Friends...when you have a medical problem...
...Go to a doctor.
Don't make excuses for why you might be having abdominal pain/chest pain/arm pain/blurry vision/etc. Don't try to explain it away by saying "I'm too young" or "It's probably nothing" or "It's just stress." Just make an appointment and see a doctor. Easy as pie, right?
We see TOO much stuff in the ER that ends badly, when people have been feeling the symptoms/problems for days, weeks and months. Then they end up having something serious that could have been less serious if it was caught earlier.
Just like you, dad, who waited WEEKS to go see a doctor. And then needed open heart surgery. But I still love you. Promise. Just don't ever do that again.
Sickness doesn't care how old or young you are. Really. It likes all ages.
So from me (as a nurse) to all of y'all...when you feel bad, go see a doctor.
I would appreciate that greatly. : )
And thank you, Lord, for weekends with nothing to do.
33 comments:
I tell my husband this ALL THE TIME! And I'm not even a doctor or nurse. It's amazing to me what people will live with....
Love your blog!
~Tamara
i am so horrible at this lol! guilty! hope everything turned out ok with your dad :-) and i wish i had nothing to do this weekend! enjoy!
I go to the doctor when I'm stick and I know it isn't something small (like a cold). Since we've been married, I've also been able to get Ken to go to the doctor when he's sick. What is it with men never wanting to go to the doctor??
Totally agree!! Never assume it is "nothing". You never know and life is too short!!
Awww you are so right! I neglected feeling bad for so so so long. I thought I was having a heart attack one day and it was just an anxiety attack (first one to my knowledge) and it made my hands and arm go numb, and my nose was tingling and I couldn't breathe. I think most of it is that I just don't get enough sleep, but you are SO right. Thankfully my blood pressure is good but I keep telling DDHP to go to the Dr. because he has really really poor circulation. You're a muffin! Miss you!
Such good advice! I am always calling the doctor, the Mister on the other hand refuses...I need to just force him!
Hope your dad recovered quite quickly!
I am one of those that wait days and days before I go to the doc. I know, I shouldn't, but I am very strong willed.
I HATE going to the doctor and I am guilty of not booking appointments.
I'm just plain scared it's something really bad!
xoxo
That was my dad. For weeks...and probably months, he was feeling terrible. It got worse and worse and my mom literally FORCED him to make a dr. appt for the next day but he never made it because he was rushed to the hospital that morning with a massive heart attack.
I sometimes blow off symptoms...a product of my parents, I suppose but if I think its serious, I definitely head to the dr. What's $20 when it could save my life?
Emily at Amazing Grapes
I try to tell B this all the time and he pays no attention! Enjoy your relaxing weekend!
wow thanks for the reminder!! I'm the queen of making excuses. Anything not to have to go to the doctor!
http://www.brightontheday.com
This is so true!!!
Back in March my hubby the firefighter/paramedic suffered the last 12 hours of his shift and another 12 hours at home with horrible abdominal pains. It took me going to the fire station and bring the ambulance home with me for him to finally agree to go to the ER. Even then he wouldn't let the ambulance take him, I had to drive him.
He ended up having appendicitis and had emergency surgery at MIDNIGHT.
Now every time the subject comes up he has to hear me say "I told you so!!!".
A few years ago, my dad thought he was coming down with the flu and all he wanted to do was to go home and go to bed. We finally convinced him to go to the hospital and he was having a CVA. I wrote about it here http://90percentblonde.blogspot.com/2012/04/easter-like-no-other.html
Super scary!
I have a hard time making myself go to the doctor because usually I just feel like they tell me something I already know (like drink more water or get rest) or I feel rushed out the door as soon as I'm seen.
This is such good advice and I have to admit that I'm a waiter. That isn't a good thing. And yes, weekends with nothing to do are such a blessing. Hope you enjoy.
scary about your dad!! so glad he is ok!!!
have a great weekend!
I'm so ready for a weekend with a nothing to do. We have a wedding tomorrow but I've totally scheduled a nothing to do Sunday!!
Such good advice...
Yeah- it's like one extreme or the other.... people coming to the ER for a runny nose and then people NOT coming to the ER for chest pain x 3 days. Ridic!
You are so right!
Enjoy your weekend of 0 plans! love those : ]
we definitely had an example of how this was so crucial! great psa!
I so want to copy and paste this post and share it! I totally agree and would MUCH rather go to the doctor and find out that it's something minor than NOT go and regret it later.
Oh lord, i'm SO guilty of this! I do this too much infact.
Yes, nurse Megan!!! (In all seriousness, I think this is a fantastic PSA and I hope your daddy is okay)
:) Hope you have a fantastic weekend!! I am sorry I've been such a terrible commenter but I've been reading!!
I would have to say that I am bad about going to the doctor when I am sick. However, when I had the stomach flu a year ago, I immediately went to the ER because I remembered a time when I was young and I had the same problem....I ended up in the hospital for a week because I was so dehydrated. So I wanted to nip it in the bud this time. Glad I went!
Amy
fashionandbeautyfinds.blogspot.com
I ALWAYS try to tell people this, although I'm bad at it myself :( Well, I went to the doctor and I'm not life of death or anything, but I do have to go to the Endocronologist and have yet to make my appointment. I have to go back for my pap this month, so I'm going to make sure I don't need more tests and then make the call! Promise ;)
I need to hear this, whenever I feel bad I just let it do it's thing before I EVER go to the Doctor. I literally have to be REALLY sick to visit!
arent men the worst!? they are all macho and like theres nothing wrong and yet when they just have a little cold they think they are dying! haha!
Oh, Megan! I wish my aunt could have seen this :( I was so angry at her Dr for not catching something when she first went in in January, but apparently it had been going on since October-ish, thinking it was a "cold". She eventually did go in, and they ruled out the obvious stuff, but Lung Cancer wasn't diagnosed until her autopsy almost 4weeks ago. I just keep thinking IF she would have gone in sooner, if something would have pushed testing even earlier than her cough... I'm rambling I know, but THANK YOU so much for posting this! Hopefully someone else will see it and it will help!
I am quite possibly the worst person regarding this, I HATE making doctors appointments even if I have little pains that go on for weeks. I may or may not be in that position right now haha
Dang it! Now I have to go see an ENT because of your PSA... I agree though, I'm a big believer in seeing a doctor REGULARLY. Preventative care exists for a reason, and great nurses like you should be there for emergencies :)
Does that mean I should be at the Dr. now? I'm sick. Boo. :( Fever while taking care of kiddos...not fun. But, hub did stay home for me yesterday to take care of me, let me sleep, take care of the kids, puppy, cook and he bought me 1/2 the pharmacy. Oh...and he watched "my show" AND rented me a Reese Witherspoon movie! He's awesome. :)
Great PSA...and coordinating, uh, kind of, picture. Lol. :)
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