I was in the waiting room of local pain clinic where I get trigger poinit join injections.
Only 2 others in waiting room, all was quiet until....
Could hear doors banging, then yelling...startled and shook me.
A woman came out from the exam rooms with several nurses, others following her into the waiting room.
She yelled at the receptionist to call her a cab "NOW"!
Then began screaming, yelling...saying she had come here for help, is in horrible pain...
and that after 4 years of coming here had screwed up ONCE, got discharged.
Said she had irretractable pain, another hospital had sent her there for treatment....but they refused to treat her.
She kept asking to use the phone, they kept telling her NO!.
Then she let out blood curdling screams...
Said her son just died a few days ago....
said her 33 year old son had just shot killed himself after being given Prozac by his finace....
he'd taken them thinking were sedatives.
She became very graphic describing what he'd done, how he'd done it, what it looked like...
what she'd seen....that she hasn't cried about this till now.

She kept asking to use the phone, wanted to call her family, that she was going to kill herself NOW!...and needed to talk to them immediatly.

The clinic people told her to LEAVE NOW!...they had no phone for her to use and were calling security.
She kept yelling, begging them to give her pain meds,
anything to help her pain.
She kept asking to use the phone, they kept denying her to use it, told her to leave.
She said she was going to get a gun, come back kill Kathy (the nurse that refused her pain meds) and anyone else there...going to kill everyone AND herself.
She kept screaming, sobbing and refused to leave...kept telling about her son and how he'd killed himself.
She was no doubt very traumatized, big time...and who knows what kind of pain she has....but obviously having a complete breakdown.

This really upsets me big time...seeing someone in such raw pain...
How brutal it all was, her pain, suffering from poor health on top of her losing a child in such an ugly way.
I was very afraid of her threats she'd made, wondering what she may do next...
who knows if she had a gun on her then or one out in her car?...or if she would do something crazy like take a hostage or pull a knife out...
too many stories like this happen daily...
so I didn't take what she said lightly.
She kept screaming, demanding they give her pain meds NOW!...but they kept telling her NO WAY, to leave immediatly.
She finally ran out of the clinic, so they went into lock down mode, called police.
They came, took her away....maybe to jail for making death threats?
My nurse told me that she'd never been a patient here, didn't know what she meant by saying she'd been coming here 4 years then discharged for screwing up....
that another hospital ER doc had sent her there mistakenly thinking they'd treat her.
I have very mixed emotions about all this.
The woman was seeking help for her pain...she was obviously in crises melt down having her son kill himself.
I understand the pain...that initself can drive a person to become desperate when no ones willing to treat it or help you become dismissive.

At the same time I understand the pain clinics unwilling to treat her, give her pain meds...perhaps use them to kill herself.
Then they would be liable for enabling her death.

But then this poor woman was suffering, both emotionally and physically.
Being sent out the door, refusing to treat pushed her over the brink and she ended up losing all way around.
But then if she had lost her "right" to treatment by "screwing up"...who knows what happened...maybe sold them, or took street drugs on top of them, I'll never find out...but she did screw up, lost her "priveledge" to get them...is what happens when you're foolish with such drugs.
I don't blame the pain clinic either way...but I felt so sorry for her, wished I could have helped her...
but NO WAY!....I got my own issues, don't need others saga when can't even deal with my own self!
What a very sad sad mess this woman has to deal with...she is NOT surviving or coping very well.
I'm wondering if there would have been a better way to handle her ordeal, if they could have offered her someone to talk to...put her as inpatient treat her pain and emotional suffering?
Is just so sad...and I'm so confused...I have half mind to write my thougts to the doctors, nurses there....to have a little more compassion, perhaps have councelors on hand to deal with such...afterall this clinic approaches from a Christian standpoint...I didn't see anything close to that happening there that day!
Was just all so sad...so raw, so brutal.
cheryl

((((((Cheryl)))))),



I don't blame you for being upset. I would be too.

When did we become a society of non-caring people where the absolute MOST we'll do for people is kick their @$$ out the door??

If she were really in that much of a crisis ... If everything that she said (or most of what she said was true), she was a danger to herself and to others. They probably could have requested a 72-hour commitment. It just seems WRONG to me to throw her out the door and go into lockdown.

I also don't think it was appropriate or even legal for them to be discussing her with other people in the waiting room.

I think it would good for you, both personally and emotionally, to write a letter to the clinic and ask how they plan to treat an event like this if it should ever happen again. Legally, I think they could have committed her (because of the threats to herself and to others). It looks like they just blew it over onto the police department. Maybe they don't have "policy" for something like this, but, they certainly should have a "policy". Especially after this.




