Guaranteed Healthcare

I went to the emergency room really late one night. There wasn't another patient to be seen. I was admitted immediately. I didn't see a doctor for nearly three hours. I sat in a bed with my hand in ice cold water. I was in pain. I wasn't given anything for pain the whole time I was there. I was given a tetanus shot.

When the doctor finally showed up, I told him, as I had been telling both nurses for the last couple of hours, that I thought I needed an x-ray. He heard me, he never acknowledged my request. He gave me seven stitches. When I was leaving, he gave me two pain pills, not even a prescription to take with me. I told him I didn't think that would be enough. I couldn't do anything for a couple of days, I was sick in pain.

I went up to the hospital and had all the workers that I saw, a month later, look at my finger. They weren't doctors, but they could tell something wasn't right. It has been five months, my pinkie remains swollen and is extremely crooked. My emergency room bill is $1,300. I filled out a charity request form, I am hoping that my request was approved.

I have never in my life had stitches and therefore I have never had stitches removed. When I couldn't go back to the doctor to have them taken out, I took them out myself, using my left hand. I have gotten quite used to using my left hand. You never know how important your pinkie is. I just assume not have a pinkie, and I don't care that its crooked. It is really crooked though, and I have been worried about it for five months now. I did go to the clinic after a couple of months, and the nurse practitioner I saw was touched by my story. When I went to pay for my visit, fully expecting to dish out seventy dollars, I found out that my visit wasn't going to cost me. The nurse practitioner, touched me so much. Of course, no matter how much need I have, I have no disability and no children, so I cannot get Medicaid. It seems unfair. It's almost tempting to become a single mother for that reason.