Seven Hours in Healthcare

Last night was quite the adventure.

Will picked me up from work complaining of a pain in his side which got worse as we walked. When we were finally home, he was practically doubled over and complaining of chills, even though the apartment is hot. As someone who doesn't often complain, I knew it wasn't petty. It got to the point where we were questioning the ER, and with a little nudge from my dad, we headed down the block to Pennsylvania Hospital.

To be honest I was a little excited. First off, I come from a family of doctors and grew up around hospitals and medical offices, so that environment is familiar, rather than uncomfortable as it is for most people. I respect doctors and I don't mind being around them (as long as there's nothing wrong with me, of course). I also figured it would feel like an episode of Scrubs, with lots of flustered med students running around and maybe some crazy people going through heroine withdrawal or bikers with bloody knees.

Needless to say it was nothing like that. Save for a woman who moaned and stumbled around like she was drunk, the waiting room was tame. There was a family there, sitting in a circle and solemnly discussing the fate of a family member who had "learned her lesson and will hopefully change", but what lesson she learned I couldn't decipher. And there was a girl who complained of stomach pain and sat hunched over, constantly shaking her foot.

I figured we'd wait for 30 minutes, MAYBE an hour if it was crowded, but we ended up in that dull waiting room for 3 hours until finally, at 11PM, they called us in. We were taken to a room and Will had to undress. We sat there for another hour and half, and by that time I was so frustrated from the waiting that I felt tears welling in my eyes for no good reason. We watched some TV - fittingly Anderson Cooper was reporting Obama's search for a new Secretary of Health.

Finally at midnight a nurse came in to set some things up. But at the rate everything was going I figured we'd be there til the sun came up.

I was almost right... at aroung 3 AM after bloodwork, an ultrasound of Will's gall bladder, and an ungodly amount of sitting, lying, and waiting in a dim room punctuated by the sounds of beeping and breathing pumps, we were free to go - empty handed.

It was NOT a pleasant experience. I don't doubt that something is plaguing Will, it just must not be as serious as we made it out to be. Maybe gas. We'll see how he feels tonight. But all the waiting and the frustration - not just ours but the palpable frustration of everyone else in the ER, including the doctors - it made me very angry.

I know our country has healthcare problems. I don't know who's to blame for it - HMOs who charge exorbitant amounts for basic services and treat people like liabilities? People who don't take care of themselves and make healthcare unaffordable for the rest of us? The media and ad agencies who perpetuate our fears that every little thing is a huge deal? Is it growing disrespect and distrust of our medical providers? The effects of frivolous malpractice suits?

Whatever it is, something absolutely needs to be done, and I hope whoever Obama chooses, they get on it as soon as possible so I never have to waste 7 hours of my life again in a hospital.