I survived the crash, will I survive the medical field?

There is nothing worse when you are sick or injured and you get treated badly by the medical community.
For those who think we don't have rationed health care in the US. Think again.

My story:

I was in a bad accident Sunday night. I was sitting on a route(which might as well be an interstate) waiting for a left hand turn. A guy who was not paying attention, crashed into me at 50 or more mph. That is 80 kph for everyone else.
He never saw me. There was no squaling brakes, squealing tires, nothing. There was no bracing for impact.

I was sitting still and the impact was enough to send me into oncoming traffic. I realized I was moving and sat up and was facing a BMW head on. I somehow managed to pull the car back over to my lane. Then I got a third fright when the car wouldn't stop, the accident knocked out the rear brakes, and the E brake.

When the car finally rumbled to a stop, I lay back down and had a searing headache. You see, I recoiled so hard that I knocked the driver's seat flat.

A saint stopped and called the police and the ambulance. The emt just walked up and asked if I wanted to go to the hospital.l said no, since I didn't seem to be missing any limbs. Between the searing headache and the shocks, I couldn't think. He said ok and left. Didn't even bother to put gloves on. I know this was a mistake.

After both cars were towed, I went home to cry. My arm was bruised and unusuable, I couldn't do anything without a lot of pain. I cracked it against something pretty good. I went to the ER the next morning, to go through the now double triage system.
See, our hospital systems are overwhelmed. But they are also so competetive that they won't allow any more emergnecy rooms to be built. It is always a long wait. So I waited an hour, went through triage, was returned.Then an hour and a half later I was taken to a little exam room to be seen by a physician assistant. I was never examined, I was poked once, she moved my arm and wrote me an rx for motrin.I saw her for four minutes.

So apparently a middle aged woman in a high speed impact doesn't require examination of any kind, or to be seen by a doctor.
The next day I went into work, not having any more sick leave. I could hold a drink with my left arm now, which is black and blue from the wrist to 2 inches below my elbow. I work for a bunch of doctors, emt and nurses. Four supervisors told me to leave and go back to the ER and get an x ray.

So new hospital, same scenario. I waited an hour, was finally taken back to see a physician assitant. The girl who hurt her toe walking the dog came in after me and got seen first. I told them my pelvis area still hurts from the lap belt, I showed them pictures of the accident. He said everything is fine but for my piece of mind, he will order an xray for my arm. Again, I was never touched, never seen by a dr. I get into xray and he only ordered it for my shoulder, I had the techs call him and clear it to do my whole arm. He couldnt even order a proper xray.Told me to follow up with my dr for an mri.

I woke up this morning to sharp pains in my back between the shoulder blades.My pelvis still hurts, I have regained use of my arm though.

I have made an appt with my own doctor. I got 5 minutes of instructions on how I need to give the office the claim information or I will get charged. Nothing else. God bless our medical system.

I know ER see car crashes everyday. But an almost middle aged woman rear ended at over 50 mph should be looked at. At least do a torso exam and make sure nothing is screwed up.
Two er trips and I still haven't seen a doctor.

If I didn't know better, I would say they were getting paid off by insurance companies.
Or do the doctors think that since you walk in from a car crash, you are looking for injuries to make money?
And this is not the case. I have enough health issues to worry about, I just want to make sure everything is ok.

Busy or not, car accidents or not, there is no excuse for this poor system. There is no excuse to not take 10 minutes to examine someone. I have good insurance myself. Maybe car insurance companies don't pay out so well, I dunno.
But there is no excuse that I have to take three or more trips to just get a doctor to examine me.

Last time I went to the ER I cracked my head open, so they took care of me in a decent amount of time, however, it's more than likely because mine was an open head wound that was obviously bleeding. But overall, at least where I went, they seemed to do a pretty good job on me anyways.

I don't think a full 10 minute examination is necessary, I mean they didn't take x rays of my skull or anything, they just asked some questions, took a look at it, put some numbing stuff and told me to wait in the waiting room until they could do the procedure on me.

That aside, I do agree that there could be a few changes, though, i'm not an ER doctor so I wouldn't know.

Well nixie, as bruised as you are...I'm glad you're alive and doing okay...

By okay, I mean not in coma, or paralyzed, etc.

But you even admitted your first mistake.
When the EMT came, you should've went to the ER.
I know shock and adrenaline will make a person think irrationally.
And I wish you wouldn't have said no.

