Let me just make this brief, instead of dragging it out.
It started about a couple of weeks ago, my wife went into the emergency department at Cambridge Memorial Hospital after having sudden blackouts and passing out/fainting. They looked at her, took some blood, hooked her up to an IV. Five hours later, their diagnosis was "We don't know" (which is commonplace at CMH). My wife was feeling a little better, so they let her go.
Next day, same thing. Maybe a little more frequently. Back we went. And of course, the same old routine...took some blood...checked her blood pressure...her heart rate, which was low, OK, but low. Several hours later, the diagnosis was, of course, "We don't know". But the doctor this time, said "Just to be careful, you know it's going to happen so try and be comfortable." Seriously? He also gave us a printout of her blood levels, etc... and advised to go to her GP. Once again my wife was feeling a little better maybe, but we left having little faith in CMH (as usual).
Next day, you guessed it, same again. Only this time accompanied with seizures, which I personally witnessed. The seizures weren't of the variety that everyone pictures a seizure to be. These were more of the 'Absent' variety (look it up). I called an ambulance since things had apparently gone from bad to worse.
This is where it gets 'good', but in a bad way.
The fire department arrived first, gave her oxygen...then the paramedics came. They looked her over, then the female cougar paramedic pushed my wife's feet of the couch and said "Stop it, get up." They didn't even help her to stand up. They then asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. My wife, not feeling well and dizzy said 'Yes', to which they responded "Are you sure?." So they 'WALKED' her to the ambulance, they didn't even bring out the stretcher, which is what they are 'REQUIRED' to do. I know this as FACT, straight from 'the Brass'. At the ambulance, my wife blacked out a bit, to which they responded with, "Stop it, this is ridiculous. You're scaring your daughter." Whom I was with and comforting, but seemed to be taking this all rather well. They, the paramedics, then said to my wife, "Get up, stop being so dramatic. You're making a scene in front of your daughter. Get up, I don't want you to hurt my(our) back(s)." The abuse continued to the hospital. Then at the hospital, the female paramedic, advised the triage nurse to "Just let her sit in the waiting area." And then proceeded to tell the nursing staff that she, my wife, was "Just being dramatic" and did a little act pretending to faint with her arms flailing around. (By the way, I myself did not witness all of this fiasco, just what happened at the house and later at the hospital.) So of course, the emerg staff went along with it and just put my wife in a room, and eventually in a bed. The doctor eventually came over to see her, my wife explained everything to him but he didn't believe her and asked if she had a witness (I was still at home at the moment with the little one), he then went to some other emerg patient. They didn't take any blood, didn't take a urine sample, blood pressure, heart rate, NOTHING. Until a few hours later, when I arrived. They also took an x-ray of her head. The doctor eventually came back, I told him of what I had seen. He didn't seem to believe me either. Anyway, a couple hours later he came back with some test results, her thyroid was a tiny bit high but nothing to cause this, everything 'else' seemed OK. The doctor went on to say, "I don't think this was a seizure, it's not like a seizure I've ever seen." Well, apparently this Quack has never heard of 'Absent Seizures' before. This moron needs to go back to med school. And with that, we went home again.
The next day, we went to my wife's GP. Who was MUCH more informative, understanding AND believed this had been happening. She, the GP, explained the different types of seizures and their wide variety of effects, including Absent Seizures. 'She', is the one that has arranged all of the 'Necessary' tests that are needed. So far all is OK, still a couple tests to go though.
It started about a couple of weeks ago, my wife went into the emergency department at Cambridge Memorial Hospital after having sudden blackouts and passing out/fainting. They looked at her, took some blood, hooked her up to an IV. Five hours later, their diagnosis was "We don't know" (which is commonplace at CMH). My wife was feeling a little better, so they let her go.
Next day, same thing. Maybe a little more frequently. Back we went. And of course, the same old routine...took some blood...checked her blood pressure...her heart rate, which was low, OK, but low. Several hours later, the diagnosis was, of course, "We don't know". But the doctor this time, said "Just to be careful, you know it's going to happen so try and be comfortable." Seriously? He also gave us a printout of her blood levels, etc... and advised to go to her GP. Once again my wife was feeling a little better maybe, but we left having little faith in CMH (as usual).
