E.R. = frustration!!

Home for about two hours now, but today turned out to be insanely frustrating instead of the relaxing Saturday I was hoping for.  Thankfully a family friend and his buddy were willing to drive me to the E.R. - I of course was quite concerned and freaked out because I have never been told I was not allowed to drive myself - not to mention the cost of an ambulance...

(Warning - if you ate a good meal, wait to read this post, and I'm sorry for the detail!)

Pulling to explain - I had tried an over the counter medicine for the first time, and apparently my body really disliked it.  I woke up just after 2am to rush to the bathroom where I threw up and had diarrhea.  I then put my pj's in the washer, cleaned the bathroom, and collapsed on my bed immediately falling asleep.  End of story, right?  Nope.  I called the number on the side of the box after I woke up and the lady said throwing up was very abnormal and I needed to contact my doctor immediately.  Since I had slept until about noon then talked to her, Kaiser was closed and I had to talk with an after hours nurse.

The after hours people put me on hold - after an HOUR of listening and waiting I was given the option to hang up and they would "save my place in line."  Another hour and a half went by, then the phone rang.  I started to describe what had happened, but with my past medical stuff and the projectile vomit (apparently orange is a serious concern as a vomit color??  I have not thrown up in over five years so I have no clue about that), the after-hours advice nurse insisted that I shouldn't drive myself but I should show up ASAP (taking no more than three hours to arrive, and to call for a taxi or an ambulance if I couldn't find a ride).

First of all, if it was so urgent why did they put me on hold/not call me back for two and a half hours?  Secondly I am so thankful that I had a family friend jump on the opportunity to help me when I needed it - they rushed and less than ten minutes later I had a ride waiting outside my door.  Traffic getting to the hospital, but within minutes of arriving I had been checking in and passed over a half-full waiting room, given my hospital gown, and was laying on a gurney waiting for my second-ever IV.  (I really hate needles, and IVs scare the hell out of me - most of the time I faint when I have to get my blood drawn).

Those five minutes were the most relaxing of the entire time if that's possible.  "My" room was needed, so I was put in the hall "just for five or ten minutes" - which turned out to be the entire duration of my afternoon/evening in the E.R.  So fun!  Lots of boring stuff went on, I read a bit of another book, and finally hours later the doctor dropped by to say my blood work had come back, everything was fine.  A few minutes later the nurse came by to take out my IV and I asked what exactly my diagnosis was - "you are nauseous"... WERE THEY KIDDING??  Five hours and all they could say was I was nauseous and to call/come back if I threw up again??

Yep.  That's it.  Got my discharge papers, was given a cup of orange juice with potassium powder in it (apparently the only thing they found was that my potassium levels were just a *tiny* bit low so they figured it wouldn't hurt to give me some before sending me home) - and I very, very luckily had my ride waiting for me to drive me home to take care of my dog who was feeling very abandoned.  I am tired and can't believe I let the after-hours person convince me to go to the E.R. (after I had only thrown up around 2 in the morning, nothing after that!) and give them a lovely $50 co-pay.  Thank God I have insurance - I am going to bed now and hopefully shall fall asleep the minute I hit the pillow and just sleep for hours and hours. 

Not trying to complain, just can't believe the stress of what was to be a simple day - and then having the doctors decide there was nothing wrong - why did I go again?  Oh, right, I didn't want it to be something worse like the after-hours nurse implied.  So very, very tired right now :/  Anyone willing to give me a hug or a back massage?  Even a kind phone call would help...

::HUGS:: Off to bed - sweet dreams world!