A Snow Job!

Have you ever felt sucker to a con job? Maybe got swept up into circumstances by people who are very well trained to do just that? Well, I just have.

Let me start at the beginning. On Monday, November 16th, I reacted to a new medication my physician gave me with a very sever skin rash. I drove myself to Prompt Care, kind of a Quickie Triage without the ER Room run by the same kind folks who operate our local hospital.

They also listened to my lungs and found I was quite congested, which I was, and provided me with an Aerosol nebulizer treatment. They told me to stop the med’s that gave me the rash but if my cough didn’t get any better I should see ER, (or my physician, for which I knew would be impossible outside of my December 2 appointment.)

On Wednesday night I went to bed kind of early for me and didn’t wake up until 3pm the next day (approx. 14 hours later). I woke feeling awful, coughing, gasping for breath, feeling lousy. My Dad coerced me into thinking that I might want to go to the hospital. From around 3 until maybe 5 or 6 PM, I stumbled around, in a daze, actually thinking I should go to see a physician. I finally found two matching shoes, grabbed headphones for my iPhone and got in the Exploder. I weaved and swerved irradically all over the road to the hospital, where, Thank God, I made it without endangering anyone’s life.
I stumbled in. Immediately was checked in, turned to be seated and was called to come in. The intern’s ran towards me, where I guess I literally collapsed.

I was laid down on this really comfortable gurny, only it was like a big settee, a deep maroon leather, with the same color drapes. The fellow on my left had cut his hand and was scheduled for surgery and muttered on aimlessly all the while the staff scurried about me. Thermometers, BP, Cap on the finger to determine the oxygen level in my blood, which, was around 83 or so. (The commencement of Oxygen). I remember someone introducing me a Dr. Amos and I was just engulfed with interns (or smooth salespeople). One offered to get me something from the cafeteria, I had no idea of the time because my watch went in my pocket for the IV drip that was started. An intern or something came back with the driest egg salad sandwich I ever tasted. Then the primary, dark haired intern asked if she could swab my nose. I asked what for? But not before I had a swab in and out of each nostril. Was it DNA? (Later, I was told it was for MRSA, which, if they had asked I would have told them I’d had multiple times years ago). (Probably the combo, MRSA/DNA was more accurate).

Then the subtle suggestions began. “Wouldn’t you feel better here tonight?” “We should really take a better look at you, you’re lungs appear very congested. I may have even been given an albuteral nebulizer treatment, it’s such a fog. (Something in the drip, perhaps?)

It was from this point on, I have no idea of what possessed me.

Firstly, I’m in the Ugliest Plastic Walled hospital run by Adventist Health, the organization that pushed behind the scenes for the closure of the county’s health facility and hospital. An organization that has taken over this community with it’s Doctor’s, nurses, specialists and senior citizens. This building is so hideous, I seriously feeling like blowing chunks when I see it. When I’ve taken my father there for blood draws, it’s like a friggin factory. The senior’s all line up, waiting for their name to be called, then get ushered into the “drawing room”, which can accommodate maybe 6-8 phlebotomist’s at once and all the senior’s know each other and chat amongst themselves. I think I even had blood taken there once to my dismay.
They use the “one big draw” procedure, where all the blood is drawn into a pint size syringe and then squirted into individual tubes. I don’t think this is even a proper procedure anymore even but it keeps the lines moving.

This is the organization I wrote letters to the editor about years ago. They, by the county’s closure of the Old General Hospital moved their vacancy factor to a much lower figure. Of course, they then had to take Medical people, all of them. And those patients are generally kept out of sight, off to the side. Recently, I wrote a blog about them, originally as a letter to the editor of our paper, which was rejected “because they didn’t want to present a positive or negative picture of any county corporate entity.” They also have the Law Enforcement Department lab processing, which I might add is quite lucrative.

Well, I must have succumb. The sweet dark haired intern whispered in my ear there was going to be a $75 co-pay, which they would happily bill me. And off I went past two or three deputies, having coffee into an elevator opening, onto a dark floor into a darker room with only a male nurse-like person, all wearing masks, and shifted into “the hospital bed”.

After being made familiar with it’s plethora of features, none of which I used other then the call button, I was questioned by the nurse like man and every answer entered into his laptop on wheels.

I drifted for awhile, asked for water, and the man nurse told me he’d have someone get me some. Later a young masked girl arrived with water. 3 am… 4 am… 5 am…, every now and then someone would come in, test the finger for oxygen and leave…with the machine beeping and blinking. On went my call light. Off went the machine. Then the IV machine. They did something, blinking, beeping. On went the call light, off with the machine. Then the oxygen machine again.. Each time the response time became considerably longer. There, out of the blue, a young Indian boy came to draw blood. He looked around for somewhere to poke and not being able to find anyplace, I asked, “For what?” He said something, I don’t remember now, but knowing my bloodwork, I knew that particular test took a couple days to run. It needed to be cultured, etc. I said, “No.!”

He of course ran out with his tail ‘tween his legs. Mainly because he couldn’t find a vein if he had to due to his lack of experience

Then breakfast, something to look forward to. I don’t know how to make an omelette shaped like a flattened football, with a flattened potato-tot, on top of a piece of the same shaped toast look less appealing. And the taste was horrific. I drank some milk.

