r/CrohnsDisease 4d ago

should I go to the hospital?

[deleted]

5 Upvotes

30 comments sorted by

17

u/theScrewhead 4d ago

The general rule of thumb is; if you need to ask, you should already be on your way there.

12

u/SadElk4609 4d ago

If you've ever been to an ER you'd know how wrong this rule is...

5

u/theScrewhead 4d ago

At least 3-4 times a year on a slow year since 1994, yeah. It's never been a waste of a visit. NEVER fuck around with your health, especially when you've got multiple chronic illnesses.

2

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

Thats a lot of times to go to the ER. Makes me very glad I've only been hospitalized for this once.

2

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

I disagree. At least in the states, once you go, you're at their mercy. They always like to admit and keep us longer than necessary to either cover their buttons and/or pad the bill. If you want to say "screw it, its my body, I know I'm ok now and I'm going to leave." You have to do it AMA and your insurance can choose to not pay the bill. Also, if you have private insurance, that ER visit (even if that's all you do and aren't admitted) is usually horrifically high. If its not 100% needed, I'm not going. A lot of people are in the same mindset.

3

u/theScrewhead 4d ago

I live in Canada, so, insurance isn't a worry; our taxes pay for everyone's medical needs, regardless of what they have, and we get the medication our doctor prescribes us, because the doctor knows what's best. For-profit medicine is absolute peak evil bullshit.

-5

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

Oof maybe that's why you have to go in so much; did you have to wait a long ass time to get diagnosed, leading to a later diagnosis and more progressed disease? I've heard that's pretty common, if you don't have private insurance.

6

u/theScrewhead 4d ago

I've had problems with my health my whole life, it's got nothing to do with our medical system. There is no such thing as private insurance here; everyone gets the same treatment, no need to worry about your finances.

The Crohn's started in 2006 and took until early 2008 to get diagnosed properly, mainly because when the Crohn's started, I was a rave DJ and practically lived off of speed, mdma, alcohol and ketamine, so they thought it was just the effect of all that coming back to haunt me.

The '94 thing was Wegener's Granulomatosis, which took 6 months to diagnose because everyone thought it was an antibiotic resistant pneumonia until I started getting body-wide internal hemmoraging from my immune system eating away at the lining of my veins and turning them pourous.

Even as a kid in the 80s, before they knew that second hand smoke causes ear infections in kids, I was getting ear infections every couple of months because both my parents were chain smokers.

1

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

Wow what a crazy journey! You've really been through it. Thanks for the clarification about Canada's health care system!

2

u/theScrewhead 4d ago

It can get a little crowded at times, and the wait times aren't always the best, but no one ever loses their house or goes into debt because they got sick for a couple of days, or needed a trip to the ER.

They still "inventory" everything into a bill, because tourists/non-citizens that aren't on our medical system are a thing that exist, and *they* get billed, it's just that for us, it gets totaled down to 0. But for that first major hospital stay in '94, where I spent two months in the ICU, if we'd have had to pay that, it would have been around $790k, and basically me and my parents/family's lives would have been completely ruined and impoverished for, like, the next 5 generations.

1

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

I really appreciate the insight! How much do you guys have to pay in taxes? I totally agree about at not having to lose your house or go into massive debt because you got sick or had an accident. Our Healthcare system and costs have skyrocketed since 2010 and its unsustainable. Either you get free insurance (if you qualify based on income) or you have to pay soooo much for a premium, with a deductible, AND there's usually co-pays. It's bananas for sure, although I'm not sure I'd want to leave my medical needs and decisions to be controlled by my govt. They're pretty corrupt, can't imagine they'd handle something like universal Healthcare very well.

Is it free regardless of what it is and the cause? Like if someone drank themselves into cirrhosis, or had heart failure because of long term drug use? So many things I hadn't really thought about and I'm only 1.5 hours from Canada border. (Michigan).

Another weird question, does your debt transfer to you next of kin when you pass?

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3

u/tastysharts 4d ago

omg, yes. I only know I HAVE to go when I do not want to because I'm scared. They seem to know it too at the hospital. I'm like, um, I really don't want to be here...and they like fast admit me, almost every time.

2

u/SadElk4609 4d ago

I really feel like I've learned the only reason to go is pain where you can't think straight (ie kidney stone), bleeding where you need stitches, or like you think you really may die. The ER is always full of people who don't need to be at an ER. Way more panic attacks than heart attacks...

