Waiting in ER for 4.5 hours with my dad who’s experiencing stroke symptoms. Yay.
One reason why I resent uninvited newcomers.
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So much for the golden hour in stroke care, shameful.
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That would make me absolutely unhinged if I experienced that with my mom. Sorry you’re going threw that man, I hope your dad will be OK. I’m rooting for him.
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Thanks for the acknowledgment… would like to pull a “John Q” right about now…
Back when hollywood could make a movie…
5.5 hrs still no dr
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Im sorry to hear you’re going through that.
Prayers for your father to feel better. 
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how did it work out? my mom had a stroke a few weeks ago, lost sight and some cognitive function. didn’t go to the hospital at all and told me when i called she had macular degeneration. i found out from my cousin. i am worried sick about her. i could not imagine what would have happened had i took her to the er and not gotten seen for hours. it would not end well for them and most likely for me as well. good luck with it.
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My wife’s mother, 91 years old, fell the other night, her Medical Alert neckless, alerted us, and the medical folks. Around 8:30 pm or so.
Got her to ER, and she waited, and waited, 3:00am, she is checked in, goes for the slew of tests, for this and that, then into a holding area, and the poor old bird, did not get into a room, until late in the following day, around 4:00 pm or so.
It’s been a hard spring and summer for us, as her 88 year old sister, shares her condo.
She will not eat properly, is a sugar junky, forgets to drink water, then comes bladder infections, then the whirly’s , and falling down. She is in rehab now.
Hell, we put up signs all around in the condo, EAT, DRINK WATER, MOVE!
We pay a lady to come to them, 2 times a week to help them to exercise, and help them to gain some mobility. Her mom loves the ladies visit, the sister, would not participate, oh well.
I’m pretty sure, they will not be coming home anymore…what a year!
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Phone rang at 5:45 AM today, father(96) had fallen and mom(92) could not pick him up…I live 15 minutes away.
Dad broke his hip last year, mom is blind. My brother & I are trying to keep them out of assisted living but options are thinning.
Emergency has passed, Dad is fine and back in bed…I’m back home waiting for the phone to ring again, hoping it does not.
Don’t get old.
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From personal experience:
You should have stated upon entering he “is” having a stroke. And he would have been put in a wheel chair and wheeled right in.
Option 2: Call 911 and tell them he is having a stoke and the rescue squad would have carried him directly to the Dr’s in ER not the waiting room.
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That does not sound like protocol. Stroke like symptoms are typically treated as priority due to the recovery outcome.
MIL had stroke like symptoms a couple of years ago and we dialed 911. Ambulance, fire truck, two police cars, and a specialist stroke team (+three individuals) arrived on site. The specialist team made mention of the urgency in treatment … transport was secondary. Was something shocked at the size of the response.
Sorry that your father had that experience. I presume you’d noted possible stroke upon arrival.
I’d make a stink with hospital administration. Sounds like a standard of care failure.
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All well and good for those who live in or near cities, but for us country folks a “specialist stroke team” ain’t happening.
But it’s great to hear hear you and other’s have such resources when needed.
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Sounds as though you missed the point entirely. Quick action whatever the situation.
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and you my point. quick action is not available everywhere
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Quick action whatever the situation. In the OPs experience, the hospital seems to have failed to provide the standard of care. And around we go …
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I live in the country and don’t have any of this. But, once at the hospital they jumped on my hubby when he had signs. He had turned around by the time we got there but the MRI did show TIA.
I also pick the hospital that doesn’t leave people in the waiting room to die. Where I live there are 4 hospitals about the same distance in 3 different cities.
I hope all turned out well for your Dad.
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Recently had a phone call from my current internet provider. I didnt believe it was actually the call centre and I called the girl out as a scammer…she put her manager on the phone and i called him out too. Could barely understand what they were saying, and I get so many damn scam calls…as it turns out they were able to verify everything and I looked like an asshole. Even took the deal they were offering brcause it was really.good…which was also what made me suspicious.
If india didn’t have so many scam callers, folks here wouldnt be getting called out as liars and scammers.
Ridiculous world were living in…and seems.to be getting worse.
@cannabissequoia hope your father is doing well and family is staying strong. Prayers for you.
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if i recall correctly, most of the ambulances in wv (a very rural area without much medical support besides ambulances) they carry the drugs you need when having a stroke and afminister them to the patient when they are picked up. that covers the need for immediate treatment and saves many lives from what i understand. it should be available everywhere but this is the us and pretty messed up when it comes to medical treatment in some areas. i’m really surprised that wv is on top of things in this area.
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Not sure about WV, but the clot buster is a very expensive drug, even in the ER they make damn sure you’re having a stroke before they give it to you. But I guess WV could have the support personnel on the ambulances, they certainly don’t in VA
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Thank you all for the thoughts & words 
We left after 7 hours & they said it was just vertigo, which I don’t believe. He was a different person, barely speaking, & required a wheelchair.
The next morning I mentioned that his daily Ambien use is not good… he laughed at me & walked out the door. After triggering my PTSD & starving for a day, all I could think was FU.
Right back to doing things he shouldn’t like masonry in 105 degrees. 
Yeah, uhh… NEXT TIME.
I had just smoked a joint & hadn’t eaten 2 meals so my brain wasn’t fully functioning when he came in the door & said we needed to go to the ER.
F*ck me — I had to google maps it just to know where to go— the hospitals changed while I was in Hawaii for a few years. D’oh.
The ER was like the bar on Tatooine. 
Between my 120mph trip home during it all & the stress, I officially resigned from ambulance driving. 
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So sorry hun…went through this with Draig…
Blame Corporate Medicine… they are no longer about saving lives or healing-- they are about $$ and return customers!!
We have friends who are RN’s/Doctors who have given up Hospital privileges/jobs because of being told to ‘keep them coming back’ and ‘you need to prescribe more meds and testing’!!
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