......................................

[englishteacha]

I went to the doctor's on Tuesday for what turned out to be a sinus infection. Blech. I was the ONLY person in the waiting room when I got there! That's really unusual. My doctor's office is great about getting people in the same day if at all possible, and they're open Saturday mornings. We've been to the ER for a few things...car accident (duh), eye injury (called the doctor on call for our practice and they insisted we go...good thing as DH had torn part of his cornea!), and once DH took me in the middle of the night on July 4th when I had agonizing stomach pain (in hindsight, it probably was my first gallbladder attack, but no one knew it then). We've had lots of experience with hospitals, as both my dad and my MIL had cancer, and we try to avoid them if we can.

I don't like going to the ER, even though we have a good hospital just 2 miles away. The ER is for emergencies, and I wouldn't have gone for the stomach thing if DH and my mom hadn't insisted. I would rather go to my regular doctor's office if at all possible.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I would have to be seriously bleeding, have heart pains or have broken a bone before I would go to the ER.

I have to go to the hospital 3x a week for treatment. With everybody and their who who going to the ER for every minor issue makes me worry a bit.

 

[anniemae]

I was thinking about this yesterday. I had to go have blood drawn for a routine test, but my doctors blood lab is in the local hospital. I was a little leary, but I used sanitizer and washed when I left, also the hospital has tons of hand sanitizing stations. Most of the folks I saw were just haing blood work done so it wasn't too bad.

 

[AKL_Megs]

With everybody and their who who going to the ER for every minor issue makes me worry a bit.

This is my MIL... she goes to the ER, and thinks EVERYONE should go to the ER for EVERY little thing.

My mom recently cut her hand when my DH, my parents and her were together, and RIGHT AWAY my MIL was shouting, "Do you want to go to the ER???" The cut was so minor, they would have never even given my mom even one stitch, but MIL thought it completely necessary because there was blood. What an expensive mindset!

 

[LuvOrlando]

We have an urgent care center that my Dr often tells me or DH to go to if they can't get us in to a visit. We almost never go. I did go a few weeks ago when I had another ear infection because the pain of one of those can be unbearable but I wasn't happy about it. It wasn't too bad but they had no masks even though they had signs everywhere to use one with Flu like symptoms. Well, I went back to the same place last week because this site also houses the sonograms and some other services. So the waiting rooms, a big 10 x60 foot room, was shared between healthy and sick people, and boy where there a lot of sick people... STILL no masks (I complained). I found a quiet little corner and covered my face with my shirt like a bandit. I have no intention of going back into a place like that again and won't be bringing them to the Dr's again either. The last time we were at the Pediatrician last week I told the girls at the desk I would be waiting in the hall (to keep my kids safe) and to come and get us there, no problem. If the hallways were to fill up I'd leave my cell # and wait in the car.

 

[MushyMushy]

For those who won't go to the ER unless you're dying, what do you do on weekends when you've got some serious illness going on that you'll need meds for?

I'm not one who rushes there for any little thing. The last time I was there was over a year ago. I started having severe abdominal pains early in the day and they kept going until well into the night. Finally around 11 pm I'd had enough and had hubby take me to the ER. They gave me something for the pain, but couldn't find anything wrong (uh, but didn't do x-rays or any tests other than a blood test ).

 

[HelenePA]

For those who won't go to the ER unless you're dying, what do you do on weekends when you've got some serious illness going on that you'll need meds for?

I'm not one who rushes there for any little thing. The last time I was there was over a year ago. I started having severe abdominal pains early in the day and they kept going until well into the night. Finally around 11 pm I'd had enough and had hubby take me to the ER. They gave me something for the pain, but couldn't find anything wrong (uh, but didn't do x-rays or any tests other than a blood test ).

This is what I'm wondering too... We've been to the ER 3 times this year.. once with a broken bone, once with an earache on a Sat., and yes we took my dd for pinkeye. We were in and out and home with in 25 minutes one (the broken bone one was more like an hour) of the ER's around here is NEVER ever busy. My copay for the er is 27$ Its 25$ for the dr. if my child is in pain on a weekend I'm not going to wait til monday to save a whole 2$

 

[AKL_Megs]

For those who won't go to the ER unless you're dying, what do you do on weekends when you've got some serious illness going on that you'll need meds for?

We have quite a few 24-Hour Urgent Care facilities around here... and then Walmart for scripts!

