My ship may sail without me tomorrow

[vacruizer]

She is in a small town that usually has great service so surprised she has had to wait this long. Have not seen any posts lately so hopefully she is finally being treated.

 

Nope... coming up on 5 hours.

[dixieva]

I don't know about other cities or states, but here if you go in an ambulance, you go straight back to the er, no wait...

 

 

I don't think that's the way it is here in Va. My daughter is an EMT and former rescue squad volunteer and she used to tell me that this is what folks thought-if they called an ambulance they would be treated immediately in the ER. If the EMT's deem it an emergency then yes if not you wait with everyone else.

 

Hope you get seen soon vacruizer.

[PaulMedik]

I don't know about other cities or states, but here if you go in an ambulance, you go straight back to the er, no wait...

 

cruzn buckeye,

 

Arrival in an ambulance will guarantee one thing; an additional bill. Toothaches, chronic pain pt's, depression, as well as acute MI pts all came via ambulance. Where they go when they arrive is determined by their acuity and not their mode of transportation. I've had many patients brought to the waiting room via ambulance after having waited in the same waiting room and left assuming an ambulance will get them in quicker. All they get is moved to the back of the line.

 

 

Nope... coming up on 5 hours.

 

 

vacruizer,

 

Have they drawn blood or reassessed vitals?

 

Still waiting with you though I'm sure that's of no comfort...:o

[golfadj]

Nope... coming up on 5 hours.

 

Darn was hoping no news was good news and that they had gotten started.

[KansasScrapper]

Was it her gallbladder? I had mine out right after turning 40. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I had to wait 2 weeks before they could get me in and remove it, I lost 10lbs becuz I couldn't eat anything.

[PaulMedik]

Nope... coming up on 5 hours.

 

 

 

vacruizer,

 

Close to eight hours now; I'm hoping you are being admitted or discharged and that you didn't leave?

[vacruizer]

vacruizer,

 

Close to eight hours now; I'm hoping you are being admitted or discharged and that you didn't leave?

 

They took me back around 8:30 or so according my dh. I don't remember it really. Thie dizziness got really bad and i passesd out.:o

 

By the time they got to me i think i was really dehydrated. Of course my temp was normal by then so they are saying no infection.

 

Just got a bed..... been in a hallway the last hour. Gave me some meds and talked to dr. Who is going ton more tests.

[sharecruises]

Ow....that is inhumane

 

Health care in this country is horrible, what a nightmare

 

Passing out in the ER....unreal,

 

I am really glad they finally got you a bed and hopefully now you will get the care you should have recieved last week

 

Feel better and get better !!!

[SJ]

so sorry to hear this was how you were treated by the best health care system in the world. It is inhumane.

 

Paulmedic, I would love to hear why the ER has gotten worse since 2009. Are you refering to the Affordable Healthcare Act? There is a lot I don't understand about the bill and the ripple effects of the implementation of it. Can't believe either side from Washington so would really appreciate input from a healthcare professional. I thought most of it will not be implemented until 2014 and only kids with preexisting conditions can not be denied coverage, under 26 can be cover under parents' plan and no copay for preventive care has been implemented. Is this not true?

 

Thank you!

[fun!melis]

Wow!:eek:

I subscribed to this thread and have read every post.. I'm pulling for you for sure! :)

Its like you have a stand full of cruisers Behind you.. Its great to see how people care for others even when you don't know them personally. :D

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking of you and will be here also just know you probably have many more who are pulling for ya here and haven't posted... Its all good vibes:p

[pe4all]

Also waiting to hear an update. Hope they gave you some good meds so you could sleep!:p If it definitely is your gall bladder, I would think you will be scheduled for surgery sometime today. Good luck, and a speedy recovery no matter what the outcome!

[wentworth]

Paulmedic...........you've been like a 911 operatior thru all this......

staying with the op , assuring her and offering help.

 

WV is so lucky to have you!!

 

OP get well soon and have a wonderful cruise!!

[KP@Sea]

Paulmedic...........you've been like a 911 operatior thru all this......

staying with the op , assuring her and offering help.

 

WV is so lucky to have you!!

 

OP get well soon and have a wonderful cruise!!

 

 

I agree.

 

I am in WV also...and I think if myself or my family had to go to the ER I would attempt to locate the one Paulmedic was working triage at....;).

 

OP...Wishes for a speedy diagnosis and faster recovery

[DebBrown]

Just think, with the new Health Reform, you will be waiting a LOT longer than hours, or even days. We will be waiting months and years for operations. Don't believe me? Just ask any of our Canadian or UK friends.

 

vacruizer, I hope you are doing better this morning.

[kayhold]

I agree with the others. The Squeeky wheel... 4 hours is a long time. I had many gallbladder attacks before I had mine out (20 years ago) and was never in as much pain as you seem to be in. I am wondering if it might be divaticulitus. I am not sure if I spelled that right.

