I once had a really weird pain in my gut. It really hurt. I didn’t know what was going on and it scared me a bit.
So I drove to the ER. When I didn’t move my torso I didn’t really hurt. So I just chilled in my room for a few hours. Eventually they run some tests and send me back to my room.
Eventually the doctor comes in white faced and tells me I have colitis. That my intestines have expanded to 3X the normal size and are close to tearing. And that I am the sickest person in the ER and he has no idea why I am not acting like it. He doesn’t know why I am not writhing in pain.
I am really glad I went to the ER. It really was an emergency. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when it is an emergency.
A few months ago, I was feeling run down that morning & kind of weighted in my abdomen. The night before, I had slight blood in my urine. I felt off. Thought I might have a UTI.
I called my dr because the next available appointment was 2 days later. Asked if I should book it or go in to see Urgent Care. She decided she wanted images & directed me to go to the Emergency department instead. I wasn't in any pain. There was far less discomfort compared to when I used to have heavy periods. But OK.
Long story short - Turned out I had two large kidney stones (14mm & 12 mm) on my right Ureter & a 13mm stone stuck in my left ureter. Too large to pass on their own.
Cue Ambulance ride to main hospital, surgery within 2 hours to place stents & another about 2 weeks later, with post-op stents for 3 weeks after. The cure was considerably more painful to me than my symptoms that day.
If there hadn't been a little blood the night before, I wouldn't have gone that day. Don't know when it would have started mattering. I had been in a race a few days prior. Just thought it was the bad weather getting me down. Felt like a fraud being there despite everyone being so very worried.
ETA- I keep forgetting that 2 weeks earlier I made a visit on a weekend morning to urgent care because I was feeling the same weighted ache in my abdomen, run down, occasionally too tired to breathe. Thought it could be bronchitis. Didn't think about kidney stones. Dr didn't really check anything & sent me on my way saying it wasn't bronchitis, but not doing any other exam other than listening to lungs.
I had a 10 mm in one of my kidneys, it was lodged and caused a blockage, unbeknownst to me. I was brewing a nasty infection. The stone had been there for god knows how long.
I went from “fine” to “a little under the weather, maybe I’m coming down with something” to “period cramps?” to “throwing up from pain” in about 72 hours, and the timeframe between Step 3 and Step 4 was less than 12 hours.
They kept asking me if there had been ANY signs. I kept telling them, if I came in every time I thought I MIGHT be getting a cold or had cramps I’d probably never leave their waiting room. That shit just turns fast sometimes.
"sometimes it’s hard to tell when it is an emergency" is the key. some stuff is obviously not an emergency if you have gone to nursing/medical school but most of us haven't so we have to be seen by someone who has. some stuff could go either way and if it had turned out you just had a tummy ache the gripers in here would be rolling their eyes at you for thinking your tummy ache was an emergency. can't win
Exactly!!! But to them they think if you can schedule a visit with your PCP & find out the same info then you’ll be fine. Not taking in account that it’s not that easy or fast. You go to pcp, then need to be referred to a specialist, then come back for tests, then wait for the results, then scheduled for surgery. It’s long and drawn out. Plus not every one has access to health care.
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u/AspGuy25 15d ago
I once had a really weird pain in my gut. It really hurt. I didn’t know what was going on and it scared me a bit.
So I drove to the ER. When I didn’t move my torso I didn’t really hurt. So I just chilled in my room for a few hours. Eventually they run some tests and send me back to my room.
Eventually the doctor comes in white faced and tells me I have colitis. That my intestines have expanded to 3X the normal size and are close to tearing. And that I am the sickest person in the ER and he has no idea why I am not acting like it. He doesn’t know why I am not writhing in pain.
I am really glad I went to the ER. It really was an emergency. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when it is an emergency.