Another Trip to Emerg....

Having experienced excruciating pain in my right hip (out of nowhere) last evening, the MD's at PMH suggested I go to emerg to get checked out. Make sure there is no tear, fracture or any other injury that would prevent me from continuing my radiation treatments. And so began the "Trip to Emerg". After losing so much faith in YCH over the past year, I still didn't want to schlep downtown for a simple x ray. So YCH it was. I figured I would go through the fast track....get the x ray....go home and be done with it. It wasn't to be that easy. As an oncology patient, I immediately had to go into a bed in the acute care area of emerg. What a waste! I'm sure someone needed that more than I did. In any case, there I was waiting for a nurse or doctor to check me out and order an x ray.

RN Germaine comes to the rescue. Never in all my unfortunate stays in a hospital or emerg have I experienced such an amazing soul. She was fantastic. Quick witted, a real person, very caring, and moved things along like I have never seen. I began by giving her a brief synopsis of my health (or lack thereof) and I preceded to tell her that I dislike this hospital and partially blame them for releasing me all those times just prior to my diagnosis of cancer. I told her I will not go through anything like that again and unless they want a serious scene on their hands, I suggested things be handled very differently this time around.

She was amazing. She took me very seriously and was extremely compassionate. She stayed on the MD's trail and made sure the x ray was ordered before I had to wait any longer to see the MD first. No sooner said, the x ray was done and the MD came in to discuss the results.

Thank goodness the x ray didn't show anything significant and the ER MD said that there may be some nerve damage from the radiation. Although, I feel it's a little soon for that to have happened, I believe there is a nerve issue, but separate and apart from my cancer and treatments.

The MD at PMH confirmed today that there is most likely a pinched nerve and/or a disc issue in my lower back. An MRI will take place in the next couple of weeks and in the meantime, gentle pain killers and lots of rest.

I am now not so skewed about YCH and my faith has been slightly reaffirmed in that there are people out there in the public health care industry who excel at their work and take on more "real people" skills.

Having said all this....I hope I never have to see the inside of an emergency room again. Just the anxiety and stress of the whole thing is awful enough.

Lots of rest begins now.