The Truth Hurts

            I woke up with a throbbing pain in the area of my lower left rib cage. I must have slept oddly, I thought. As I tried to stretch my left side, the pain became more prominent and concentrated to what seemed like a ball of muscle.

            I was going to my first Pitt Football game and didn’t want to miss out because of a small problem. Figuring, that it was just a tight muscle or something similar, I crawled out of bed, knowing the ache would subside throughout the day.

            As my friends and I made our way to the front gates of Heinz Field, my pain was virtually non-existent. I was able to enjoy the first half of the game comfortably until we reached half time. My friend, Liz, and I were enjoying a good laugh and as I settled into a hearty and loud laugh, the searing pain ripped through my side. I hunched over immediately, scared that I had something seriously wrong with me. I sat down and tried to relax the rest of the game but the pain struck every time I sneezed or chuckled.  

            At the end of the game, we met up with other friends. “Why are you holding your side,” Rachel asked? I explained to her what I had gone through that day. Rachel and Liz looked at each other warningly. “Sounds like appendicitis.”

My heart dropped and I immediately went to webmd.com looking for symptoms that compared to mine. Hospitals are uncomfortable for me and I do whatever I can to prevent visiting. Nothing seemed to match up other than the pain. So I decided to once again ignore looking for further help.

As the night drew on, though, the pain was unwavering. I could not stop thinking that I could have appendicitis, but I was so terrified to go to the hospital because I thought I would need immediate surgery.

Around 11:30 p.m., as I lay in bed with an unbelievable amount of pain, I had a conversation with my mom, who thought it was best that I get checked out. With tears running down my face, I called Liz who promised to drive my to the E.R.

Once at Magee Women’s Hospital, they checked me in and had me doing the basic tests immediately. When the doctor sat down and began talking with me he seemed confused. He sent me for an x-ray, which came back with no sign of any disturbances.

After two hour of sitting in an isolated room, the doctor came back with no answer. “We can’t seem to find anything wrong, you don’t have any ruptures or bruises. I’m going to call in a prescription that’s slightly stronger then Advil.”

I was in shock. I left the hospital upset and exhausted. I felt like the doctor did not do their job. When I woke up the next day, even though the pain was virtually gone, I did not want to return for another visit.

Explanation/Reflection

           Waking up with a pain I had never experienced had me panic a little but as a person who’s scared of hospitals, it is easier to ignore something then have want immediate attention.

I knew the pain was actually something to worry about when I could not even laugh or breathe deeply with a whole new wave of pain hitting me. Listening to my friend’s diagnosis was probably not the best thing because it just sent me into a whole new stress level. However, it is hard to ignore an idea when I had no idea what was happening.

After going to the hospital, I expected to have them know exactly what was wrong with me. Looking back, I know that may not be always possible, but I still feel like he did not do his best. I received two tests and was told that there was no issue even though I felt such a large amount of pain. It made me not trust that doctor and I have promised myself that I will not return to that hospital again.

What I learned from this experience is, first, not to wait to get medical attention. Maybe if I would have gone when the pain was severe they could have done something for me. Also, I learned that there are different types of communication in healthcare. I always thought the caregiver would be interested in my entire health (mind, body, etc.) and do whatever they could to find a cure for whatever problem I have. That is not always the case, though. Sometimes they just don’t have to power or evidence to help every medical issue that comes across their table.