Have been having awful acid reflux, diarrhea, nausea & cramping pain lately. I got my J-pouch about one year ago.
The pain got VERY bad this evening while I was out seeing transformers with my boyfriend (what I saw of it.. while not in the bathroom..was great!!) I also felt rather lightheaded and decided I was probably very dehydrated. Since we were close to the ER I decided lets go talk to the doctor. Maybe they'll keep me and then the doctors can do some real digging tomorrow... or maybe I'll at least get some relief from the pain and a few answers.
Well. I was lucky they gave me some pain meds via IV when I came in. They took blood and gave me the meds which helped tremendously, and the iv fluids which also helped a lot. Blood tests came back normal as I knew they would and from that moment on the doctor treated me like I was a drug-seeker.
I AM going to write a letter this time. He actually sent me home with my slip saying I had 'Stomach Flu' I had requested pain medicine for just one or two days and instead he gave me nausea medicine. I told the nurse I couldn't take that particular med (because of a strange anxiety-type reaction I'd had to it) and that if he didn't want to give me the pain medicine that would be fine but I certainly didn't want the medicine he was giving me. She told him but he said that was all I was getting. The nurse seemed pissed. She believed me and had actually taken the time to look at my huge scar and see what I'd been through and notice how I was feeling and take everything into account. She said if the pain got worse the only thing I could do was try to come back when there was a different doctor there who didn't treat everyone under age 35 like a druggy:/ I worry that he wrote something that will be on my permanent medical record.
When I get bad pain I panic.. had a blockage that required major surgery not too long ago. He would panic too if he'd ever had an injury like that in his life. I guess I should be used to this.. growing up with colitis everyone always thought I was faking it. Just makes me mad :P

Sarah

I hear you. After my first surgery I had excruciating pain and no one would believe me. Finally I was able to talk face to face to someone from 'pain management' and she looked at me like I was a druggie when I said the meds that they had me on were not enough to cut the pain. She wrote a new prescription which was just the two meds I was already on but in different ratio (no increase). No one would believe me and they sent me home unable to stand up straight from the pain. Well, they had to believe me when I walked in a week later oozing pus from my stoma from the huge internal infection that I had. Even then it took a threat from my mom who said she'd write to the newspaper about the treatment they were giving me before I finally was given something that would work. I'm sure doctors have to be vigilant for abuse but when you've been through so much they should be able to relax that vigilance somewhat. I don't know why some doctors are like that.

As we all learned in the hospital - you have to be your own advocate! Man, do you ever. However, trying to be your own advocate and having a doctor blow you off has to be frustrating. I'm glad that while I was in the hospital and SO sick - everyone took me seriously and no one doubted my symptoms. However, I'm sure now (looking like a model of health ) I would get a different reaction.

I went through the same thing. I had horrible unexplainable pain for 2 years and I finally I just got admitted to the hospital and the docs got so sick of me. I was kidnapped as a child and obviously that had nothing to do with it, but he wrote on my record, "Looking into past molestation as a cause of unexplainable pain." Turns out it was kidney stones, so I switched hospitals to find someone who took me seriously.

Add to all the other situation in the previous posts a couple of rather large, but really good tattoos, a skull ring and there I am! Amazing how what you look like or your age immediately brings to ER docs'minds that you are a druggy. I told the last ER doc that it felt like Godzilla was throwing a party in my belly and trying to drive a bus out my butt at the same time! I have an extremely high tolerance for pain meds and was given a really hard time when I specifically asked for Demarol. If only they could experience what it's like.....

er drs are all the same . i too experienced the same treatment and i was 45, a wife and mom, apple pie looking!

i always had to call the surgeon.
i took chris to see transformers today, it was awesome, stay through the credits!

I get REALLY bad migraines. I take Percocet for them but sometimes they are so bad that doesn't even work. When I get one of these really bad ones I have to go to the ER for a shot of Demerol. When I lived in PA I had no problems - they always treated me fine. When I first moved to CA (before moving back this time) I had a horrible experience at the ER where basically they acted like I was a drug-addict and was 'drug-seeking' even though I told them they could call my doctor before giving me anything to verify my condition, etc. (I gave them her card and she was part of their institution). The doc refused and inisisted on giving me Imitrex even though I told him it doesn't work for me and it gave me HORRIBLE side effects. When he came to check on me my head was worse (and I was having crushing chest pain from the Imitrex) and he said he'd give me a script for more Imitrex for later! I couldn't believe it! I started crying as I was in so much pain and he said, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now." I went home and had my doctor paged and she immediately called the ER and told them I was coming right back and to give me a shot of Demerol. So I then had my doctor write a note on her letterhead stating I am under her treatment for migraines and occasionally need treatment in the ER with Demerol and that is what she recomends, etc. The few times I had to go afterwards I showed the letter and the docs (different) said that although they believed me the note was very helpful as they are being watched more closely so this makes it easier for them. Anyway, long story (sorry) but just a suggestion perhaps for those of you who may need pain relief in the ER as I know what you are faced with. See if your regular doc could write you some sort of note and keep it with you in your wallet/purse - it may help get you what you need so you're not treated so rudely. Shouldn't have to do this, but sadly this is what it has come to for many young people.

With all of this, are we winning the war on drugs? Such a shame that the docs can't be left to do their job without worrying about the government coming in and questioning their judgement. So much has changed in the past 30 years. I feel very blessed that I have not yet had to deal with the ER for pain treatment.

Of course, even without the war on drugs, there will always be docs who have preconceptions based on your appearance...

Jan

I'm certainly not siding with the ER people in this case, but unless you've worked in the ER or in a clinic you probably don't understand the problem they have with drug seekers.

I've yet to have a problem while in the ER. However, during the interview with the Anesthesiologist for takedown, I asked specifically for Dilaudid. He instantly went into "This guy is a seeker" mode (unbeknown to me at the time) and began to ask me about how much pain medication, Tylenol, etc I took. I told him Morphine didn't work well to take care of the pain, made me very groggy, yet wouldn't let me sleep.

I came out of surgery with a damn morphine pain pump. I didn't make much of it at the time since I was pretty groggy (who would've thunk? )

Although they are the ones with the medical degrees, they certainly don't know our own bodies as well as we do. We are paying them for a service - their medical care - and as such we are entitled, within reason, to care as we desire.

I've got a few tattoos. Used to have many piercings as well. (nothing really visible except the ears) My most visible tattoo is a Chinese dragon that wraps all the way around my left wrist. I've actually had nurses say things along the line of well jeez if you can handle that I don't see why you need to get the pain medicine quite so often. Gee lady you try getting gutted like a pig! While my tattoo DID hurt a bit, it was nothing compared I think they assumed the worst because of the type of person I appeared to be. Which I understand. Add to that the fact that all of my blood work appeared fine and they just thought I was lying. Bloody stool sometimes didn't even convince them for god's sake!
I have noticed that whenever I specifically ask for Demerol (because when it's really bad thats the best for me) I almost always have a problem. I can usually get Dilaudid but then they try and kick my butt out
J-Dawg, I do truly understand why they may be more cautious to give out meds but sometimes it's just so obvious it could smack them in the face and they just don't want to 'give in'
I deal with enough, and I'm rather fragile at the moment. I don't need to get all depressed over what other people think of me as well.

Sarah

I was a "child of the 60's". If "they" only knew that here I am in my "better years" where no one (but me and my closest friends) knows how much experience I've had with all this "stuff". Looks certainly don't tell the whole story, do they?

CeCe - I'm gobsmacked! You? Substances?

kathy