Some of you might not know this, but I was diagnosed with Asthma when I was a teenager. I never really worried about it, and I never had any serious attacks that I was not able to manage with simple Ventalin or Bricanyl inhalers. Well, all that changed last week.
Since the middle of February, I have been having various degrees of problems with my Asthma, but I was able to carry on with my daily life. But it got progressively worse. And Friday at 3am I found myself admitted at the Royal Victoria Hospital for what they diagnosed as an "Asthma Crisis". At 5am I was transfered from the Emergency Room to the Emergency Acute Care. I was on oxygene and getting Ventalin treatments through a mask. I had so many that at one point I felt high as a kite. Then they pumped me full of pills, gave me a chest x-ray and kept on monitoring me. Finally, my lungs were clear around Noon and I was discharged after seeing a lung specialist. I am now on Cortizone, and have a few puffers. I feel much better than I did before but my lungs are really week and I can't tolerate any irritants right now without scrambling to puff on my Bricanyl.
And I have one thing to say about the Royal Victoria Hospital: EWWW GROSS.!!
So, there was blood on the floor in the examining room I was in. Not too mention there was a tube filled with blood lying around next to my examining table. The floor was dirty. The Bio-waste bin also had blood on it. There was 1 nurse and 1 Doctor on duty when I got in. As I came in 3 ambulances pulled in. So. Talk to me about the ailing medical system in Québec. Its really pathetic.
Another great thing. When I arrived at the ER I was in such serious respitory distress I could barely speak a single word without taking a breath. I was weezing heavily and coughing constantly. So, I am directed to triage Nurse. Well, the triage nurse was outside smoking! So he (yes a male nurse) comes in to "triage" me, and he WREAKS of cigarettes. Do I need to explain that cigarette smoke is one of the BIGGEST irratants for asthmatics? I really don't understand how they can put a smoker in charge of meeting triage patients. I was not the only asthmatic who was rushed in that night, so I'm assuming this happens often enough. So here I am trying to communicate to my nurse what the problem is, but being in the same room as he, is making my breathing worse. *GRUMBLE*
Anyway. I`m fine now. Well, I'm better. I won`t be running any triathlons this week, but hopefully all will fall into place very soon.
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