Friday, October 23, 2009

So.. Where do you go for health care if you dont have the flu?

Seriously!  I need an answer to this question.  No one at the Hospital was able to answer that. 

Here is the story as it played out.  As you know Phil is a type 2 diabetic.  Over the last month his medications that he takes to help his body use the produced insulin have stopped working, or his body has stopped producing enough insulin for the medications to use.  Either way, he has been struggling with some pretty high blood sugar levels in the evenings.  To combat that, he has been careful about what he eats, and to help the level drop he has been walking.

He has seen his family doctor about this problem and his dosages have been raised to the max and an appointment made to see the specialist on October 30.  Phil was told that if his blood sugar level got too high he was to go to the hospital and get an insulin shot.  High being 20.  (normal is between 4-7)  This brings us to last night....

Ate dinner, then headed to the mall, Brian needed some new clothes and Phil needed to walk.  While Brian and I shopped, Phil  walked around the mall - at a pretty good clip - he made the circuit 3 times while Brian tried on jeans.  We walked a bit more after that, then headed home. 

Settled in, I got my work done, Phil was happy watching tv, Brian was playing a computer game.  Just after 9:00 pm. Phil takes his blood sugar and it registers at 25.  I said, "ok off we go to the hospital!" 

I got Brian settled, knowing my sister would be home in a very short while, and drove to the hospital.  Checked in at 9:30 --- Left at 2:30 am -- never saw a doctor.  Why you might ask?

Well apparently, there was only on doctor working that evening ( I saw 2 off and on), they were "slammed" with flu cases, and no one , and i mean no one, could explain to me why Phil was not seen.  He had his vitals taken at triage, and his blood sugar and he was sent along the blue line to the emerg waiting room, there another nurse took his vitals, and his blood sugar and ordered a blood and urine test.  At close to 1:00 am we asked if there was any idea when a doctor would see him,  Got a very snitty answer about no one being able to answer that.  Shortly after I asked a nurse to check his blood sugar again -- still very high , but lower than  when we came in.  That nurse said that his chart was not "there", that the doctor must have it and would see Phil soon.

At 2:30 - no doctor, no treatment, no idea of when a doctor may be available - Phil decided to leave.

During our 5 hour visit -  I saw many people walk in with flu symptoms,  they all saw a doctor and left the hospital! 

All I am left with is one of two conclusions -- either Phil's chart was lost --- or FLU PATIENTS ARE FIRST!  That brings me right back to my original question -- if you don't have the flu or flu like symptoms, where go you go for emergency health care in BC? 

Seriously - I really need to know.
 
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