The ER Experience

There I was, sitting at my computer desk, minding my own business, reading blogs. Ambulance Driver’s blog, to be exact—the post about Beefy McWorm. Now tell me you didn’t just about die laughing when you read that!

Out of nowhere, my jaw starts feeling funny. Then my chest starts feeling funny. Hm. Well, I haven’t had anything to eat, and it doesn’t feel like indigestion, so we’ll just see what happens. Five or ten minutes later, it’s still there, so I go tell Hubby my chest feels weird. He jumps out of his chair and says, “let’s go!”

Didn’t I just read somewhere that if you have chest pain, you’re not supposed to call your doctor or let your husband drive you? You’re supposed to call 9-1-1.

Yeah well, it’s not chest pain. (Ok, you were right, AD. Ms. Denial was there.) Besides, what kind of nurse would I be if I did what I was supposed to do?

So I leave a message for the doctor on call, then get dressed; grab my insurance card and a book. After another five or ten minutes, the doctor hasn’t called back.

Ok, I’m only mid-forties, but we read all the time now how symptoms of a heart attack can be totally different for women. And, major history of heart disease in my family, the most significant being the death of my dad at 57. So nawwww, I don’t think I’ll wait for the doctor.

But it’s still not chest pain or really a heart attack, so I’m not calling an ambulance. So Hubby drove me to the hospital.

Guess what? Those people in the ER don’t care what you call it, because I told them it wasn’t chest pain, it was chest discomfort. Didn’t matter. They parked my butt on a gurney, plugged me in to a cardiac monitor, took my vitals, got an EKG and a portable chest x-ray, started me on oxygen, drew my blood and started an IV. I told the doc I didn’t need an IV. She didn’t care. The nurse wants to know if I have a vein preference. “No.” So he asks if the antecubital would be ok. “Sure, you’re gonna be taking it out in a little while anyway.”

In retrospect, that was stupid. I have huge veins. Even AD, who says he’s only average, could have started an IV in my hand. Good grief, it was a baby catheter, only a 20 gauge. Why waste a perfectly good 16/18-gauge vein with a 20?

I didn’t need the oxygen, either; my sat level was just fine. Who would think to bring a book along to pass the time if they were oxygen deprived?

Anyway, I was in the ER for maybe a total of about three hours, not long, really. But I was glad I brought my book. EKG was fine, cardiac enzymes were normal, potassium was low, so they gave me a pill. When they conferred with all the docs, it was agreed that I should stay overnight for observation, draw more labs, and possibly do a stress test the next day.

Great. Can I have some Tylenol, please? No chest pain, but y’all have given me a headache.

Later: The in-patient experience I could have done without.

Flo

Gardasil

Holly mentioned something in her blog the other day about the vaccine for HPV and how the governor of Texas was mandating it for all girls in the 6th grade and older. I was going to leave a comment, but thought it would be a little too lengthy.

MFD had a follow up with her primary physician last week, and one of the recommendations was that we get her the Gardasil vaccine, along with the one for meningitis. Doc gave us some pamphlets about HPV and cervical cancer to read about before we made our decision. Much more information is available at www.tell-someone.com.

I am all for giving my children a vaccine that can possibly prevent a serious or deadly disease. Depending on the disease, I would have them vaccinated whether it was approved by the CDC or not, and paid for by insurance or not.

One of the universities in the state next door had a rash of meningitis cases a while back. Meningitis can and did kill young adults in a matter of hours. Those that survive can suffer severe consequences.

I played heck last summer trying to get the meningococcal vaccine for MFS before he left for college. Although the vaccine was highly recommended for those that would be living in dormitories and even required by some colleges, the CDC had not yet approved it. It was a very expensive vaccine and because many health insurances would not cover the cost, it was not readily available. My doctor’s office didn’t carry it, and when I checked with several health departments, there was a long waiting list. I did finally manage to get him back in to the pediatrician’s office, so that was a relief.

Now there is a newer vaccine available that has been approved by the CDC, so our current doctor’s office does now carry it.

The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices has approved the use of the HPV vaccine (Gardasil) for 11-12 year old girls, although it can be given as early as age 9. For older girls, ACIP recommends a “catch up” for ages 13-26, which basically means if they haven’t been vaccinated, they should. From the information I read, the vaccine is recommended even if the girl is already sexually active or has had HPV. This is because there are about 100 types of HPV, and she may not have been exposed to the four types the vaccine can protect against.

The ACIP recommendations have been presented to the director of the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, but they have not been approved yet.

I believe that if the CDC has approved a vaccine, states have every right to require proof of immunization from school children. However, if a state, like Texas, is going to mandate a vaccine that has not yet been approved, and therefore may not be covered by insurance, the state should be responsible for the cost.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. When bovines quit producing methane.

Flo