 

[::Snow_White::]

It has to be pretty serious or a prolonged sickness. I haven't been to the hospital for myself in about 3 years and I don't even remember what the last thing I went for was. (Maybe shots for High School?) If I'm not over my sickness in a week, and I have a high temperature my mom will take me. I've never been to the ER. -knock on wood- My brother goes to the doctor aboue 2-3x a year because he has pretty bad allergies and my parents hardly go either.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I'd have to be pretty bad off to go to the ER or a 24 hour clinic. Not because I'm worried about wait times, but just generally because I think I can take better care of most things myself. The only time I've ever personally gone was when I had an eye infection and it got so bad I seriously could not open my eyes without extreme pain. Even then I only went because it was a weekend (the optometrist wouldn't be open) and my DH forced me.

I stayed home once with serious 2nd degree burns all over one hand. DH wanted to take me then, too, but I told him there's nothing the doctor could tell me about the injury I didn't already know.

 

[DVC Sadie]

For those who won't go to the ER unless you're dying, what do you do on weekends when you've got some serious illness going on that you'll need meds for?

I'm not one who rushes there for any little thing. The last time I was there was over a year ago. I started having severe abdominal pains early in the day and they kept going until well into the night. Finally around 11 pm I'd had enough and had hubby take me to the ER. They gave me something for the pain, but couldn't find anything wrong (uh, but didn't do x-rays or any tests other than a blood test ).

MushyMushy,

If I had severe pain (anywhere in or on my body) then of course I'd go to the ER on a week-end.

Having severe pain is not normal for most people and should be looked into quickly so the patient can get immediate care. One example I can give is when a person has severe pain in the abdomen which may or may not be appendicitis. If a person waits too long to be treated for the pain and has appendicitis then the appendics could burst causing all kinds of complications.

I just think people need to use common sense (if they have it), thats all.

 

[AKL_Megs]

...but I told him there's nothing the doctor could tell me about the injury I didn't already know.

Exactly! I am the same way! If I am sick and have a fever, I know to pop some Tylenol, get my butt in bed, and drink fluids. Why would I pay someone $25 to tell me that? Same thing with a cough. Same thing with a sinus infection. Same thing with the flu. I have been sick before, I know what to do.

The last time I went to the doctor... specifically the urgent care facility... was two weeks ago, and was diagnosed with Strep Throat. The only reason I went was because the pain was too much to handle, and I needed something, anything. It was the best $60 I ever spent... $30 for the visit, $30 for scripts. But besides that, I haven't been to the doctor for sickness for years and years.

 

[DVC Sadie]

This is my MIL... she goes to the ER, and thinks EVERYONE should go to the ER for EVERY little thing.

My mom recently cut her hand when my DH, my parents and her were together, and RIGHT AWAY my MIL was shouting, "Do you want to go to the ER???" The cut was so minor, they would have never even given my mom even one stitch, but MIL thought it completely necessary because there was blood. What an expensive mindset!

I think a lot of people have someone in their families who behave this way. There is simply nothing one can do to change them, but it is frustrating. The funny thing is when the person has to wait because of the triage system and they complain because they haven't been seen yet. I feel for you.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I think a lot of people have someone in their families who behave this way. There is simply nothing one can do to change them, but it is frustrating. The funny thing is when the person has to wait because of the triage system and they complain because they haven't been seen yet. I feel for you.

Or they complain when they get the bill!

I remember my MIL went once for a basic sunburn. She went because she couldn't fall asleep on her back, because her skin hurt. (DUH!) I guess she, of course, had to wait a LOOONG time, and then, all they did was look at her, give her a script for 600mg Motrin or something like that, and tell her to drink water. I think maybe they also gave her some kind of pain shot. Anyways, I think the bill came to like, $500... and she is STILL complaining!

 

[LuvOrlando]

This is what I'm wondering too... We've been to the ER 3 times this year.. once with a broken bone, once with an earache on a Sat., and yes we took my dd for pinkeye. We were in and out and home with in 25 minutes one (the broken bone one was more like an hour) of the ER's around here is NEVER ever busy. My copay for the er is 27$ Its 25$ for the dr. if my child is in pain on a weekend I'm not going to wait til monday to save a whole 2$

WOW, my co-insurance on an ER visit or Urgent Care, both are treated the same, runs $100 minimum, not including lab work, meds etc. I guess I wouldn't be as inclined to avoid going if I could go on the weekend (kids don't miss school and DH doesn't have to miss work) and get the same care for the same price.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I went to the er in March. And you all know how that turned out, in a few hours they had me in the operating room at 1:30 am. I willl always hold off to the last minute and when I go its usually pretty bad.

As far as the doctors, I live there and at the hosp as you all know this year. Sept. 29 I went to the dr. and 2 days later I had surgery #7, hmm, whats on my plate next, well in Nov. I have a rad. onc. visit at the hosp., a visit to the ent who saved my life for the vocal cord stuff, and in dec. a blood test to see if the cancer has come back, a visit with the endo and then a visit with the stomach surgeon, Welcome to my medical life. Sigh, sigh.

