ER Doctor Warnings: The Arrogant Sexist

This took place in 2017. My second ER stay right after just being discharged from that same hospital the day before. Now I had been in the ER earlier for breathing issues that came on suddenly in the middle of the night. My dumbass had some chest pains before I went to bed and just wrote it off as some bad heart burn. I grew up having a lot of these randomly pop up and they tended to fade after a few hours.

Except this time I couldn't inhale fully and had issues sitting up straight. So my boyfriend rushed me to the ER and I was admitted. Just so happened that I had blood clots. One in each lung and it had gotten to the point that it had caused an infarction (meaning parts of my lungs were dead as no blood was making it there). I ended up having to stay overnight. It was a terrible sensation to have to devote 100% mental capacity just to make sure I breathe in deep enough to get as much oxygen as I minimally needed. If I didn't, I would get light-headed from not enough oxygen intake. The doctors were alarmed that I was so young, having blood clots with no family or prior history of blood clot disorders. I also didn't hit any of their criteria that might have caused them: cigarettes' smoker, sitting sedentary too much (like truck drivers), or have a clotting factor in my genes. The only possibility was the birth control and my estrogen levels were being thrown way off.

So many tests to show that yes I have this issue but no solid connection as to how it started.

(Another key reason I don't want biological kids. I would have to be on blood thinners if I got pregnant. That I later found out from a pulmonary expert.)

You want to know how bad it was? When I had to unclip from some of the devices to go to the bathroom....I would have to remove my oxygen tubes. The readings dropped so much the nurses would rush in to ask if I was ok. I know it was because I was disconnected but they were already keeping such a close eye on me that any sudden changes actually had them running. I had trouble even sitting up straight as I think one lung had it worse than the other. For about 48hrs, I couldn't really sleep or my oxygen levels would drop. But the sharp pains kept me awake and focused on breathing anyway.

I was in so much pain and wasn't allowed to be unhooked until about two days later. I needed to take a shower and was finally given the go-ahead to attempt. With that bendy needle they had in the crook of my arm, the nice shower ended up being more like torture. They made me take a walk around the floor and it was humiliating. I could only shuffle and pant, making it only 2/3rds of the way before the nurse was tired of waiting. They had to give me three different types of pain meds that would alternate so I could always be on something to numb the suffering.

After I seemed to improve, I met with the last doctor who could discharge me and we discussed having an oxygen tank be delivered to my home so I could sleep. My levels drastically dropped when I slept and I would need assistance for the next six months. That machine was LOUD but helped immensely.

Now I was discharged after being in the hospital for three days and was going to spend my first night at home.

I never got the oxygen tanks in. They had over 12hrs to deliver it.

The next morning, at 5am, again. I went back into the ER. My mother even came with me this time to drive me and my boyfriend.

I was all hooked up again, in a room waiting for the doctor to come in. The machines behind me loudly beeping every time my oxygen levels dropped below 90. We did notice a pattern that when I was angry and agitated (which I was with the doctor), my oxygen levels were actually good. Staying in the 90s. However, if I calmed down to a normal state, the machines would scream as it dropped below 80.

This condescending medical 'professional' came in and just stood there looking at me. His arms crossed basically saying I didn't need an oxygen tank and that it wasn't written in my patient notes. He also began to tell us his story that they never gave HIM an oxygen tank when he needed it. Because of that, he deemed that I didn't need the oxygen and even insisted I take off the oxygen tubes. I don't care about your personal sob story, my oxygen is dropping below safe ranges and I needed help NOW. He also had the audacity to say not to believe the machines beeping behind us, but then flips around and responds to us based on what the machines were saying.

My boyfriend was furious being in the medical field (medic in the military) and was appalled at his bedside manner. He knew how to read the machines and was upset that this guy was playing around. We also noted he would only speak to my boyfriend as he was the only male in the room. Even my mother was ignored.

My mother was extremely worried and tried putting the oxygen tubes back on my face once she saw/heard again the machine beeping. The doctor then tried to demand that if my mother did that, she would have to be kicked out of the ER. FOR TRYING TO MAKE SURE I COULD BREATHE? I still am appalled at how he was handling the situation.

Now, we quickly found out through our angry banter that he hadn't even looked at my medical documentation. Which had all the prior X-rays, MRI's and ultrasound results from my stay just the few days before. We could tell he finally read it when he came in a little more meekly and tried addressing us in a more professional manner.

I tried to complain about him to the hospital and their response was: he's a very talented and promising doctor. I concur. He was willing for me to pass out than take a look at what the problem could be. He never talked to me but only my boyfriend. He denied I was in the hospital prior and was told by other doctors AT HIS HOSPITAL that I would be getting oxygen tanks. But he probably only got a slap on the wrist and that was it.

As much as I'd like this to be one of the few medical "unprofessionals" I have met here in the springs, I am accumulating more and more stories as the months progress. Keep an eye out for our most recent story.