Dr. Kenneth William Porter-Shirley

I know that doctors have got just as burnt out as nurses, but not everyone wants pain meds or attention. I rarely go anywhere medical wise I don’t HAVE to go. I work in a postpartum nursery and nicu so if I get sick I have to be swabbed and go about my work when the results are in. Tonight I went after working 13 hours to the Ed for tightness, squeezing of the heart, and heart rate going constantly from 70s- 120s. The oxygen monitor stayed about 95 but I felt as if I couldn’t take in as much air as I needed. Maybe it was left over from a cold and doing something horrible in my lungs?, maybe a blood clot is stuck awaiting it’s departure on my lung. Who knew!? What I did know is that if I go to the doctor let alone the ED something is most certainly wrong. He patted my head gave me an Ativan told me I’m hyperventilating due to anxiety. I said well when it hurts to breathe I don’t want to hurt very much. Ekg strip in the first 2 min showed 108 heart rate, 99 o2, 63 reps. In 10 minutes… while I was chilling on my phone I got a picture of the multi focal pvcs that were not there previously. Chest x-ray supposedly clear. Who knows they never show you?! And advice to take Tylenol and ibuprofen for fevers aches and pains. I basically spent $200 for an Ativan I didn’t need just because of judgement on a nurse coming into Ed with pain. SHAME! I need to find out why it hurts when I breathe, why my heart is getting squeezed like lemons making lemonade when my heart rate drops down 20 points randomly. You make me feel like you were making fun of me and that I came to the er for anxiety. I pray that you show a little more compassion to those who come for aid and get shunned due to your assessment skills. Maybe someday these fellow nurse will have to tend to you as well.