I am not even thinking about the flu,. Only dh has had a flu shot so far.

 

[krcit]

For those who won't go to the ER unless you're dying, what do you do on weekends when you've got some serious illness going on that you'll need meds for?

I'm not one who rushes there for any little thing. The last time I was there was over a year ago. I started having severe abdominal pains early in the day and they kept going until well into the night. Finally around 11 pm I'd had enough and had hubby take me to the ER. They gave me something for the pain, but couldn't find anything wrong (uh, but didn't do x-rays or any tests other than a blood test ).

I guess I've been lucky that I've never needed to go. I almost went once when I was having what turned out to be a gallbladder attack but I gave it another 1/2 hour and was able to fall asleep. I went to the Dr the next day. I have brought my kids twice.Once for a broken collarbone(but called pediatrician first and he looked at her, said it was broken and to take her to ER)The other time was when ds fell and needed stiches-the platic surgeon never showed up and I had to bring him back the next morning anyway, lol. The hospitals around here are always crowded so an ER visit is at least a 3 hour deal. Honestly, if there is anyway to avoid it, I do. My dd broke her ankle earlier this year. I brought her to an orthopedist the next day rather than sit in the ER for hours for them to tell me to bring her to the Dr the next day. Obviously I wouldn't have done that if she had been in horrible pain-I really wasn't sure it was broken b/c she wasn't even crying unlike the collarbone-she was green from the pain of that. My avoidance of the ER has nothing to do with money. I just always think of an ER visit as the last resort where as my neighbors are known by their first names in there, lol.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

This is what I'm wondering too... We've been to the ER 3 times this year.. once with a broken bone, once with an earache on a Sat., and yes we took my dd for pinkeye. We were in and out and home with in 25 minutes one (the broken bone one was more like an hour) of the ER's around here is NEVER ever busy. My copay for the er is 27$ Its 25$ for the dr. if my child is in pain on a weekend I'm not going to wait til monday to save a whole 2$

IMO this is what is wrong with ERs. Pink eye is not an emergency. Your pediatrician should have someone on call if they don't have office hours on weekends.

You don't only anger people with real emergencies you anger the staff. ER docs & nurses are very aware of who uses the ER as a doctors office & it will not serve you when you actually have an emergency.

 

[golfgal]

For those who won't go to the ER unless you're dying, what do you do on weekends when you've got some serious illness going on that you'll need meds for?

I'm not one who rushes there for any little thing. The last time I was there was over a year ago. I started having severe abdominal pains early in the day and they kept going until well into the night. Finally around 11 pm I'd had enough and had hubby take me to the ER. They gave me something for the pain, but couldn't find anything wrong (uh, but didn't do x-rays or any tests other than a blood test ).

24 hour urgent care

WOW, my co-insurance on an ER visit or Urgent Care, both are treated the same, runs $100 minimum, not including lab work, meds etc. I guess I wouldn't be as inclined to avoid going if I could go on the weekend (kids don't miss school and DH doesn't have to miss work) and get the same care for the same price.

Our Urgent Care co-pay is the same as a doctor's office visit so it is usually just easier to go to Urgent Care if it is something I know is easy to deal with-ear infection, etc. If it is something more puzzling we go to our primary care doctors. ER is for REAL emergencies. Before they had urgent care we did use the ER on weekends but they had a rapid ER type visit that was pretty much urgent care before there was urgent care.

Our ER visits have been for DH trying to catch a softball with is face (8 stitches), DS17 with severe croup when he was a year old, DS14 with severe croup when he was 10 (ended up getting admitted to the hospital), DS17 when he was 5 with a sudden, unexplained fever of 105 with neck pain--couldn't find a cause for that one.

 

[momof1princess]

i will NOT go to the ER unless it is a truly desperate emergency. we have two hospitals in my city and only one of them is relatively competent. the ER is ALWAYS packed, especially on weekends, and wait times are in excess of 12 hours. the last time i had to go to the ER was 5 years ago - i'm a gastric bypass patient and i was about 6 months postop and started vomiting violently. it was so bad, i vomited blood and burst blood vessels in my eyes, both of which terrified me, so DH took me to the ER in another city where my surgeon is. the ER there was just as bad-i sat there for over 8 hours retching and heaving, praying i wouldn't bust a staple and bleed to death. the exam rooms were supposedly full but the triage beds were EMPTY, yet i and about 10 other people had to sit out in the hall-including the man next to me with the suspected broken leg and the pregnant woman who was bleeding. i even hobbled into triage and begged the doctor sitting there shuffling papers to help me-he told me to get out. real compassionate. so yeah, i won't go to the ER unless i'm on the brink of death.