Being chronically ill and the ER is bound to happen. Lately it seems like that is all I have been doing. Unfortunately, my health has taken a hit but I have learned things that hopefully can help you next time you’re faced with having to make a decision to go to the ER or not.

What is the purpose of the Emergency Room Doctors? 

• First they want to make sure you are not dying or in any danger zones. That is their first measure when assessing you. They then will take the symptoms you give them and treat them to the best of their ability. 

• If blood tests, scans and imminent death are clear at this point they are not going to do any other treatment. Why is this? Their job is to make sure you are not dying, you are staying alive and they get to their next patient. 

• Most of the time if they don’t admit you to the hospital they will refer you to your Primary Care physician and discharge you. Unfortunately, they aren’t going to try and figure out what’s wrong even when they know you aren’t okay. They weren’t trained to keep you in the hospital until they figured it out like we see on the TV shows.

• It is incredibly frustrating and honestly everything they tell you, you have to take with a grain of salt. It will drive you insane if you don’t. Like I said they were trained to treat the symptoms and then send you home with a referral. That is their game plan and get the room open for the next patient. 

It is called Triage

As I have come to understand this my frustration with the system has become a little less. It is sad and hard to come to grips with but it helps to understand a system when you are coming into it. When you’re in pain your mind is not 100% so have a game plan of your own that a partner/family can advocate for, so you can rest instead of feeling like you have to fight. 

I hope this was able to give some clarity to E.R visits, they will treat your symptoms in some form (IV fluids, meds, scans, etc.), might admit you, but most likely will send you home after your symptoms are controlled.

Much love beautiful souls XO Rae