When you go to the emergency room for high heart rate and they find you are a COPD patient, it's like they treat you for being a bad person for smoking, they don't want to listen to everything going on, like having to have imunagoblin therapy to build up my immune system, and the fact the ambulance gave me nitro, which started me throwing up and a severe headache. Then left me in a make shift hall room, because they had no rooms. Why would you have a person with an immune issues in a hall for people to pass back and forth? My experience was aweful. I hatext wearing a tag on my toe, oh, BTW..this person has copd from smoking. Completely disappointed. I haven't smoked in 15 months, but they don't care. Sad..sad..our medical professionals need bedside manners.
Hospital and bad experiences : When you go to... - COPD Friends
Hospital and bad experiences
Theresa, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience in the ER. Try not to take it personally. Having smoked does not mean you're a bad person. If that were the case, we'd all be labeled that. Congrats for quitting smoking..that's a big accomplishment. Take one day at a time & do your best to saccomplishment, albeit how little some days. I'll be praying for you.
Oh, I do take it personally, it is about my health and well being. Just sayin.
I totally agree that your health & well being are of utmost importance. I was referring to people implying that you were a bad person because you smoked. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.
No worries
There was like 4 or five homeless people at the ER at the same time so they were tossing people out left and right
Well, I was in Florida Hospital Altamonte, so not sure what was going on..
I told them to send me home, I can do pills and treatments at home.
When I was taken to the emergency room I was treated with unbelievable care. I guess I was lucky
You are so right about that, but back when I started they were not suppose to be bad for you. I am on oxygen 24/7 and have to drag it around with me , but do they care your right and others also not in a hospital.
Same for me, I started in the 1970 and just stop at age 58
So sorry for that. You're right tho. They act like I'm taking up their time and doesn't care. I have been trying to quit for ever and tried everything but I keep on trying. I complained to my Dr about my last trip to the er and the nurse and he called and told the head nurse and the admin. Probably wouldn't help tho. If people don't know how hard it is to have COPD they would think more about it. Hope it gets better for you.
Thanks, I quit August 21, 2015 .it was hard, but I will never pick them up again.
I stopped then as well an found it hard but I don't seem to benefit from doing this I've been admitted 6 times wondering if I've shocked my body but this condition is really scary
HI Theresa-57, I'm so sorry you had to go through that in an ER. I would be filing a complaint with the head one of the hospital followed by a letter to him and then I would be talking with a lawyer. No one should be treated this way. I have copd and I have never smoked, mine is from second hand smoke. One of the side effects of Nitro is a very bad headache, that just means it is opening up everything so the blood can flow better. They should have gotten a whole history on you before they did anything else. I would be interested in hearing how they diagnosed copd if you feel like telling me.
Congrats on stopping smoking, I know from talking with others how hard a job that is, be proud of yourself and don't let this place discourage you.
Hi, thank you for you're kind words. I applied for disability ss and had to go to their Dr. whom diagnosis me with Copd back in June 2015. I have since had the test at the pulmonary Dr. Office to see what stage, although I haven't been told how the stages work. I have been on oxygen now for 6 months straight. I hope to get off of it.
Hi, have your doctor order Pulmonary Rehab, everyone tells me that once you do that program you breath so much better. I'm waiting to get in to do it. With it you maybe able to use less oxygen.
Don't worry about the stages, my doctor doesn't treat by stages, he goes by how I have been doing and what my numbers are that day I'm in the office. Sometime they are better and sometimes they are worst, you can go and up and down with this.
I'm sorry for your experience.
I dunno ive never been to the hispital for high heart rate. I do have heart failure. And copd. But when i diagnosed with both 8 years ago they decided i needed a defribulator/pacemaker put in my chest. So that corrects any bad behavior with my heart. And ive never had to go to the hospital with any copd attack. Im sorry how they treated you. People can be so mean. Its their proffession to be nice and to help people.is your high heart rate afib? I have a high heart rate sometimes and my defribulator told my doctor that i now have afib too. My doctors get on me all the time about my smoking and my lungs. I think the person that has never smoked doesnt realize how hard or next to impossible it is to quit smoking. Congrats on the quittng by the way! Yes doctors and nurses are supposed to have bed side manners.
Thank you , prayers for you and your dad
Theresa im so so sorry to here about your condition and bad experience 
I totaly agree with you. We are all human beings and hospitals are supposed to focus on one thing and thats getting you better. Doesnt make you or my dad any less important because you smoked. I cried with worry for my dad because this infection made him so weak that they had to take him to the toilet for a number 2 and he said he heard the 2 nurses talking about him and saying look at the sh*t and mess. My dad said he felt so embarrassed and helpless. The uk nhs has alot to answer for. How dare any medical perfession treat you and others like my dad like this. They should be named and shamed. I will pray for you Theresa and I hope you never have to go through this again. Take care and well done you for getting through this.
Thank you
Hi, I understand completely!¡ I almost lost my life because I put my copd on the back burner until I got a helicopter ride and spent over 2 weeks in the hospital with pneumonia and exasperation and also a co2 retainer, I felt like I wasn't due treatment because I also was a smoker,not anymore!!! I felt like I didn't deserve it.My daughter is a RN and finally got in my head,, I wasn't a bad person, I was just a smoker.Now I am on o2,24/7 and I am now, I am considered end stage copd, I hope people don't take copd lightly and the medical profession should not make this disease any harder than it already is.....
I suggest you contact the hospital and complain. It is not right and they should do something about it.
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