Don't be surprised if you see a male emu chasing me down the street. You know, a big bird one step down from an ostrich. At the Home for Wayward Writers and Others, the doctor's nurse practitioner (NP) suggested that I needed emu oil. I laughed.
As it turns out, she was serious, and it does have interesting values. But this has been a week from bad, Friends. Just as many Americans do, I have dangerously high blood pressure (BP). And it easily managed with an inexpensive prescription.
Unfortunately my BP medicine was placed on a Do Not Give list. As I left the hospital a relative of mine caught the error on my discharge papers.
Innocent that I was, I thought the mistake was handled. Wrong. After a few days of post-hospital haze, I recognized my dangerously high BP symptoms. But many people have no symptoms.
I asked each nurse on every shift for it to no avail. I called my general practioner’s office and left two messages. By that time I was getting desperate for my BP medicine.
The first call was requesting a follow-up appointment for release from the hospital. His new nurse was ugly to me and kept insisting I make an appointment with a bone doctor (orthopedic surgeon). I told her “No.” But she said we had a bad connection, and she would call me back. She didn't.
Truly desperate, I went to Facebook and commented on my GP's page. His nurse was oh so sweet when she called the next day. We talked, then I mentioned my GP was my friend. But she'll treat other patients just as badly.
My BP was 226 over 177. That's stroke territory. And a different nurse at The Home caught it. It seems The Home's doctor's nurse practitioner (NP) knew I needed BP medicine the prior day but dropped it out.
The good nurse hooked me up to telehealth. And I got my medicine and orders to have my BP checked in two hours. I asked the telehealth nurse practitioner:
‘Do you promise I'll be alive then?’
I knew the telehealth NP couldn't promise that. But they did check it out an hour later. My general practioner called me early, too.
People I don't know are far nicer to me now. Even The Home's doctor's NP. But now I don't really trust anyone at The Home at face value with a coupleof exceptions, for a number of reasons. The NP is the one who prescribed emu oil for my month-long injured wrist. But that's a story for another day.
Be safe. Be well. You and yours.
Gloria
Oh boy! Emu racing! What a great opportunity to do some wagering and cool refreshing beverage drinking!