The
Squamidian
Report – July
2
/ 22
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Issue
#1049
Hey
There,
I’m
73
and a half years old and I’ve now had my first ride in
an
ambulance. I kind of enjoyed the ride although the rest
of the day
wasn’t all that great. Woke up at shortly after 2am on
Monday
morning with the worst pain I’ve ever felt, deep in my
abdomen. I
hobbled to the bathroom where my body wanted to up-chuck
but there
was nothing there and the dry heaves just added to the
pain. I’d
shake all over. The commotion woke ‘The Wife’ and she of
course
became quite concerned. After an hour of this we decided
to head for
the local hospital emergency department. We had thought
about calling
an ambulance but decided it would be easier for her to
drive at this
time of day than wait for who knows how long. The ride
was very
uncomfortable but we got there. There was just a
skeleton night shift
crew on but they got me in and hooked up some IV’s etc.
The pain
and up-chuck crap went on for longer than I’d have like
but once
the doctor got there at 7am I was given pain meds and
anti-nausea
stuff. That settled things down a lot. The emergency
doctor figures I
had some sort of major upper
track infection and decided to ship me off to Lion’s
Gate in North
Van. Thats where the ambulance ride came in. The doctor
wanted tests
done that Squamish hospital can’t do, a CT and an ultra
sound.
They
loaded
me up and strapped me down and like I said, the ride was
quite
nice. The anti-nausea drugs probably helped and the pain
had backed
off a lot. It had started out as about 13 out of 10 and
was now down
to about 4 or so. Down at Lion’s Gate they wheeled me in
to the
emergency department where the place was over flowing
with patients
on beds and stretchers all over the place. The
attendants had figured
that due to the fact that they knew we were coming they
could get me
right in, have the tests, and haul me back to Squamish.
By now it was
shortly past noon. No such luck, the attendants tried
but to no
avail, I’d have to wait for hours to be given the tests.
So,
unfortunately for me, the ambulance guys had to leave.
By the way, I
had left the house before 4am dressed only in shoes and
my house
coat, I couldn’t have gotten dressed if my life depended
on it. So
there I was, in a hospital in North Van wearing just a
hospital gown
and my house coat. After many hours of sitting
uncomfortably on a
chair in the Lion’s Gate emergency room surrounded by
all sorts of
sick and miserable people including one who was
constantly caughing
and so on, I was finally
called in for my tests.
They only took half an hour of time and then I had to go
back to the
waiting room and wait again for the results.
Turned
out
the Squamish doctor was wrong, the tests showed I have a
kidney
stone, a 7 mm kidney stone. Also turns
out that kidney
stones can hurt big time as mine had proven. I was given
some
prescriptions to help deal with it and some explanations
regarding it
and told I could go home. Standing there in a hospital
gown in a
different city and told to go home. What a feeling of
mixed emotions.
So, I called ‘The Wife’ (the one other thing I had with
me was my
phone) and she headed for the city to get me. There had
been no way
of letting her know ahead of time as there had been no
way of knowing
ahead of time when I would be released. So, by sometime
after 6pm she
rolled in and we headed back for home. That was a long
uncomfortable
day I don’t want to repeat. I think I was in bed and
asleep by
about 8pm.
A
frustrating and unfortunate thing had been that I was
supposed to
play my music at a local retirement home that day
(Monday) and had to
cancel. I had been looking forward to it but there was
nothing I
could do about it.
The
prescriptions
are
for pain (when needed) and to help the stone to pass. I
can see
needing that one. All I can say is lets get it over with
as soon as
possible but it has dragged out all week with no end in
sight. Waves
of pain between times of exhaustion.
doug
****
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