 

Hope you get seen soon and get some answers. Just cry alot and refuse to leave.

 

When they get in the bile duct is when it gets bad. It was way worse than when my 9 lb son was born. I would lay in a ball screaming until the perc kicked in.

 

Sent from Tapa-Talk. Please forgive my brevity and lack of punctuation.

[blondietink]

I had gallstones after my first child was born, apparently a common side effect of pregnancy. Anyway, two weeks after the birth, I thought I was going to die the pain was so bad and relentless! Much worse than childbirth, for sure! To make a long story short, several months later, I had a really bad attack, was admitted to a hospital where I was on vacation, a gallstone had rolled onto my pancreas, surgery, followed by 3 days in ICU and 3 weeks total in the hospital, leaving to go home with a drain still in me. It was a horrible experience! My advice to anybody will gallbladder issues ...... don't mess around and get it fixed fast!

[CruiseHealing]

We have had to cancel two different cruises. It is extremely depressing and took about two weeks to get over the funk. The worst part is the week of the cruise. You think about where the ship is and what you had planned or not planned for the day or port.

 

If you have never canceled a cruise you will have a hard time to relate. There are things worst than canceling a cruise, but it is up there in major bummers.

 

The best thing to do is to file the insurance claim as quickly as possible and get the whole ordeal behind you. After that is done start looking for your next cruise.

 

Finally, one thing that will happen after you have booked your next cruise is you will start wondering what and when something that will happen to force you to cancel again. Remember, these things are exclusive of each other. Look at the cancelation as a down point in the year and get back out there and CRUISE!

[vacruizer]

Well, good morning everyone. Just thought I'd update since I seem to have so many wonderful folks behind me. :)

 

I'm still here and still have a gallbladder. :mad: The fever went away and they ran more bloodwork that didn't show any signs of infection. They had a surgeon come consult with us last night but they had shot me up with so many meds at that point I could barely think to ask her questions. Of course they did the exam after they stuck morphine in the IV so not much hurt then! :p They also can't find an actual stone - just "sludge" which some docs say can cause the same symptoms and others say no.

 

She said they could admit me, but says I'd not be an emergency case since there was no signs of infection and that it could be three or four more days before I had surgery due to the schedules already being set up. She advised that I go home, drink some Ensure or Instant Breakfast for nutrition, and keep my surgeon's appointment for Wed. and that he would probably get me on his schedule fairly quickly. And all the docs keep saying the dizziness can't possibly be gallbladder.

 

So I'm back at home. Pain is minimal until I eat or drink anything. And it's not just fatty stuff - water and jello set off the awful painful burping and other tummy issues.

 

Can I get a consult with Dr. House to find out exactly what the heck is going on here? :p

[vacruizer]

We have had to cancel two different cruises. It is extremely depressing and took about two weeks to get over the funk. The worst part is the week of the cruise. You think about where the ship is and what you had planned or not planned for the day or port.

 

If you have never canceled a cruise you will have a hard time to relate. There are things worst than canceling a cruise, but it is up there in major bummers.

 

The best thing to do is to file the insurance claim as quickly as possible and get the whole ordeal behind you. After that is done start looking for your next cruise.

 

Finally, one thing that will happen after you have booked your next cruise is you will start wondering what and when something that will happen to force you to cancel again. Remember, these things are exclusive of each other. Look at the cancelation as a down point in the year and get back out there and CRUISE!

 

You are quite right. Every day I keep thining about what I would be doing on the cruise right now. Sailaway time was tough the other day. Tomorrow we were going to celebrate my birthday, maybe steakhouse (oh, ugg, can't imagine steak right now:p) and do some hiking at the Canaveral National Seashore and go to the manatee viewing area. :(

[JUGGER]

i am ready to cry. Been looking so forward to leaving on the pride tomorrow to celebrate my 40th birthday next week.

 

Starting having some tummy issues about a week ago that have been getting worse and worse. Had chest pain start mid-week and ended up having a full heart work-up and stress test on thursday. All were fine, they gave me an antacid and told me to enjoy my cruise. Kept feeling sicker and sicker yesterday with tummy issues and dizziness. Instead of loading the car this morning we went back to the er where they said my gallbladder has sludge and they are testing for an ulcer that will take 2 or 3 days but that i need to see a surgeon to get my gallbladder out. :( then they told me it was up to me whether or not to take the cruise.

 

We could technically still leave early and drive up to baltimore in the morning, but the way i feel now there's no way i can make it 5 hours in the car. Can't eat, can barely drink, and too dizzy to even finish packing.

 

To top it all off, i called csa travel insurance today and i probably won't be covered for cancellation since the dr. Said it was up to me whether or not to travel - even though i have the er paper work diagnosing the gallbladder issue and advising removal. My only hope is that the surgeon can see me next week (don't know how long it will take to get an appt.) and certify i wasn't fit to travel.

