September 29 - Emergency room

I ended up in the emergency room on Thursday (9/29) with what I thought was diverticulitis.  I had sharp pain in my lower left abdomen and Wednesday night I had fever and chills.  I called my doctor, who referred me to urgent care, who sent me to the emergency room for a CT scan.

When you count the time I spent in the main waiting room, then the diagnostic waiting room, then the examination room, I was there for seven hours before being sent up for the CT scan.

Wait.  It gets better.

After all that time, I was placed in the CT scanner, had a preliminary scan and was told to go back downstairs because I had never been given the contrast dye to drink. 

It takes an hour to drink the dye.

After that hour went by, I went back upstairs and had the scan.

After another half hour, the doctor came in and said it was diverticulitis (which I thought it was when I originally called the doctor) and sent me home with a paper prescription for antibiotics to be filled in the morning.  Oi.

After a five-day liquid diet and said course of antibiotics I worked back up to a normal diet and am doing fine.

I lost seventeen pounds, but I don't recommend it as a weight-loss method.


During my wait in the examination room, Karen had fun with her Droid.

My prom gown.

Stephanie said, "At least they
didn't remove his sense of humor..."

Back from the faux CT scan.
(You get blankets because it's cold upstairs.)

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