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.