Now:
I'm not saying our system isn't terrible...
We all know the horrors of American hospitals.
Especially those uninsured.
But I am stating that by turning down the ride from the EMT...
Might have cost you alot of pain and suffering in the future.


Please get well and I hope you are okay.
PM me if ya need med's mailed to your house. ( )

reply to post by havok


I walked into the ER with a headache and it ends up I had viral meningitis and was in isolation for four days.

Just because you walk into the ER doesn't mean that it is not a medical emergency. I walked in when I was in labor.

Everyone knows that adrenaline can cover up any problems. I was still trying to factor in what happened, much less decide if I need emergency services or not. That should not be an indicator.

There are stories of people being dismissed and showing up with tears in their abdomins days later.

Since when do you have to be accompanied by emt to get medical attention?

reply to post by nixie_nox


Not to sound crass, but we could always have government run healthcare like Canada or the UK... that way you would stand a pretty good chance of dying in the waiting room.

Why do you think the people who have socialized medicine come to the United States for care? Our Mayo Clinic in MN sees almost more foreigners than Americans.

Sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you have no lasting effects from the collision. Accidents like this seem to be a funny thing with back and headaches, etc, ofetn showing up some time later IME.

Anyway, I can say that I don't think the doctors are paid off per se but there are a great many problems in our medical system.

My wife works in a major medical center. She is a neurologist. I had recent visit to the ER myself for nothing quite as serious but did require a visit.

The ER gets many visits from people that do not have a real emergency but the law dictates they must be seen as well. Many who have no insurance, and will never pay. I think that the real blame for the system's issues lay beyond hospitals and doctors and in the hands of greedy health care CEOs and share holders really. For profit health care, and research, for that matter are a travesty.

From my wife's experience, she has said many times that the level of indifference, ineptitude, and shear laziness in her dealings with the ER staff blows her mind. Other than a few scrapes and the like, they really are just a "triage" or gatekeeper themselves.

Sorry for your accident again, and I think the real and only answer to fixing medicine, is to remove the useless succubus' at the top.

Good Luck!

ETA: succubi? lol

reply to post by LearnedToPlayNice


Japan has a national healthcare system that makes our private system look like its run by children.

I have waited up to 7 hours in the waiting room when we thought my mother was having a stroke and I have waited two months just to see my orthopod.

So this old arguement that it could be worse is pretty moot with me.

Not to mention, Canadian seniors live longer and have a much lower infant mortality rate.

Originally posted by LearnedToPlayNice
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

Not to sound crass, but we could always have government run healthcare like Canada or the UK... that way you would stand a pretty good chance of dying in the waiting room.

This is fact, is it? Quit talking out your ass about something you clearly haven't a clue about.

reply to post by Redwookieaz


I do understand that many people use the ER for things they don't need too. I think that is why there are so many urgent care centers going up around here. And I use those when I can.

Like the girl with the hurt toe from walking her dog, she could of gone there.

But I was sure I needed xrays and mri.

They told me to go to my primary to get an mri.

So I went to see him today. he told me to go to my orthopedist for my arm.


sigh

Originally posted by LearnedToPlayNice
could always have government run healthcare like Canada or the UK... that way you would stand a pretty good chance of dying in the waiting room.

Sorry... what? I know opinions are like a**holes but come on, at least try and ground your opinions in reality

reply to post by nixie_nox


Ah the medical run-around, I know it well. Good luck with that as well! Eventually you;ll find the right doctor who finally wants to treat you, depending on your insurance of course.

What a world..

reply to post by Redwookieaz


Thank you.

I saw an orthopedist today for my shoulder. he told me to ice it and come back in 2 weeks if it doesnt feel better. Ugh.

A friend who works in a hospital told me that the reason being is that if any treatment is found un-neccessary by the insurance company, they won't pay the bill.

I called a lawyer today.

reply to post by nixie_nox


It's getting bad for us Plebes. I hope you do get better or that your lawyer can get you what you need. Sorry that its come to this for you. At least it's not as bad for you as it is for many very sick people. There are countless horror stories. It's all about the benjamins.

I realized how bad it is when the care I receive, being married to a doctor, is absolutely terrible. I received such a higher standard of care even just ten years ago that it is beyond comparison. Oh and as a lowly lot attendant at a dealership at the time, the cost of my health insurance was a pittance compared to now and completely paid for by the company. Thise were the days...

Keep us updated please.