Nightmare

NIGHTMARE at the Hospital Emergency Room

It was 5:15 PM on Wednesday, about 1 year ago when my nose started
to bleed. This has happened 3 times in the past 12 years. It is
due to the dryness in the house. (now, I have a humidifier by my
bedside)

My first thought was, I'll just get it cauterized and stuffed - not a
problem. After several changes of gauze, I was ready to drive
to the Joseph Brant Hospital (Burlington, Ontario)
I walked into the Emergency room at about 5:45 PM to see only 4 people waiting.
The room was quiet, actually peaceful....okay, this won't take long at all.
I checked-in at the nurse's station, answered a few skill-testing questions
then, took a seat in the waiting room. I was called within 20 minutes.
I was escorted through a set of doors... That's when the nightmare began.

Beyond these doors was a dimly-lit wide hallway with rooms on one side

and a large alcove-type area on the other side, filled with beds. There were

patients in the beds and I saw two cops standing around. I think they

were involved with a domestic abuse case. There was a lot of talking,

some patients moaning and the nursing staff scurrying about as well as a lot

of people standing around - I guess they were the family members.

The nurse attempted several times to place me in a room, where

a doctor would attend to me, but all were occupied.

Finally, I was placed in what resembled like a large combination

supply/waiting room. There were several other people in this room.

We started talking. A man was just being released. He had been there

since Noon. A woman was with her 92 year old Mother, who had chest pains,

had been there since 3:00 PM -- with no explanation from the Dr. why they

had been waiting so long. Same with me, now it was getting onto 8:00 PM, I

was getting frustrated with the wait as was the woman with her Mother.

Imagine - a 92 year old woman, in for chest pains, hungry, tired and waiting

in a wheel chair. The Dr. took me at 9:50 PM. He told me that he couldn't

see where I was bleeding from, so he could not cauterize. He could pack

my nostril but did not know if the bleeding would stop. I said - forget it

and I left at 10:00 PM, however, not before going back to the 92 year old

woman and her daughter and wishing them "good luck".

I wasted $15.00 on parking to boot !!

What a total waste.

What sparked me to write this article, stems from the story my wife told me

yesterday. An elderly woman that she bowls with, admitted herself to the

Joseph Brant Hospital with high blood pressure - only to wait 6 hours. She

left without being attended to. She mentioned to my wife after this incident,

that she would rather die at home. That's why she left.

No improvement with Emergency wait times what so ever- disgusting !!!

 

Thanks Joe Y