 

I'm so bummed - never thought i'd be in this situation. But i honestly can't fathom getting on the ship feeling this bad.

 

Sorry for the long rant but had to vent to some folks who know how painful it is to be sitting here sick on the eve of your cruise knowing you probably won't be onboard tomorrow. :(

so---very sorry-for your health problem--but you mentioned you do have the travel protection plan---call carnival and discuss it with them---the plan should take care of any loss----we are seniors and i always take the insurance---jut in case---good luck to you---irene and john

[golfadj]

You are quite right. Every day I keep thining about what I would be doing on the cruise right now. Sailaway time was tough the other day. Tomorrow we were going to celebrate my birthday, maybe steakhouse (oh, ugg, can't imagine steak right now:p) and do some hiking at the Canaveral National Seashore and go to the manatee viewing area. :(

 

Glad to see you still have your sense of humor.

 

BTW some years ago stayed at a local hotel before a cruise and walked over to the Manatee viewing area and nobody was home. Guess they didnt get the memo that I was coming.

 

Feel better.

[pe4all]

At least your surgeon's appt. is tomorrow. Hopefully the Dr. will get to the bottom of your problem, and you will be able to get back to good health- with or without surgery. Good luck!:)

[janetlm]

I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR STORY OVERNIGHT. I am so sorry!

 

Gallbladder issues are very nasty!

 

Take care of yourself.

[PaulMedik]

...........

 

Paulmedic, I would love to hear why the ER has gotten worse since 2009. Are you refering to the Affordable Healthcare Act? There is a lot I don't understand about the bill and the ripple effects of the implementation of it. Can't believe either side from Washington so would really appreciate input from a healthcare professional. I thought most of it will not be implemented until 2014 and only kids with preexisting conditions can not be denied coverage, under 26 can be cover under parents' plan and no copay for preventive care has been implemented. Is this not true?

 

Thank you!

 

 

SJ,

 

One of the first implementations of the act was requiring hospitals to justify admissions including previous admissions and basically prove that criteria for admission existed even though all documentation was previously submitted. Essentially they demand specific wording which is irrelevant to patient care or diagnosis. There's no longer a judgement to be made by a physician; it's either black or white and no gray area is reimbursed.

 

The requirement was mandated by medicare (the largest single payor), but applied to all admissions if the hospital receives any funds from the federal government. 'Coding' became more important than 'caring' or having staffing levels adequate. All units have their own 'coder' who's sole job is to inspect admissions for ways to word things appropriately for reimbursement.

 

What happens to staffing pars when hospitals must now finance coders for each unit? Staffing pars are cut which means less RNs to care for the same or larger numbers of patients. In our case we went from a max par of 13 to 10 for the ER and also eliminated a 12 bed unit staffed by the ER with a par of 3 that was only for 23 hour observation patients. Our 3 year old observation unit has sat empty since 2009 along with two other observation units that were less than 7 years old simply because they didn't have private baths in each room. Observation patients are always able to walk on their own so why require bedridden type care? Six RN positions eliminated simply to jump thru government hoops.

 

I personally saw my salary drop by $45,000 the first year of 'ObamaCare.' In the interim the ER staff has went from being overstaffed by an average of 3 RNs per shift to our present under par staffing level; If RNs are called off enough over time, they will eventually seek employment elsewhere and that's where we are now; understaffed and working short each shift simply to comply with regulations handed down to save money.

 

What has been saved? Not a penny; the hospital now employees and entire department devoted to making sure each admission meets mandated criteria and continues to meet criteria throughout their stay. The staff of that department is constantly on the phone with insurance companies and completing review after reveiw after review. The staff for the new department completely offset any hospital savings and actually costs the hospital money because we no longer have the resources to staff at our previous levels thus we lose patients.

 

LWTs (Left Without Treatment) are rampant. These are people who sign in to be seen and are triaged, but leave before ever seeing a doctor because of wait times.

 

Want a real life example of wait time? Ask vacruizer. Want an example of not meeting a specific admission criteria? Ask vacruizer. Her insurance is irrelevant. Even if she wanted to pay cash in advance, not having evidence of infection eliminated the option of admission. Before mid 2009, she WOULD have been admitted based on her symptoms and likely even just because it was her third visit. Her example is just one; there are countless people each day who like her need to be admitted, but are not simply because their human symptoms are not black and white.

