Amazing

[Woodnknots]

So last Tuesday I went to the ER with an injury, everyone is familiar with that little incident. Here's the amazing part. I got to the ER about 6:30 (1830 for you military types). I was operated on and out of the hospital by 12:30 am.
Today I went for a wound-check follow up. Got there a little after 0800, left at about 1330 with a band-aid and bottle of motrin (I kid you not). I don't remember the last time I wasted so much time. Military medicine has gotten better over the years, but this was a HUGE step back in my own mind.

 

[woodwish]

When I was a young military dependant I looked forward to being a civilian and going to a "real" doctor. Having been doing that many years with civilians you would have spent about twice that amount of time in the ER and would be treated between the sunburned drunk tourists and locals involved in knife fights. Today's visit would have been about the same time but the bottle of OTC Motrin would sent you back $87.50 and your great insurance would deny the claim in the long run for some obscure reason. Good news is that you can always buy Loritabs or Percecets in the parking lot from the friendly local drug dealer really cheap!

 

[tipusnr]

A classic case of appreciating what you have while you have it! I, too, miss being cared for in military medical facilities. The health care provider I have (notice the word "medical" missing in there?)closed it's local office in a reorganization and, contrary to my instructions, transfered my medical records to a storage facility rather than to my new care giver. It took me over two weeks to locate my records and secure a promise to get them sent to the Doctor monitoring my cholesterol.

That never happened during my 22 years in the Navy.

 

[Woodnknots]

Don't get me wrong, I'm full of praise for the ER performance. The fiasco today was a bit much for me, though. I was seen by an intern, and as far as I could tell, she forgot to tell the doc I was ready. There was a staff member there today that was present for my surgery, and I gave everyone involved something (pens for the surgeons, a bowl for the corpsman), so he (the corpsman) was more than happy to expedite my care when he saw that the doctor had forgotten about me. I'd hate to think how long I'd have been if he had not been there.

 

[Yarael]

Sounds about typical for ER visits. I remember one time I was at the ER took 6 hours for them to figure out that all they needed to do was set the broken bone so that I could be sent to the hospital in Dallas. Then they tried to charge me for 4 doses of demeral or how ever you spell it when I was only there long enough to barely have 2 doses.

 

[Thumbs]

I think I see a pattern here![}]

Well, at least an attitude! LOL![]

I could be wrong![:I][)]

 

[emackrell]

Overall I haven't had problems with the military medical system -- esp when I compare some of the stories from the civilian "managed care" side -- but there are always interesting data points. Some 20 years ago when I was last stationed in this area my med records were held over at Andrews. My brother, a Navy civilian engineer, was on flight status at the time and also had his med records at Andrews. Same last name. He was most intrigued one day to pull his record and find the results of his latest Pap smear therein. [}][]

cheers Eileen [8D]

 

[woodbutcher]

Next time you spend 10 hrs in an E R lean over and kiss an illegal. [:X]
Jim

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

Good to see the Navy is still passing out vitamin M like it was candy. []

 

[NavyDiver]

Divers live on vitamin M and Sudafed.

 

[Woodnknots]

This time the Vitamin M was the right thing. He wanted to get me off the narcotics so I wouldn't get hooked. Little did he know I weened my self off the percocet within 2-3 days of the injury. I went to vicodin when it got real bad, about once a day, one pill at night, then down to nothing after about 3 days of that. I don't like playing around with anything I could get hooked on. I've been to rehab when I was a younger man. Not something I take likely.