Aside from this. Have you noticed that you're writing about the same 'theme' lately?? Seeing both sides of what's involved with people who are in extreme pain.

I believe that The Universe puts situations in front of us as learning events -- either for us or for others, sometimes for both.

It's interesting that what you've been writing about recently turns up as full-blown reality in your life.

I think, if you're in therapy, it might be a good idea for you to discuss this in more detail.

I don't know your entire history. But, I've gotten the impression of a scared little girl hiding in the corner.

Lately, that little girl is bigger and stronger and more aware of others and more empathetic.

I see big changes and healing happening in your life, Cheryl. Maybe even a little guidance and direction from The Universe as to where you should be going next

You know, Cheryl, you are amazing A lot of people would have closed their eyes and closed their ears and not heard or seen any of what happened. The fact that you didn't close your eyes or close your ears, especially given your history, speaks volumes about the kind of woman that you've become. A kind, caring, empathetic woman. Nice!!

BIG HUGS.

Barb

(((((crytears)))))


I'm so darn sorry that you had to witness such raw drama.

I can tell how torn, angered, confused and traumatized you are feeling.

I don't have any words of wisdom ... I just want tell you to take care of yourself first.

I want to add this to the story...I checked out the story of her son killing self.
So I called the golf course where he'd done this...they said was true, happened 4 days ago...
that his mother went crazy, had seen him.
Oh my gosh...how horrible!
Never did they discuss her case anywhere in the clinic waiting room.
It was her telling people in the waiting room so all would listen....
about her medical case, and her sons suicide.
She became increasing beligerant when they refused her the use of phone
so couldn't help but hear about her plight, history and the fact she'd gotten discharged apparantly from a pain clinic,
but not that one....
They only disclosed to me that she had never been a patient of theirs when I asked the nurse practioner I see once I was back in a exam room.

I'm one of the first original patients at this clinic from 5 years, so they know me quite well.
plus I know some of the doctors and nurses on a more personal level...also worked and volunteered at this hospital years ago.
So I learn "stuff" via the grape vine...ya know...hospital "talk"....but nothing every revealing such as patient info....even my pet therapist dog had to sign the Hippa regulations papaers!...so even tho I'm "in the Know" a patients information is always kept private.
I was frightened, worried what this woman may do...at the same time upset at whats happening to her but same time know some people do this to themselves by lifestyles they live...taking drugs, streetwise, etc.
When I was younger, smart and healthy I was a Deputy Sheriff down in Calif.
I ran across same type people every day...they were always in some sort of crisis or domestic violence, drugs...just all part of the way they lived.
I got tired of dealing with the ugly side of society...and after 4 years I turned in my badge. Whats the point....the moment they got out of jail out on the street just few hours...they were right back into trouble.
I was disguisted and at the same time had compassion for these people...if only they'd make better choices...can't they see what they're doing to themselves? It was usually the same people always in trouble, then passed these habits onto their children...and endless cycle of pain and suffering only because of poor choices.
The police pass these people off to the medical community...then are treated enough to get them out the doors, then they're right back to sqaure one and back to being dealt with by law enforcement. Its just very sad.
I wish they would have handled this woman a little differently, but then I dont know the whole story...she did make a very big commontion in the treatment rooms, demanding pain meds, treatments. So who knows what was wrong...at least she could walk, energy enough to yell and hit her fist on the counter.
When I'm in awful pain...I'm lucky if I can yell at my cats!
I felt tremendous compassion for this woman just because of her sons death.
I'm going talk to the admin doctor...see if they can do "things" a little differently should there be another case like this.
I'm sure if he'd witnessed this, he'd done things a little differently.
He's a very compassionate and Godly man and cares deeply about each one of his patients...he gives his ALL...ALL the time!
Blessings, cheryl

Hi Cheryl

I can't even begin to imagine that woman's pain. I'm sorry you had to witness such drama. It's strange when you can see all THREE sides to a story, huh?

I don't see how hospital staff could have handled it any differently. She was asking for pain meds, but only spoke of horrible emotional pain. Meds for physical pain should not be used to treat emotional pain. I suspect they were trying to recommend psychological help for her pain prior to her storming out of the exam room.

I think people expect to live lives without pain nowadays. Pharmaceutical companies have fooled us into thinking all we have to do is take a pill to relieve our pain. They've also fooled us into thinking a pill will help us overcome the obstacles we have to face in life. This woman has a long road of healing ahead of her, and I doubt a prescription for pain meds would have helped her.