A new nurse came in. I told her I hated it here. She asked, “the loneliness?” I agreed “that and more”. I later found out that because I answered “yes” to Fever and Night sweats meant possible TB exposure, which in turn meant “Solitary”.

Then there was a hush and “Dr. V” came in. He was at least 7’2, Indian, probably Mumbai, American educated as I detected no British accent. His name badge read his full name but he preferred to be known as the Main Doctor. He asked why I had refused blood work and told me they would have to take two points, culture them and wait.
I told him of my travel plans to see my dying mother in Colorado. He appeared sympathetic. (Although at that moment I couldn’t even conjure the thought of the preparation necessary to go, shopping, cooking for Dad, packing, driving to SF all night. Could I do it?

At that point, I lost it. I told him I had to get out of there. I told him I was leaving in two days to be with my mother, I had no time for this. This was all bullshit and to let me the hell out of there. His face shifted from a “false caring to a false disappointing look”. He again asked if I really needed to go. I solidly told him, “Yes, I did”, I said. He said he would see what he could do and left the room.

Then more of last night every now and then someone would come in a test the finger for oxygen and leave…with the machine beeping and blinking. On went my call light. Off went the machine. Then the IV machine, they gave me more antibiotics They left, then the blinking, beeping. On went the call light, off with the machine. Then the oxygen machine again.. . and on and on.

Then a lovely young Sales Rep came to me with my brand new “Nebulizer” (which I had to pay for 80/20). She showed me all the features, an on/off switch. I then asked her how I was to take this thing on an airplane. She said she knew they could fly, but thought maybe some paperwork might need to be filled out or something. I said, “Have you noticed the airline climate in which we live today?” She looked at me with a bewildered, “Huh?” I asked her how much this would cost and she quickly submitted Medicare would pay 80%. They thought of having to check in a “Nebulizer” with United Airlines, not coughing or looking sick on an airplane or be thrown off in today’s climate ran constant in my head.

Then back came the checkout nurse. More papers to sign, doctor’s orders, a prescription list.

She asked if I wanted to walk or a wheel chair. I opted for the wheel chair. I’m glad.
She wheeled my past 6 or 8 rooms of extremely elderly sick looking people, past the nurse’s station and to the elevator. (My room had a South East looking view overlooking a lot of room top to Mt. Duckwalt in the distance. I never looked out.
I am still appalled that I was in this place, this place where I promised myself I would never go.

Finally, discharge time. I drove straight home and laid down. The thought of driving back to Bertelli’s Drugs was completely out of the question for Friday. While I did find out when I called they do deliver, 24 hours notice and it was too late for today and not on the weekends.

Saturday morning I drove to Bertelli’s. $268. No, no, no! All I had wanted the night before was a strong antibiotic and some prednisone to open up the lungs. Instead, this is what I got.

My hospital pharmacist’s list read as follows:
1. Tamiflu – for the H1N1, which I had been told by them I didn’t have. $85.40
2. Levaquin 750 mg – the antibiotic. Medicare didn’t pay
so they called in a substitute - I remember having this before
but never so expensive. $250.00
3. The substitution: Avelox 400 mg./7 days. The substitute med. $ 99.00
4. Albuteral .84% $ 58.00
5. Atrovent neb. $ 28.00
6. Prednisone 10 mg./9 of them (descending 4 – 1, I altered the dosage) $ 7.20

I opted for items 3 and 6 to a cool $99.

I thankfully now realize, that had I opted to not admit myself and actually drive home, I would have been arrested as I backed my Exploder out of the parking lot or drove back down Hwy. 108. At the time, I didn’t even think of a taxi, which would have been safe.

I also now realize, I was profiled. Under 50 (just), Income (disability, but income), Insured). The perfect target. I could pay. And pay, I’m sure I will. I felt so ill on Friday having lost time in preparing for my trip, that is: grocery shopping and meals for my father, making sure he had enough food in the house and his needs were taken care of, I knew that with only Saturday afternoon, I could only cancel my trip to Denver, thus saving the Airline Ticket value for future use.

Quite interestingly enough, my father, who had been sick (I think I actually caught it from him), wasn’t getting better. On Monday, the 23rd, we made a Tuesday appointment at his VA Clinic. His diagnosis: Pneumonia. Medication: A hand held Albuteral Nubulizer (with more coming in the mail) and Amoxicillin 500mg/10 days Cost: Under $10

So…both of us have been diagnosed with Pneunomia, and look at the difference in treatment.

I also wonder whether the nebulizer treatment I received three days earlier at the Prompt Care used new tubes. They did mention I had some sort of fungus growing cultured from my lungs. What is the normal incubation time?

Tomorrow, Monday, December 1st I will look into returning the Nebulizer, after all, it wasn’t used and why charge an already stretched Medicare. I will also go to SRMC and request all records relating to my overnight sojurn: Physician’s ER notes, X-Ray’s, Lab Work. Only because I was told my physician did not have hospital priviledges and I’ll need to take this to him.
This total cost is yet to be known, but

I do know it cost me a precious week with my mother in Denver, which is the largest price I will ever pay. More later…I promise.

It is also interesting to note that if you Google SRMC 95370, you get an advertisement on "How to Become a Certified Nurse"
at, of all places, SRMC - Sonora.