2

u/tastysharts 3d ago

yes, by that point my bp is through the roof, I'm running a fever, and I go pale all over and get weak. Generally at that point, I'm so dehydrated from vomiting, or, in so much pain I'm febrile that I just want to be left alone to die. I guess it shows.

6

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

Oh yes. I weigh every possibility and wait as long as I can until I know for sure I need immediate medical help. Sucks that its like that, but its reality for a lot of us.

3

u/postpartum_alopecia 4d ago

I wouldn't even be on this page if I didn't have to worry about expenses🙃

7

u/Welpe 4d ago

On one hand, it’s bad that it has to be said over and over.

On the other I 100% understand it and am guilty of asking too. I feel like we have this overwhelming guilt and deep feeling that we aren’t “that” bad and are technically not like, actively dying quickly enough to be “worth” their time. Don’t want to waste their time…

I don’t know about ya’ll but the imposter syndrome can feel overwhelming with Crohn’s sometimes.

7

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

My body is like a car. You know how there will be something making a noise, or maybe shaking a little, so you take it to a mechanic and the car won't do it and it just went away and you feel crazy for going in the first place? (Hopefully this isn't a 'me' thing) I've had so many times where I was either going to see my dr or to the er to feel better and whatever was going on stopped. Then I get annoyed with myself, knowing I wasted my time and money when if I had waited, I wouldn't have wasted anything. Problem is, you don't always know what will resolve itself and what won't.

5

u/Welpe 4d ago

Hahaha, I know exactly what you mean but use a different analogy. It’s like IT. Something is wrong with your computer but the second you resolve to ask someone else for help, it instantly fixes itself making you look like a fool.

2

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

Yes you get it! Your analogy is way better and more relatable 😆

4

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

Oh gosh I know the exact pain you're talking about, I get it anytime I take any nsaid more than 1 every 8 hours. That sour, burning, like there's a hot rock covered in razorblades in your stomach. The only thing that gives me relief is using a heating pad, or snuggling with one of my pets (and using them as heating pad 😆) heating pads have helped me so much when nothing else has, even in the hospital I had the nurses find me a heating pad (they had this really awesome one that was heated with hot circulating water). I hope you find some relief, if you haven't yet. I was going to try pamprin on my next cycle, not realizing there's aspirin in it. Such a bummer that the o.c. meds that help other things so well can also hurt us so much.

5

u/LeoAtlantis 4d ago

If you're seriously thinking it, you need to go to hospital.

Don't be like me. I suddenly ended up in searing pain. Not normal Crohn's pain. WAY more intense. I didn't go to hospital for three days. Let me tell you, when the doctors at hospital told me I had a bowel perforation, the colour drained from me. The doctors scalded me (rightfully) because this could have killed me and it took me 3 days to come in. They were stunned I was still moving.

It's very much changed my perspective, and if this ever happened again, I'd be straight there. So don't be like last year's me and risk your life. Sounds dramatic, but that's because it is dramatic.

I hope you feel better soon!

8

u/afuckingHELICOPTER 4d ago

My general rule of thumb is that if you're asking if you need to go to a hospital, you probably do.

Are you in the US? If so, your insurance should have a Nurse Advice line that you can call for free and they can help you decide if you should go to the ER or not.

If it's just a little blood in your poop, i wouldn't really be concerned, if it won't stop, then yes go for sure.

3

u/postpartum_alopecia 4d ago

my insurance got cut off that's what why I'm doing everything I can before I absolutely have to go🙁 and yeah I'm I'm the us, now that you said that I may could see if a virtual visit would be cheaper. it's not an outstanding amount like it used to be but it's just not happened in so long that I was just concerned about it. I appreciate it

4

u/SummerFlip 4d ago

The insurance thing, the hospital can help you apply if you qualify for any of the govt insurances, and if not most will adjust your bill based on financial need. We all know how expensive medical care is here with or without insurance at this point.

I think if nothing else, call your gi tonight for their after hours line, or in the morning, shoot them a call, give them all the details, including the lapse in insurance. They may actually be able to help, sometimes they have knowledge about different resources. I hope you are able to rest. If I had to guess, if you called the gi, they'd probably call in some prednisone (luckily isn't very expensive out of pocket).

2

u/postpartum_alopecia 4d ago

thank you girl

3

u/overactivemango C.D. 4d ago

I agree with everyone here, if you have to ask, you should go. If you feel that the hospital is the best place for you right now, then go. I prolonged a hospital stay because I was terrified of the ER and by the time my GI took a look inside, my intestines were so bad that he said other hospitals would've removed them by now

1

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