Post by samsara15 on Feb 15, 2015 12:23:28 GMT -6
hasn't used it much. Nor has it improved since....here is a tale from what is happening to an old friend of mine, who is quite well off, financially:
Give them rope enough, and doctors and hospitals will kill you...
Verbatim:
To those who haven't heard, I cut the tendon on my left thumb on the Carnival Splendor the first day aboard by trying to catch a falling glass that broke and I ended up clutching a large sliver that cut very deeply into my thumb and a couple of smaller wounds on my little finger.
The ship doctor suggested I get off the ship since I would no doubt require surgery to repair the cut since I cannot flex the joints in the finger. It just sticks straight out and will not bend.
Anyway I flew from Cozumel on Feb 10 via Dallas to Miami and of course the second plane was about 5 hours late getting to Miami. I ended up throwing our bags is a hotel room near the Jackson Memorial Hospital and getting to the emergency somewhere around 2 in the morning of the 11th. I was told to go to the emergency room since it would be quicker. Big mistake. That is a Public Health hospital and every drug addict and psycho seems to be running through there all the time. I was sent to another part of the emergency room with the hope of seeing a surgeon soon. They took x ray of the hand after a long time and we went back to where we were and waited and waited. Was told not to eat or drink anything because I was going to surgery. Waited all day and finally some kids who were ortho surgeons came in and said they were very busy dealing with accidents, etc., but they would try to get to me that night. Finally some minor nurse gave us a little something to eat which was the first food in over a day. They moved us to another section of the ER where cubicles that would hold a wheeled stretcher and a table and chair and hookups for IVs etc. Was then told they would get to me the next morning. Well about midnight I had to go to the community bathroom which contained a commode, a sink and a high speed hand dryer that served about 50 patients male and female. I was really afraid a getting MRSA. Anyway when getting down off the end of the stretcher, I felt faint and evidently passed out and slid down the door. Then they did all the usual EKG, ct scan of head, blood tests and chest xray. Put me on saline drip after Rose had told them I would need a glucose drip because I had passed out before from lack of food and water from long periods. The next morning the surgeon showed up ready to do surgery and said the rehab was as or more important than the operation and would take weeks. Reason to come to Miami was that I had a 2 week cruise leaving on the 15th and he thought the hospital could surgery and I could take that cruise. Surgeon advised me to cancel the cruise and get home to a surgeon there. I was staying in a $300 a night hotel near the hospital and obviously could not stay for weeks. So I really spent a day and a half at least in the emergency room to no avail. Then although the surgeon advised me to leave the medical part of the hospital said I could not leave until they determined why I had passed out although it was obvious to anyone why it had happened. Finally after arguing I signed myself out thinking that I was just agreeing to not sue them. Went back to the hotel and called the travel insurance company who said no deal, I had signed myself out so the would not pay.
By the way there is supposed to be a few days window to do this surgery or I will be stuck with a non bendable thumb forever, which was the reason I was flown back to Miami from Cozumel in the first place. Went back to the hospital and argued and pleaded with many people and said they could not issue a travel authorization because if something happened they were liable, etc. Finally one nurse who seemed to be in charge said she would try to file thru medicare and it should be OK. They were saying I would never be able to go to another emergency room anywhere since I had signed myself out. Felt like I was a prisoner in a third world hell hole. Finally I drove myself home over 900 miles without incident. I have Blue Cross Federal and Medicare Part A and I have no idea who may pay. I am sure the bill will be many thousands of dollars for something that was really the hospitals fault as far as I am concerned.
I have an appointment tomorrow AM with a surgeon here, but I am not hopeful that there will not be some more bad news there. So to sum it up I have lost 19 days of Caribbean cruises and am back to 11 degree temperatures with snow and ice scheduled tomorrow and I am really unhappy with the horrible medical system this country has. Talk to you later.
end of Verbatim.
My friend and his wife were on the first leg of a series of back to back cruises, which they do every Winter, to escape the cold.
Give them rope enough, and doctors and hospitals will kill you...
Verbatim:
To those who haven't heard, I cut the tendon on my left thumb on the Carnival Splendor the first day aboard by trying to catch a falling glass that broke and I ended up clutching a large sliver that cut very deeply into my thumb and a couple of smaller wounds on my little finger.
The ship doctor suggested I get off the ship since I would no doubt require surgery to repair the cut since I cannot flex the joints in the finger. It just sticks straight out and will not bend.
Anyway I flew from Cozumel on Feb 10 via Dallas to Miami and of course the second plane was about 5 hours late getting to Miami. I ended up throwing our bags is a hotel room near the Jackson Memorial Hospital and getting to the emergency somewhere around 2 in the morning of the 11th. I was told to go to the emergency room since it would be quicker. Big mistake. That is a Public Health hospital and every drug addict and psycho seems to be running through there all the time. I was sent to another part of the emergency room with the hope of seeing a surgeon soon. They took x ray of the hand after a long time and we went back to where we were and waited and waited. Was told not to eat or drink anything because I was going to surgery. Waited all day and finally some kids who were ortho surgeons came in and said they were very busy dealing with accidents, etc., but they would try to get to me that night. Finally some minor nurse gave us a little something to eat which was the first food in over a day. They moved us to another section of the ER where cubicles that would hold a wheeled stretcher and a table and chair and hookups for IVs etc. Was then told they would get to me the next morning. Well about midnight I had to go to the community bathroom which contained a commode, a sink and a high speed hand dryer that served about 50 patients male and female. I was really afraid a getting MRSA. Anyway when getting down off the end of the stretcher, I felt faint and evidently passed out and slid down the door. Then they did all the usual EKG, ct scan of head, blood tests and chest xray. Put me on saline drip after Rose had told them I would need a glucose drip because I had passed out before from lack of food and water from long periods. The next morning the surgeon showed up ready to do surgery and said the rehab was as or more important than the operation and would take weeks. Reason to come to Miami was that I had a 2 week cruise leaving on the 15th and he thought the hospital could surgery and I could take that cruise. Surgeon advised me to cancel the cruise and get home to a surgeon there. I was staying in a $300 a night hotel near the hospital and obviously could not stay for weeks. So I really spent a day and a half at least in the emergency room to no avail. Then although the surgeon advised me to leave the medical part of the hospital said I could not leave until they determined why I had passed out although it was obvious to anyone why it had happened. Finally after arguing I signed myself out thinking that I was just agreeing to not sue them. Went back to the hotel and called the travel insurance company who said no deal, I had signed myself out so the would not pay.
By the way there is supposed to be a few days window to do this surgery or I will be stuck with a non bendable thumb forever, which was the reason I was flown back to Miami from Cozumel in the first place. Went back to the hospital and argued and pleaded with many people and said they could not issue a travel authorization because if something happened they were liable, etc. Finally one nurse who seemed to be in charge said she would try to file thru medicare and it should be OK. They were saying I would never be able to go to another emergency room anywhere since I had signed myself out. Felt like I was a prisoner in a third world hell hole. Finally I drove myself home over 900 miles without incident. I have Blue Cross Federal and Medicare Part A and I have no idea who may pay. I am sure the bill will be many thousands of dollars for something that was really the hospitals fault as far as I am concerned.
I have an appointment tomorrow AM with a surgeon here, but I am not hopeful that there will not be some more bad news there. So to sum it up I have lost 19 days of Caribbean cruises and am back to 11 degree temperatures with snow and ice scheduled tomorrow and I am really unhappy with the horrible medical system this country has. Talk to you later.
end of Verbatim.
My friend and his wife were on the first leg of a series of back to back cruises, which they do every Winter, to escape the cold.