Ugh my trip to the ER

[Guest guest]

Last night was absolutely the worst trip to the hospital I've ever

ever had!

Around 9 last night I broke out in hives really bad and was itching

like crazy, so I took benadryl and tried to relax, by 10 it felt like

my throat was closing up and I was having problems breathing so I did

a breathing treatment and tried to relax the treatment didn't work at

all and in fact it was getting worse so my husband made me go to the

ER.

Anyways the nurse and doctor were idiots. I get there and the

breathing stuff was getting worse and all and so they take me back

pretty much as soon as I get there. First the triage nurse says oh

your just hyperventilating and gives me a bag to breathe into. So

they gave me a couple shots of an antihistamine as soon as I get back

there. The doctor walked in a couple minutes later and asks in a

really rude tone " so what makes you think your having an allergic

reaction " I showed him the hives and all and the breathing stuff had

finally started to calm down. He says " have you ever had this before

when you were stressed " to which i replied no and had told him that I

wasnt even stressed or anything at the moment and yada yada. So he

orders a regular blood workup and an ABG (blood gasses and they have

to take these from arteries not veins and it hurts like hell) so

anyways the do all this then take me for a chest xray. Keep in mind I

never once said my chest hurt or anything, but I was coughing a lot.

After I could get some decent breathes and everything started calming

down I told them I knew it wasn't the asthma necessarily that it had

felt like my throat was closing up. Anyways after watching/monitoring

me for a few the doc came back in and said " all your blood work came

back normal except your ABG that came back elevated, which is from

you having problems breathing " then he said something like " Its not

an allergic reaction or an asthma attack I think you had an anxiety

attack " . Then proceeded to make feel stupid for even going in because

my O2 sats were okay and all.

I didn't go into with him because it was pointless he was a mean old

hag with horrible bedside manner, didn't ask or speak to me except to

say his part and walk out the door. The only person I ever got to

speak to was the respiratory therapist and the nurse.

So then the nurse came in and basically said the same thing as the

doctor (again in a condescending tone which made me feel absolutely

stupid) so by this time I'm fighting back tears because I was

miserable, covered in hives and being made feel like an absolute

idiot. Then I got a little pissed and I asked the nurse flat out to

tell me when then can I tell the difference between an allergic

reaction thats causing my throat to close (there was obvious some

type of reaction going on and I'm still covered in hives) and

an " anxiety attack " which is what the ultimate diagnosis was. To

which he replied " well you know your body better than anyone and if

you start having problems like this again, take this pill as soon as

you start itching(it's an antihistamine but treats anxiety issues too

according to the paper) and wait a few minutes and see if it helps

then come to the ER if it doesn't "

Okay so basically what he told me was to wait the 30 minutes after

taking this pill (while feeling like my throat was closing up and in

a major allergic reaction I'd be completely closed up by now and dead)

and if I don't feel better or whatever to come to the ER.

Anyways I was just ready to go I wasn't going to argue with him, but

last time I had my anaphylaxic shock my o2 sats were better than what

they were when I got to the ER this time and then all of the sudden

they plummetted and I quit breathing and they were having to shove a

tube down my throat. All that happened in the matter of 5 minutes or

less and I had had numerous shots of Epinedrine and everything. The

doc was one I had never seen before and never seen him at that

hospital and was an old man had to be like 70 or 80 and as I said

just completely rude and basically in not so many words told me that

he was the doctor and I was stupid for thinking I could diagnose

myself. It was treated as an allergic reaction with antihistamines

but it wasn't an allergic reaction LOL

Anyways I just had to get this out, I guess if it happens again I

will just have to be dead before I get to the ER.

I am figuring my hives and itchiness is from my XOLAIR I got it

yesterday morning but I was unsure because it didnt start happening

til later in the day. I do carry an Epi Pen but it just expired and I

live a couple blocks from ER so I went in there, even if I had used

it I'd had to go to the ER anyways.