My First Trip to the Emergency Room

Well last night was an eventful night to say the least. As you can probably already tell from the title of this post I had to go to the Emergency Room for the first time in my life!!!(Well the first time in my life because there was something wrong with me). I guess the end result of my trip was ok since I am still breathing, but it was an interesting experience that I must share.

So let me fill you in really quick! Since I came home from Chicago I have been having these crazy random allergic reactions to something. What this something is I have no idea; it could be food, soap, laundry detergent, my clothes, my family, my friends, the air, I HAVE NO IDEA!!!! My Skin just starts burning/ itching and turning red at random times, accompanied by swelling of my hands/ feet, and sometimes lips. Oh yeah, let me not forget the red blotches on random parts of my body (ahhh!!). It’s not the greatest feeling in the world but usually nothing a little Benadryl can’t cure, until last night that is.

The night started off like any regular shopping trip with my mother at one of my new favorite places (Whole Foods), until my hands started so swell just a little followed by other symptoms as we made our to the mall. Now usually I’m ok, and can go without Benadryl for awhile, and sometimes I can go completely without it (some of you know how I feel about medication in my body, esp. unneeded medication(Don’t blame me I get it from my parents)). So being me I was trying to hold out (NOTE TO SELF:BADDDDD IDEA!!!!!), until my lips started to swell, immediately followed by this weird swelling feeling in my throat. I searched frantically in my bag for the Benadryl that I now carry around with me, but it was not there (I guess I forgot to but it back after my last dose). I ran to the nearest pharmacy in the mall, asked for the Benadryl, found it, and ripped it open and took some before I even made it to the counter to pay. Then rushed back to Macy’s told my mother we had to GO, because earlier in the day I was instructed by my doc to make my way to the emergency room if my symptoms ever got like this. We made our way to the car as a gulped down more Benadryl straight from the bottle. We arrived to the emergency room, and what I was expecting was not exactly what happened.

** (I tried to make that sound as dramatic as possible for your reading pleasure, but all events are accurate)!

Since my major complaint was that my throat was swelling up I thought things would move just a little faster, thank God that the quarter bottle of Benadryl I had consumed started to get rid of all the swelling, except the swelling in my throat. Before I even saw a doctor I was asked what seemed to be 10 million questions about my health insurance. Some of which were so random that I could not/refused answer (my throat was swelling up; I had other things on my mind like BREATHING). I guess since I was no wheezing, or gasping for air I was deemed ok in their eyes!

It’s really disheartening that my insurance was what determined the type of care I received last night. I thank God that I am blessed with insurance, but I could not help and still cannot help but think about the many people who don’t have insurance, people who are dealing with far worse things than an allergic reaction.

Sadly, we do live in a country where money is very often the deciding factor in whether or not someone can receive adequate health care. The emergency room, a doctor’s office, or a trip to the Pharmacy at CVS is simply not an option for many people in this county. In 2006 the CDC reported that 43.6 million Americans were uninsured, a number that has continued to grow and will continue to grow if something is not done, a number that does not even include the uninsured people who live in America and do not get to call themselves “American” (that’s a another issue for another time).

How many lives could, or could have been saved if money was not the deciding factor?!?!

I urge you all do your part in this issue. Although it may not seem like you can’t do much, you can make your voice heard by expressing your concerns, informing others about the issue, and Voting when the time comes. Let’s all make the promise to do all that we can personally do to end the health-care problem(CRISIS) in this so-called “Wonderful, and fair” country. Even if it means just reading this post and becoming aware of the issue!

The end result of my Trip, other than insight…A wristband, a shot, a pill, and a clear airway!!