell, and has probably broken some bones (shou

Spryte
Spryte

Broken pelvis. I don’t have all the details yet, doc just caught me in the hall to tell me. She’s being admitted. Surgery probably needed. I would imagine then there will be rehab. She’s als

Spryte
Spryte

Well, you won’t believe this. We are back at another ER.  With much help, we got her into the car from the wheelchair to bring her home. A security guard lifted her in. Arrived home and she is ab

vonfirmath

vonfirmath

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My sister had slurred speech, difficulty speaking and made the mistake of going to a standalone ER.  They didn't have the equipment to do a MRI and no hospital with the ability was taking transfers. She was speaking clearly and had no risk factors for a stroke So they went home with the diagnosis that it was NOT a stroke and to follow up with their doctors.  Finally, on Friday, they got in with a MRI and found out she HAD had a stroke.

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Spryte

Spryte

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Thanks for the good thoughts.

It’s a horror show. The Covid waiting room has overflowed, and the main room has some of the sickest people I’ve ever seen. One woman in particular is terribly ill, constant coughing and vomiting. Obviously she’s not masking. I feel so badly for her, but worried for everyone else here. 

Trusting my mask and vaccine.

 

 

 

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Catwoman

Catwoman

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Ugh! That sounds horrible! I wish they could at least find a bed for the woman who is vomiting -- both for her comfort and for others' safety. 

I hope your masks protect you and your mom and that your vaccines are effective. I wish you were able to wait in the car and be called when they are ready to see your mom. It is ridiculous that people have to sit in a crowded waiting room with contagious patients!!! :angry:

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Spryte

Spryte

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17 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Ugh! That sounds horrible! I wish they could at least find a bed for the woman who is vomiting -- both for her comfort and for others' safety. 

I hope your masks protect you and your mom and that your vaccines are effective. I wish you were able to wait in the car and be called when they are ready to see your mom. It is ridiculous that people have to sit in a crowded waiting room with contagious patients!!! :angry:

I wish we could wait elsewhere, too. We came by ambulance, and then got dumped in the waiting room, or I would try for the car.

The poor woman has an unbelievable cough, and vomiting every twenty minutes. She’s crying for help, and it’s killing me not to get her help.

What a horrible situation. This has really enlightened me about what it truly means to have overcrowded hospitals.

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Junie

Junie

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(((Spryte)))

I'm just now seeing this -- up in the middle of the night with insomnia and hoping to get to sleep soon.  But I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and praying for you and your mom.

I'm so sorry.  How scary that the ERs are so full.  I hope that your mom gets good care.

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Spryte

Spryte

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1 minute ago, Junie said:

(((Spryte)))

I'm just now seeing this -- up in the middle of the night with insomnia and hoping to get to sleep soon.  But I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and praying for you and your mom.

I'm so sorry.  How scary that the ERs are so full.  I hope that your mom gets good care.

Thanks. You’ll know the hospitals … S is full, rerouting patients. MW is a madhouse. 

I hope you can sleep soon!

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Junie

Junie

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3 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Thanks. You’ll know the hospitals … 

I hope you can sleep soon!

Yes, I'm familiar with the madhouse.

Years ago I had to take my ds to the ER during the Swine Flu.  He was exhibiting similar symptoms that turned out to be a ruptured appendix.  But, yes, I've seen how crazy it can get there. 😞

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Tap

Tap

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36 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Tiny update: we are in a curtained area! My mom is already in a CT scan.

And they have ordered some pain meds for her, thank goodness.

I was coming by to check in on you both. I have had some very, very long nights in ERs, it is so miserable. I am sorry you are having to wait so long, and that your mama is hurt. I hope they can get you both feeling better and on your way home for some sweet dreams soon.  ((((hugs for you))))  and ( ( ( super soft air hugs for her) ) )

 

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Spryte

Spryte

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1 minute ago, Melissa Louise said:

Just checking in to see how it's going.

Hope you get other results quickly. 

 

Thanks. Still waiting on more results. They decided to X-ray lower back and the other hip. Just waiting.

Feeling pretty traumatized listening to the cries for help from the other curtain. It’s rough.

Hopefully we will go home soon.

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Melissa Louise

Melissa Louise

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1 minute ago, Spryte said:

Thanks. Still waiting on more results. They decided to X-ray lower back and the other hip. Just waiting.

Feeling pretty traumatized listening to the cries for help from the other curtain. It’s rough.

Hopefully we will go home soon.

I hope so. 

That's very tough; caring and advocating for your own person, but witnessing others suffer too. ED truly is hell-like at times. 

Hope you can find some inner respite. 

Sending hugs and hopes that you've left for home soon xx

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ktgrok

ktgrok

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ugh. One more thing that people need to think about, when they say they aren't worried about Covid because they personally have very little exposure. People on this board have said they don't worry about it because they work from home, etc. Ok...but what if you break an arm or are in a car accident and end up in the hospital waiting room! As you are describing, it is a very high risk environment. People who are unvaccinated are going to be in trouble. 

