So as it goes, I am in Queens, NY - at my home - either up in my room or not. I’m not sure. I’m waiting for daybreak to go see my dads doctor. But things are not waiting. Still with the vomiting (side note - my wife tells me yesterday that when my dad came to take me back to Queens - I had to jump out of the car before we even left and go throw up. Lovely memory she has…) and the pain. Never-ending pain at this point. And to top it off - I actually had to call into work, let them know I would not be in because I was going insane.
Did I mention how caring they were at work? No? Good - I don’t want to give the wrong impression.
Well things were not looking so good for me making it to a doctors office, and the doctor even recommended I go to the ER. Ahh yes, a NYC ER room.
Ever see one of those nature films where ants scurry about in a fight - walking over the ‘corpses’ of their fallen comrades. Well a NYC ER is close to that, but nothing I could show you short of actually bringing there with a severe injury could bring you close to understanding the conditions. Patients lining the hallways, on the hospital beds (when they could find them). We entered into the maelstrom, went through the check in and waited for a doctor.
Well, I was doing my impersonation of the “Native American Bring My Ass A Doctor” dance. I would try and sit, my legs violently shaking from the pain. Clutching the back of my head in agony.
That would last about 2-3 minutes. Then I was up, stomping around attempting to distract myself from the pain. Well, roughly 2 hours later (after being stuck in a loop of this dance) a doctor finally came down from upon high to see me. The prognosis: Dehydration.
Yes you heard me, Dehydration. Solution: 1 IV drip saline. Yes, just one. Hooked me up, drained the bag, kicked me out the door.
That’s probably the only thing that kept me alive for the next 2-3 days. The lack of proper care which gave me the ability to move on to my next destination. But more on that later.
Had I stayed in NY, and they actually discovered the tumor - I would have probably either died at some point, or possibly been horribly paralyzed for life. Too many stories have come out of this particular hospital for me to have any faith in it. Not to mention I probably would have been mugged at some point.
It would have either been that, or I would have been sent to a proper hospital - and still not come out as clean as I have.
Misdiagnosis of dehydration, it’s a good thing.
Oh - and incase your wondering - misdiagnosing is not solely the fault of the doctor in NY. They are simply overwhelmed by the amount of cases they have to see on a daily basis. Heck, even hourly can be disheartening. Ask any doctor who has done rounds in a NYC hospital, and they will tell you what war is like.
So lets review: Intense pain, vomiting, slight numbness in certain areas - a highly visible pain-dance and feral growling.
Oh yes, must be dehydration..
Now remember, IV bag drained and out the door.
Ok, good. We are all on point for tomorrows chapter.
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