Hot Toddy Time

Just got back from the hospital last night. Upper Respiratory Infection. My lungs feel like they’re full of glass.

Last night was an utter train wreck. Two words: Over Flow- Clark Memorial Hospital. Because of a previous MISdiagnosis from 30 years ago (BP I) , I was sent to the Behavioral Health section of the ER. Unfortunately, I have a not-so-great history with the place, but instead of being treated like everyone else- with dignity and respect- who walked into the hospital, I was treated as if I had just escaped the 3rd floor- all based on my chart. These are the dangers of stigmatization: Being treated differently based on preconceived assumptions.

I refused to stay back there, as it was highly triggering, so I was taken back to the ER waiting room in which there was nobody left. I sat out there for another 30 minutes and saw people come in and get a bed before me- over and over- yet I was left out in the waiting room for almost an hour. I finally had to ask for a “normal bed” in the “normal ER” section; by which they accommodated me, but not without the nurse going into a spiel about why they did that to me- yada yada- it was just waaaay too much drama for me. Can I not just go and have my chest x rayed like everyone else? I really wasn’t in the mood for hearing about why they’d just completely discriminated against me, so he left, and then another nurse entered the room. I could see by her face that she was excited by this new bit of flare in her day- it must’ve been terribly exciting for her…

…and sure enough, within only a moment, she was talking about how she’d “heard that I got my bed jacked around”. Need I say all of this was highly unprofessional? The stigmatization continues! But now we have its cousins patronizing and placating too. I had told her that I really didn’t want to talk about it, shutting her down immediately. Or so I thought. But no! On she went about why I “Shouldn’t take it personally…” completely disrespecting my request to not speak or hear about the situation again, mutilating patient rights AND “care”- and I use that term ridiculously loosely.

Clark Memorial Hospital is a joke. If you want decent patient care, go to Floyd.