Y’all come back now!

Raise your hand if an emergency room doctor has told you that there is nothing they can do for your pain, but to return if it becomes worse...

*Waiving both hands in the air*

In fact, I think I have heard this line more than any other throughout my chronic life.

The "no cure" curse

The problem with psoriatic arthritis and my other chronic illnesses being incurable is that it appears to have given the healthcare community justification for not helping. I am not expecting them to completely rid my body from the pain I endure, but to instead take me seriously when I come to them with an increased pain level that can’t be explained.

I felt like I was listened to and taken seriously during the first few years after my first diagnosis. When I went to the emergency room or made an appointment with my doctor, it was usually to address a new symptom or pain that may or may not be related to my chronic illnesses.

When doctor's tell you there is nothing they can do

Thankfully, my appendix ruptured during that period. I truly don’t believe I would be here today had it occurred anytime afterward. Because a year later, the response I received any time I came in with a new pain or a scary increase of another was “Sorry, there is nothing we can do for you. But be sure to come back ASAP if it gets worse.”

When told nothing can be done and to only come back if it gets worse, my brain translates it into “Deal with it”. And if that is truly what they are trying to convey, they should just come out and say it.

If not now, when?

When I am told to come back if pain worsens, I wonder why. Seriously, if they aren’t able to help me or assist in reducing a pain that I obviously can’t control on my own or I wouldn’t be there, then why tell me to come back.

Will a higher pain level make it easier for them to reduce it? Um, based on twenty-plus years of living with chronic pain I would say that is a big fat NO. I can’t tell you how many times I have returned with a higher pain level due to abdominal adhesions only to be retold to come back if it worsens.

The magic number

Am I missing something? Is there some secret pain scale that doctors use for those who are diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses? Because if there is one, it is not the same chart that I judge my pain from.

I understand that emergency rooms aren’t the place to go to when I have pushed too far. That is on me and I can’t expect the ER to magically make everything alright. But, when a patient comes in with a pain that has them fearing for their lives, they need to show some compassion.

Future hopes for the healthcare system

Imagine a healthcare system that helped patients set up follow-up testing while in the emergency room instead of having to wait weeks to get an appointment with their doctor to start the process. Not only would this save precious time, it would also provide comfort to know that we aren’t just fish being thrown back into the pond.

When we are experiencing extra pain, we need assistance, and if they can’t provide that in the form of relief, a little help to get the ball rolling to find the core issue would be a welcome start.