Only in an emergency room in an inner city..often called "da hood" will you experience the unwritten exposures of a lifetime. Experiences that one could never make up. The kind of stuff that TV show producers wouldn't even think about.
"YOU BITCH !!!" "YOU BITCH !!!" I could count the many times that I was called that tonight. Actually, pretty much every night. But tonight I had the pleasure of enduring this abuse by the same female patient...WHY?
She came to the ED complaining of what seemed like an ordinary story of abdominal pain, flank pain (kidney area), urinary complaints with nausea and vomiting. She received the thorough physical exam including complete diagnostics that included labs and an abdominal Cat Scan to rule out a kidney stone. She was given morphine IV for pain and zofran IV for nausea. Hell she was given the works.
AND THEN...the CHANGE begins. A complete METAMORPHISIS... one that would shame even NEO from the Matrix.
The patient now needs more pain meds and additionally requests benadryl because "I always get benadryl 50mg IV (intravenously) with my pain medication". Then I find out that she is allergic to motrin, toradol and aspirin and the ONLY thing that works for her are those narcotic-kinda drugs. Go figure !
So after EVERY freakin' lab test is negative including her urine analysis and cat scan, I inform the patient that she is cleared for discharge.
HERE COMES THE QUESTION and the final stage of the transformation? ..... "Waccha' gonna give me for home for pain?"
I knew it, I knew it was coming. She was here for the abuse of pain medication. Reviewing her medical chart, I noticed she had had several visits in the last few months for similar complaints. Even one visit where she stated she had Sickle Cell Disease and requested dilaudid. Did she really think she was going to get over on me? Sista-gurl, I grew up in da' hood and I know da' hood.
So of course I attempted to explain that there is no reason for me to give her a narcotic prescription for a negative work up and that she should see her PMD (which she has one), but it was not turning out well. She began getting louder and louder at the point where she told everyone in the ED that I was refusing her pain medication and sending her home with NOTHING. Next came the "you F--ing B--tch", "you aint sh--", "you just like them other white doctors, you don't care", "you lucky I'm not blackin' out on you cuz I woulda fu--ed you up by now". So as she fully dresses, she is still entertaining the ED with her antics. And lets not forget that she also refuses to sign her discharge papers. She walks past me without difficulty and in no apparent painful distress and repeats, "YOU BITCH !!!", "YOU BITCH !!!", "YOU BITCH !!!"
And I just say, "Thank You and have a BLESSED DAY!"
ONLY IN DA HOOD!!!
* language may be abrasive and offensive at times on this video, but its true to life
I enjoyed this read immensely, I felt as if I was there when that woman was blacking out on you. She needed a rehab, not more meds. Keep your head up and keep doing what you're doing. The right thing!
ReplyDeleteYes but we also get the drug abusers in the suburbs too less dramatic though
ReplyDelete:-)
Where are the politicians and the health care Town Hall organizers? They need Drs. like you to help for policy and weed out the causes of skyrocketing costs. i hope your blog continues to expose hidden points of crisis in health care delivery, especially in poor communities.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I am always impressed by the addicts' vast knowledge of pharmaceuticals and pain management strategies. Dwayne W.
you forgot to mention the other 3 patients with similar M.O.'s that were there last night as well, but then again, I guess they were no where near as entertaining!!!
ReplyDelete@ Max..It was hard to choose which entertaining event to write about...Heck there are soooo many.. LMBO..I LOVE MY PEOPLE !
ReplyDeleteThank you.....this is inspiring and revealing.
ReplyDeleteLOL! this was funny and tragic. our people need so much help. thank you for having compassion and keeping your cool. yes, you need to speak out more. keep working on getting that voice onto the airwaves, girl. there is a calling on your life. marcia (that video is the joint, did you make that?)
ReplyDelete@Ms Smith, thank you for reading. I hope I can maintain your interests...I welcome feedback, suggestions and comments.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad phenomenon that exists due to a lack of a formal education and home training. The amazing thing is that most people subject this type of treatment to those who look like them. When there is another individual who may be of a different race, they are greeted with terms like sir/madame and Dr. It is downright shameful. When you don't know, you just don't know.
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