And a LOT of hospitals are overwhelmed like this. I know ours are. My husband won a crazy 1 wheel skateboard thing, which we nicknamed the death scooter, and we purposely are not letting anyone ride it except during ours the orthopedic walk in clinic is open. That way if someone falls and gets hurt they can go there, not the ER. (and helmets, pads, etc - when they tried it the first time I yelled, "no head injuries!!!! Ortho won't treat those and I'm not taking y'all to the ER!!!)

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MEmama

MEmama

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I’m just seeing all this now… @Spryte I’m so so sorry for your poor mother and that you all had to endure such a hellish night. I fear for everyone in that ER, and in hospitals everywhere in this country. I’m glad to hear she is getting discharged; I wish her well and I hope you all stayed HEALTHY. Keeping you in my thoughts.

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Spryte

Spryte

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Well, you won’t believe this. We are back at another ER. 

With much help, we got her into the car from the wheelchair to bring her home. A security guard lifted her in. Arrived home and she is absolutely unable to walk. I can’t tell if it’s pain, fear, or that she has forgotten how, but she cannot lift either foot even a tad bit. Stands only with assistance. She never made it even a step past where we helped put her feet down out of the car. Her feet would not move. It feels like she’s had a stroke.

DH called the closer hospital to see if they were taking patients. They said to bring her in. We couldn’t get her back in the car, so it was another ambulance ride.

But we are in a room with a door. She is sleeping in a bed. And it’s so much cleaner at this hospital. Feels less harrowing.

I honestly don’t know what’s going on or what to do with this inability to walk. It’s out of the blue. She doesn’t even use a cane normally.

So please … Wish us luck again! 

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Spryte

Spryte

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38 minutes ago, Junie said:

(((Spryte)))

I'm so sorry. 😞

Praying still. 

Did you get any sleep at all?  And your poor mom...  Hoping that there is an easy explanation/solution to her not being able to walk.

No sleep yet. We are now at S hospital, I just couldn’t face the other one again.

Update: Doc has ordered a CT of the pelvis. And he just about made me cry when he said, “if she can’t walk, I won’t send her home, even if I don’t figure out why.” They will get her a caseworker and rehab if needed. Thank goodness. I had a real panic attack when she couldn’t walk at all, in our driveway.

So hopefully we will get answers, and it will be fixable, and she will recover quickly. At least it feels like she’s in good hands.

 

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Spryte

Spryte

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1 hour ago, BaseballandHockey said:

When RSV is high in your community, do you typically see a lot of it in adults in the ER?

I feel as though this year I am hearing a lot about RSV and adults, whereas my understanding in the past was that healthy older children and adults generally didn't exhibit enough symptoms that they got tested (e.g. they presented like a cold).   We were told that one of the reasons RSV is such a risk to kids like my middle kid is that people who have it think they have a regular cold and don't stay home.

This year, I'm hearing so many reports of RSV in adults, if perhaps covid is making people's lungs more vulnerable?  Does that match with what you're seeing?  Or is it just that rates overall are much higher than during RSV season in other years, or you're referring to elderly medically vulnerable patients?

I am wondering the same about RSV.

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Junie

Junie

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1 minute ago, Spryte said:

No sleep yet. We are now at S hospital, I just couldn’t face the other one again.

Update: Doc has ordered a CT of the pelvis. And he just about made me cry when he said, “if she can’t walk, I won’t send her home, even if I don’t figure out why.” They will get her a caseworker and rehab if needed. Thank goodness. I had a real panic attack when she couldn’t walk at all, in our driveway.

So hopefully we will get answers, and it will be fixable, and she will recover quickly. At least it feels like she’s in good hands.

 

Oh, this is so good that the doctor isn't just going to give up and send her home!

Sending hugs.

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HS Mom in NC

HS Mom in NC

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Sorry you're going through all that.  Your poor mom.

Here in Raleigh the wait, as of last week, was 12+ hours to be seen.  Neighbor is an ER nurse at a major medical center.  They had 142 people waiting in the ER then. People have thrown punches at him and accused him of not caring about their wait. 90% are unvaccinated. They expect it to peak at the end of this month. There are smaller towns on the SE coast are a 3 day wait for a room.

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Scarlett

Scarlett

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2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

ugh. One more thing that people need to think about, when they say they aren't worried about Covid because they personally have very little exposure. People on this board have said they don't worry about it because they work from home, etc. Ok...but what if you break an arm or are in a car accident and end up in the hospital waiting room! As you are describing, it is a very high risk environment. People who are unvaccinated are going to be in trouble. 

And a LOT of hospitals are overwhelmed like this. I know ours are. My husband won a crazy 1 wheel skateboard thing, which we nicknamed the death scooter, and we purposely are not letting anyone ride it except during ours the orthopedic walk in clinic is open. That way if someone falls and gets hurt they can go there, not the ER. (and helmets, pads, etc - when they tried it the first time I yelled, "no head injuries!!!! Ortho won't treat those and I'm not taking y'all to the ER!!!)

This is so funny......I don't know how many times during this Pandemic I have said 'be careful, we can't go to the ER.'  It was a concern to me from the beginning and I can imagine it would be compounded if I had small children.

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