Life is What Happens When You Are Making Other Plans

John Lennon said that and Life Happens all the time.

Case in point, yesterday and my continuing experiences with modern medicine.

I developed the worst case of indigestion or something fierce at about midnight on Sunday. It felt like I had swallowed hot coals, my lungs were on fire. Yet, no change of diet. No chili-cheese dog.

Scared out of my mind that I may have been having the kind of heart attack that my Dad suffered, I drove to the ER at Pahrump’s only hospital. It was only the second time I have visited an ER.It’s not a place you want to go.

After conducting a battery of tests they said the blood levels for my liver were nine times higher than they should be and all attention began focusing on that. Not the burning I had experienced. I haven’t had a drink in three years yet they were focusing on my liver.

I asked the ER doctor whether I was showing any jaundice and, if so, was it consistent with the test results? “How do you know about jaundice? Most people don’t.” And then he admitted I wasn’t really showing much. But, no matter.

Saying they were duty bound by protocol, I was put in an ambulance and sent off to a Las Vegas hospital an hour away. I had to leave my truck at Desert View hospital. No choice. Was not allowed to drive.

At about two in the afternoon on Monday I was still getting tests and there was a lot of talk about holding me for an another two or three days. I could have no food or water since there were constant mentions about immediate surgery.

I had an important medical appointment the next day that was weeks in scheduling. And another appointment for Thursday for my earache which continues to get worse. Making something of a fuss, I demanded that they release me which they did. Only their revenge was that they would not pay for my transportation back. I was now a patient with an unauthorized release.

They understood that I didn’t want to break long standing appointments with other doctors. But they weren’t their doctors so they had the perfect excuse to make me pay for my trip back. It’s all about money with Modern Medicine.

I called Uber from the front entrance of Spring Valley Medical Center and a hundred dollars later I was back in the Desert View Hospital Parking lot with my truck. Yay!

I am getting my primary care doctor to look at my test results. And there is a Digestive Labs here in town which can conduct more tests. Maybe they can figure out that blood level thing. Meanwhile, no opinion on what caused my heartburn or how to prevent it from happening again.

Another wasted day, another day with a lot of pain and anxiety and desperate messages to friends for help and nothing to show for it.

And so it goes.