Re: adhesion pain in the ER: a nurse's opinion
From: Robin (rmasse2333@aol.com)
Wed Jun 20 09:52:56 2001
Dear anonymous,
I guess you were ashamed of what you said since you didn't even use your
name. I have never been to an ER, but, I have come close a time or two.
Maybe scar tissue doesn't have nerve endings, but, if you had something
with no nerve endings attached to your bladder & then to your intesines
& then to the wall of your abdomin, you might understand what we go
through. I was told my several DRs that I had already had every test
possible to do. Sometimes, inspite of taking pain meds, my pain is out
of control. Over the years of suffering from Pain, I have been told it
was all in my head & I was just a druggie! But, after finding a couple
of really good Drs over the years, they did the only thing possible to
really diagnose adhesions, & that is to do an exploratory lap. I have
never gone back to the drs that didn't beleive me & treated me badly. I
wanted to go back & tell them some thing like "In your face, you DIDN"T
know what you were talking about", but, I didn't, because, I do know
there are hypo contriacs & drug addicts, but, that doesn't mean we all
are. I even took surgical reports with me, but the dr didn't even
beleive those. I think that this site is to be used for venting &
getting information & just knowing that we are not suffering alone. But,
I also think that you should at least tell us your name. I am thankful
that my family & the people on this board really believe that I have
pain. My dr & several other Drs know the kind of pain that is caused by
adhesions. I hope that you "anonymous" never have to go through the
humiliation of having Drs & nurses think that you are faking while you
do have a serious condition!
Robin
At Tue, 19 Jun 2001, anonymous wrote:
>
>I found this site by accident and have read so many stories of
>"mistreatment" by nurses and doctors in ERs when you come to us in pain.
>I want you to think of it in our terms.
>
>You wander in day and night, most of you walking on your own, in no
>apparent acute distress.
>You register and wait, telling everyone in the busy waiting area that
>you MUST be seen immediately, "because you hurt so badly."
>You take up valuable space in busy trauma and emergency medicine
>departments complaining of terrible pain in your abdomen, and you tell
>us you must get pain meds for the pain.
>
>One a pain assessment scale of 1-10, virtually all of you cite between
>an 8 and a ten. But you aren't perspiring, crying, vomiting, bloated,
>or acting like you are acutely ill.
>
>Many of you refuse to have x-rays, scans and other diagnostic studies
>because you say "all those tests have been done a million times and they
>are always negative" but you demand pain medication!!
>You tell us you have adhesions but adhesions are nothing more than
>layers of scarring that have no nerve endings. How can this cause pain?
>
>I am told "I need 100 mg of Demerol, IM " by someone who refuses to
>allow us to examine them, and when we refuse to give you narcotics you
>become upset.
>
>What do you want from us? If every drug addict walked into my ER and did
>what many of you do, they'd be booted out by Security but for some
>reason, you feel we are treating you unfairly??
>
>Maybe instead of asking for pain medication, you might benefit from
>talking to a therapist who can help you deal with your "pain"?
>
>If we do an MRI or flat plate and see something suspicious., of course
>you'll be treated aggressively, and receive sympathy and medication.
>Otherwise, please understand, we are not a narcotic dispensing
>department for everyone with indigestion or cramps.
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