Modern Medicine and TMI.....

So I thought I’d share some information that I learned from my trip to a local ER.  Let me give you a bit of history first.  I am not knocking modern medicine at all, they are great for emergency situation, but sometimes Dr’s are missing the bigger picture.
I woke up at 1 am Saturday morning with stomach pains, tossed and turned for 1 1/2 hours until finally I ran to the bathroom where I began the process of  (well you can guess).  This process continued through the night in several episodes (let’s just say this was a time I was in desperate need of side by side toilets).  Anyway nothing was staying down, water, homemade electrolyte mix, crackers, broth, NOTHING...Finally after I couldn’t even make it up to the bathroom anymore (the chickens got a funny look on their faces when I was outside....) I decided it was time to head to the ER for fluids.  I knew I would not make it through the night without fluids and I needed rest and food BAD! The ER was the only option as urgent care was closed at this point.
After arriving at the ER, and being in the waiting room with people who obviously did not have emergencies.  They were using it as a speed dating service.  I was called back for basic stuff: temp, blood pressure, pain and other problems etc.  The nurse asked about home meds take and I told him the herbs and FCLO I take and he replied   “I’m just going to put herbs supplements because I don’t want to search for the names, they might not be in here.” Ok  He gave me a allergy wrist band for the only known allergy I have and said they will call you back in a little bit.

So a few minutes before I get called back, the nurse comes back out and asks if I can give a urine sample....I replied “I haven’t been able to go all day, but I’ll try’  Thinking in my head, didn’t you hear me say I have been vomiting and on the toilet all day and nothing is staying down?  But ok...I’ll go try and pee in your cup. I was able to get a few drops of very dehydrated looking urine (in my opinion anyway).  Finally I was called back.

I get to the room, lay on the bed after getting the lovely gown adjusted and the Dr. came in after about 10 minutes.  He was very soft spoken and seemed to have a nice disposition.  He shook my hand after introducing himself and ask what was going on.  I told him what I thought and he asked if I had belly pain.  I said not really, only when I am  throwing up, it’s kinda ‘crampy’, but my back hurts worse than my belly.  I told him didn’t know if the back pain was from laying flat all day or what, but made the point to say my back was worse than belly.  The Dr. pressed on my belly again and asked where it hurt, I said ‘well when it does it kind of all over”  Then the asked me to look up with my eyes and pulled the bottom of my lids down and looked at my eyes and left the room.  A nurse came in a few minutes later and started an IV, and took some blood (I don’t remember that at all)  I remember when the next nurse came in and hooked me up to some fluids----ahh the cold rush of fluids through my arm felt so good.  I instantly started to feel better.  They had the bag dripping so fast that I was sure I would have to pee at any time, boy was I wrong.   Another nurse came back in and said ok the Dr order you some X-rays of your belly (again no belly pain) and here is some Morphine and nausea meds.  I said to him “do I have to take them?”  I don’t think a patient has ever declined pain meds before but I explained to him I am not in pain and not nauseated....he said it would ‘take the edge off’  I said I have bad reactions to heavy pain meds and since I have not eaten all day, I would prefer not to...so he went to the computer and made some notes - he seemed a little ticked off -  and walked of the room.  A few more nurses came in and brought be blankets and checked and then I was wheeled down for X-rays.....4 of them.  Wheeled back to the room and passed out....Exhausted, STARVING and feeling better with fluids.  The bag of fluids emptied in what seemed like 2 hours-maybe 3. 

Finally the Dr. came back in very quiet and said all the tests are normal and your X-rays are fine (DUH...my damn belly didn’t hurt, that’ll be $500 please) Soon after he left the discharge nurse came in and said well the doctor has written you three scripts, pain meds, nausea meds and an antibiotic (because I told them I had a low fever of 100.7 earlier).  I asked what the antibiotic was for and the nurse went and asked the Dr. he said for bacteria in my stool.  (They never did a stool culture, so this was an educated guess.....?)  Then the kicker I have a note to miss work and stay home until Wednesday....I just smiled and said thank you.  So getting a bag of fluids to rehydrate myself, I was sent home with prescriptions for things I don’t need, nor will I use, just because.....?   From Joel Salatin new book “Folks, this ain’t normal”  I guess some people just assume that antibiotics are the cure all......

I am recovering today with lots of rest, small amounts of REAL Food (broth, spoonful of kefir, butter, eggs and Sprouted toast and chicken soup tonight) and lots of water!  Not medicines that will inevitably send me back to the doctor.  Your body knows how to heal, you just have to give it the tools to do so.