 

How did my salary go down $45,000? I am an hourly per diem employee like 70% of my department was in mid 2009. Some two week pay periods I would work 6 hours instead of my usual 100+. Some I would work 8 or 12. A couple I worked ZERO. It took until March of 2011 for me to work 72 hours in a pay period. Who worked the ER while all of this was going on? Mostly new nurses with less than one year on the job. I had the option of working elsewhere in the hospital, but trust me when I tell you that I am not a psych nurse, floor nurse, or scrub nurse. I only enjoy ER nursing and do not have the background nor desire to learn other types of nursing documentation and procedures. My nursing skill moves easily from unit to unit, but the ability to document and follow their procedures is not something you just learn on the job or 'wing it.'

 

Prior to mid 2009 nursing was already barebones short staffed even when at 'par.' Since then it has been 'get the documentation criteria met' regardless of why the patient is here. We aren't encouraged to make things up, but if key points are not addressed then patient outcome is irrelevant. Patient outcome irrelevant? Yes. That is what Obamacare is all about. Socialized medicine? You betcha it is. It's not at all about treating patients, it's about spreading it around to everyone whether they actually need it or not.

 

Give us the right to say to people who present to the ER for BS that they need to leave and we have no where in particular to suggest they go as long as they leave. Give us this right and we will save money for our hospital, our hospitals insurers, and our country. Reinstate our right to say to people that they need to stay and be admitted and let us figure out why they are in pain and we will save lives and make them well again. Save lives and make them well. Isn't that what it's all about? Or we can build a larger beureaucracy consisting of additional people who serve no purpose for actual patient care; that's ObamaCare.

 

Is my experience as an ER nurse unique? No. I have dozens of ER nurse friends who lived thru it too. Some are still ER nurses though many have moved on to other things. Is it unique to ER? Hardly. My wife is an OR nurse and the results have been the same for her (at a different hospital with different management). My wife's hospital has an even larger department just for coding and meeting criteria. Her OR is also now understaffed and prior to 2009 they always had adequate staff. She is a full time employee and has worked in the same unit since 1987 and for the first time ever she has been called off due to cutbacks. Not just one or two times but repeatedly all since mid 2009.

 

The government has always meddled in health care and created monopolistic hospitals by limiting access to new technology and limiting procedures, but now they are micromanaging the actual hands on side of health care. The government made MRI costs astronomical by limiting the availability and they are heading that way with nurses. An MRI is non invasive and unless you have metal in your body, there's no reason we shouldn't use them in triage, but the government has hamstrung their use to limited cases approved by family docs months in advance. Is the time coming where having someone touch you and assess you will be similarly limited? MRI is just one of many examples, but ask around and see what it takes to get an MRI and research why those hoops are there to jump thru.

 

Sorry for the long answer.....I could go on for days and not find one good thing to say about ObamaCare. Granted I did not vote for him, but I at least thought he was human when others opted to take a chance on him. After living thru his tenure, I despise those who would speak in favor of him. Luckily I live in WV where the democrats chose a convict over a future convict in the democratic primary. :)

 

The sugar coating things that you mention that appear to be additional costs for insurance companies, are delayed until the goverment is able to show a savings thru their acts of attrition on healthcare providers. They may ultimately show a savings, but at what cost in humans?

 

 

 

Well, good morning everyone. Just thought I'd update since I seem to have so many wonderful folks behind me.

 

I'm still here and still have a gallbladder. :mad: The fever went away and they ran more bloodwork that didn't show any signs of infection. They had a surgeon come consult with us last night but they had shot me up with so many meds at that point I could barely think to ask her questions. Of course they did the exam after they stuck morphine in the IV so not much hurt then! :p They also can't find an actual stone - just "sludge" which some docs say can cause the same symptoms and others say no.

 

She said they could admit me, but says I'd not be an emergency case since there was no signs of infection and that it could be three or four more days before I had surgery due to the schedules already being set up. She advised that I go home, drink some Ensure or Instant Breakfast for nutrition, and keep my surgeon's appointment for Wed. and that he would probably get me on his schedule fairly quickly. And all the docs keep saying the dizziness can't possibly be gallbladder.

 

So I'm back at home. Pain is minimal until I eat or drink anything. And it's not just fatty stuff - water and jello set off the awful painful burping and other tummy issues.

 

Can I get a consult with Dr. House to find out exactly what the heck is going on here? :p

 

 

vacruizer,

 

I'm sorry you went thru all of that and didn't get admitted. Your temperature would have been that sign of infection they looked for, but as you found out it does have to stick around to count. :o

 

Pain with eating, burping, and even the dizziness from the symptoms are all classic gall bladder complaints; if they could be measured with medical devices you'd be all set. No human complaint counts. Wouldn't it be better if they just worded it that way? No human complaint matters. I can understand mechanics can't fix cars when they aren't broken, but when did humans become mechanical?

 

Please keep us updated; we aren't the health care system in the US because we actually care about whether you feel better. ;)

[golfadj]

Paul

 

Thank you for the info. Amazing how few people read 3000 pages to put us on this path.

 

Have to hope we the people rise up and remind the people in congress exactly whom they work for this November.