Next day, you guessed it, same again. Only this time accompanied with seizures, which I personally witnessed. The seizures weren't of the variety that everyone pictures a seizure to be. These were more of the 'Absent' variety (look it up). I called an ambulance since things had apparently gone from bad to worse.
This is where it gets 'good', but in a bad way.
The fire department arrived first, gave her oxygen...then the paramedics came. They looked her over, then the female cougar paramedic pushed my wife's feet of the couch and said "Stop it, get up." They didn't even help her to stand up. They then asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. My wife, not feeling well and dizzy said 'Yes', to which they responded "Are you sure?." So they 'WALKED' her to the ambulance, they didn't even bring out the stretcher, which is what they are 'REQUIRED' to do. I know this as FACT, straight from 'the Brass'. At the ambulance, my wife blacked out a bit, to which they responded with, "Stop it, this is ridiculous. You're scaring your daughter." Whom I was with and comforting, but seemed to be taking this all rather well. They, the paramedics, then said to my wife, "Get up, stop being so dramatic. You're making a scene in front of your daughter. Get up, I don't want you to hurt my(our) back(s)." The abuse continued to the hospital. Then at the hospital, the female paramedic, advised the triage nurse to "Just let her sit in the waiting area." And then proceeded to tell the nursing staff that she, my wife, was "Just being dramatic" and did a little act pretending to faint with her arms flailing around. (By the way, I myself did not witness all of this fiasco, just what happened at the house and later at the hospital.) So of course, the emerg staff went along with it and just put my wife in a room, and eventually in a bed. The doctor eventually came over to see her, my wife explained everything to him but he didn't believe her and asked if she had a witness (I was still at home at the moment with the little one), he then went to some other emerg patient. They didn't take any blood, didn't take a urine sample, blood pressure, heart rate, NOTHING. Until a few hours later, when I arrived. They also took an x-ray of her head. The doctor eventually came back, I told him of what I had seen. He didn't seem to believe me either. Anyway, a couple hours later he came back with some test results, her thyroid was a tiny bit high but nothing to cause this, everything 'else' seemed OK. The doctor went on to say, "I don't think this was a seizure, it's not like a seizure I've ever seen." Well, apparently this Quack has never heard of 'Absent Seizures' before. This moron needs to go back to med school. And with that, we went home again.
The next day, we went to my wife's GP. Who was MUCH more informative, understanding AND believed this had been happening. She, the GP, explained the different types of seizures and their wide variety of effects, including Absent Seizures. 'She', is the one that has arranged all of the 'Necessary' tests that are needed. So far all is OK, still a couple tests to go though.
Cambridge Memorial Hospital is weak, and quite limited. They have been under investigation for their spending as well.
Health care in Cambridge is very weak as a whole, there are thousands on waiting lists to get a family doctor. You'd be very luck to find a doctor here, and even luckier to find a good one. Most don't really care, and if they don't like you, they'll just cut you loose and tell you to go find someone else.
As for the paramedics, we have made our complaints known and a file has been opened, the incident is being investigated. Or so we've been told. We have NO intention on paying the ambulance fee after receiving such atrocious care.
I've got PLENTY of stories on the pathetic treatment and screw-ups by doctors, nurses, CMH, etc... there in Cambridge, I could go on and on. But I think I'll save them for another time.
My advice, if you're visiting or live in Cambridge, don't get sick there. If you do, God help you. Or go to Kitchener, you might have a better chance there.
Health care in Cambridge is very weak as a whole, there are thousands on waiting lists to get a family doctor. You'd be very luck to find a doctor here, and even luckier to find a good one. Most don't really care, and if they don't like you, they'll just cut you loose and tell you to go find someone else.
As for the paramedics, we have made our complaints known and a file has been opened, the incident is being investigated. Or so we've been told. We have NO intention on paying the ambulance fee after receiving such atrocious care.
I've got PLENTY of stories on the pathetic treatment and screw-ups by doctors, nurses, CMH, etc... there in Cambridge, I could go on and on. But I think I'll save them for another time.
My advice, if you're visiting or live in Cambridge, don't get sick there. If you do, God help you. Or go to Kitchener, you might have a better chance there.
