It's Not the Flu! I have A PACEMAKER In My Stomach!

Tonight, (December 20, 2014), I found myself in urgent care battling the increasing pain that I have been fighting for a couple of days, lack of sleep, and vomiting--what would Gastroparesis be without the vomiting. When I arrived at Kaiser--yes, I have Kaiser and I actually like them...normally--I told the receptionist that I have Gastroparesis and a gastric neurostimulator and I don't feel good. When he asked what my symptoms were I said "pain...my whole belly and up my side. And vomiting. I haven't kept anything down." For cornsake, sunshine, I'm carrying a bright red barf bowl!

Then I got called back and did all my vitals (103/64 and 74! That's the best they've been in a while!) and then put into a room. I had my mom recline me on the exam table because it hurts so much to sit up--that was an adventure--and then the doctor came. After asking me, initially, what was going on, he addressed my mom from then on out. Sorry, but am I not the patient?! Am I not the one sick?! Later I told my mom, "maybe I looked too far gone or something and he felt he could only talk to you", but I don't think that was the case. He asked me, "so what do you want to do?"

"Well, SIR, make the PAIN and VOMITING go away!" Is what springs into my mind!

So he gave me a shot in my bum of morphine and Zofran. I continued to dry heave because, by that time, I had nothing more to upchuck. So he gave another shot of zofran. In the course of waiting to make sure I don't react to it, we hear a doctor and at least one nurse outside my door having a conversation::

Doctor:: I have two patients with abdominal pain. 

Nurse:: Well, it seems nobody wants to work right now. 

😳😳😳😡😡😡😳😳😳😡😡😡

I replied, rather loudly--though I doubt they heard me:: I'm sorry the fact that we are sick is bothering you!

😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤

No person in their right mind asks to be sick. No person in their EVERLOVING mind asks to have a chronic illness. We are not there, particularly someone with a chronic illness such as myself, because we want to see their faces, disrupt their day, etc. I realize that nursing and being a physician is a job like any other, but you are dealing with SICK people! We don't need to hear bullpucky like that!

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Shortly after that my nurse came in and announced I was leaving and I was packaged up into a wheelchair and sent home. The ENTIRE ride I felt SO nauseous and in pain. I managed to eat a fruit strawberry Popsicle when we got home just so I had SOMETHING in my stomach. My mom figures that if I'm no better or worse tomorrow, we'll find our way back over there. 

Tonight, I think I encountered a nurse and a doctor who neither knew what Gastroparesis not a gastric neurostimulator was. And because of that, I was lumped into the general population when it comes to abdominal pain and vomiting. It wasn't fair, though it's hardly the first time nor the last, that I've experienced it.

Education, people. I'm not asking for experts in urgent care or the ER, but a basic running knowledge and some respect would be nice.