A VISIT TO THE ER

Well -- the "rib pain" came back again. I started experiencing it Tuesday morning. It really bugged me while I was sitting, which made work very uncomfortable, but I could get some relief while walking or lying down. As the day progressed it got worse and by yesterday afternoon I found the pain to be nearly unbearable. It actually doubled me over. It occurred to me that the pain was right where my gallbladder is located. So I called my Midwife and we agreed that a trip to the ER for a gallbladder ultrasound was in order. So Nana, Miles and I headed to Henry Mayo -- where Jay Jay met us. It was such a nightmare visit. I actually posted a thread about it on my BBC Birth Board. I am going to copy and paste the post here so that I don't have to rewrite it. The story goes a little something like this:

So I get there -- it's 4:00pm -- and of course I have to wait in line. Fine -- I'm not dying. Whatever. I get to the front desk and I give them all of the pertinent info but they refuse to take my insurance card. They tell me to give it to the nurse when I go back to a room. Fine. So -- because I'm 30 weeks pregnant they send me to the front of triage and get in right away. Yay!!! I sit down and they ask me a million questions and then ask what I'm there for. I tell them about the pain and that I believe it may be my gallbladder. They ask me if I'm sure they are not contractions. I say -- no -- this is under my right breast and is very localized -- it's not contractions. The nurse gives me a condescending look and says "Is this your first?" UMMMMMM -- NO!!!! Then she proceeds to tell me that it could be contractions and asks again if I'm sure. Thus begins a 45 minute long battle in the ER with the staff to get them to understand that I am having gallbladder pain. They all refuse to touch me with a 10 foot pole. Finally after sitting there in pain -- they all decide that this is a job for labor and delivery. So they pop me into a wheel chair and wheel me up to L&D where I am plopped into a bed and strapped up with a fetal monitor and left to lie there for another hour while there make sure that the baby is ok -- which he is because he has been moving and kicking this whole time -- and to make sure that I am not having contractions -- which I wasn't and they never recorded one. During this process the nurse comes in and asks another bazillion questions -- discovers I am working with a midwife and having a second home birth. She promptly leaves, comes back 20 minutes later and says -- Dr. such and such said to kick you back down to the ER. So now L&D won't have anything to do with me because I am a home birther and I have been stuck in this hell whole for over 2 hours, in excruciating pain, and I still haven't been seen. So back down to the ER I go where they put me in a room and tell me they need to draw blood and open an IV line. Draw blood I get -- but the IV line -- WHY? The nurse tells me that sometimes dehydration can cause contractions!!! CONTRACTIONS???? I told you I wan't having them -- L&D just monitored that I wasn't have them. What the hell is wrong with these people. So -- I just try to be polite and go with the flow. Fine put in the IV. Another hour passes. Then some guy comes in and tells me I need to give them a urine sample. I'm still waiting for them to look at my freaking gallbladder -- and still no doctor. So I pee for the guy. Then I notice that my saline bag is nearly empty and that the drip is moving really quickly. My mom who used to be a nurse tells me that it is moving way too fast and that would explain why my arm felt so freaking cold. Then finally a doctor comes in and tells me that they are just waiting for the blood and urine results and that the ultrasound tech would be there shortly. He also offered me a tylenol. WHAT? THE? HECK? IS? A? TYLENOL? GOING? TO? DO?????? I politely declined and told him that I would be ok. I just needed some water and to be able to eat -- I was starving. He said they would try to hurry things along. Well -- another hour later -- the U/S Tech finally shows up. She was the best part of this whole visit and I loved her. After she left I waited another 45 minutes for a new nurse to come in for shift change and to do another full round of vitals. Why do they need more vitals???? The Doc comes in shortly after and tells me that I do not have gallstones, but that, because I am so small and the baby is so big, the fundus of my uterus is pushing up into my gallbladder and liver (more so than usual) and causing pain and irritation. He said that there's is really nothing I can do but wait until the baby drops. Oh -- and I could take a tylenol. ;0) Ok -- so I have to live with it. I'm just glad that it's nothing more serious. He tells me that he's going to go ahead and let the nurse know to discharge me. YAY!!! Finally. So she comes back in about 30 minutes later and gives me some paper work to sign. I try to give her my insurance card and she refuses it, telling me that I need to give to the front desk. Sigh. So I tell her they said to give it to her and she said -- they will take it, up front, before you leave. Fine. I finish up, get dressed, go up front and explain to the lady that the nurse told me to give them my insurance card. She shakes her head very stearnly at me says --" We are not allowed to take it here because we are not allowed to turn anyone away for not having insurance." WHAT? I get that you can't turn people away -- but you won't take my card???? I HAVE INSURANCE!!! I WANT TO PAY WITH INSURANCE!!!! Who the hell will take my card? So I wait another 45 minutes while several people try to figure out how to take my freaking insurance information. Are you kidding me? I NEED TO EAT AND I AM HURTING!!!! I WANT TO LEAVE!!! So when all was said and done -- I spent 6 1/2 hours in the emergency room!!! 6 1/2 HOURS!!! Did I mention that I had my mom and 14 month old son with me??? What a nightmare. Anyhow -- that's my rant about stupid hospitals and I am so thankful to be blessed with an incredible midwife and the good fortune of healthy low risk pregnancies that afford me the opportunity to labor and birth in the comfort and security of my own home!!! Sheesh. I couldn't imagine having to deal with this while in labor.

So there you have it -- my first ever visit to the ER while pregnant. Baby Lennon and I are fine -- and it turns out that his squooshy tushy is pushing my fundus into my gallbladder and liver. OUCHIE!!! So now I keep telling baby boy to "get his booty out of my fundus!!!" LOL. My midwife suggested I see a chiropractor for an adjustment and to see if he can help get the baby in a different position. She also recommended getting on all fours to get the pressure and weight off and to do pelvic tilts. So far so good. Tomorrow I will see the chiropractor as well. I will update on the pain and let you all know how it's going. Who knows -- maybe it will work or maybe I will just have to wait for the little guy to drop.