On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:38:22 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>
>
>"Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 09:45:29 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>>
>>>Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I spend 4 days in ICU and another 3 nights in the hospital. I was billed
>>>> nothing for all that.
>>>
>>>My God. If that was in the USA, you would face a bill of (just
>>>guessing) over $20K.
>>>
>>>That night 7.5 years ago that I had severe asthma and was stuck
>>>sitting on the toilet all night - very labored breathing and even a 7
>>>step walk to the phone to call for help would have killed me. After
>>>spending about 8 hours on the damn toilet with very labored breathing
>>>all night, I was finally healed enough to get up, dressed, and I drove
>>>to a "minor emergency clinic." Very labored breathing even for that.
>>>
>>>As soon as they heard that I had no insurance, they treated me quite
>>>shabbily (imo). They didn't want me there and acted like I was some
>>>bum off the street after free medical care. I was told that the doctor
>>>was running a bit late and I should go to the emergency room.
>>
>> A clinic would not have told you to drive to the ER, they would have
>> called an ambulance.
>>
>>>I told
>>>them that I was doing ok just sitting there and waiting but to get up
>>>again would be a hardship. I'm not leaving.
>>>
>>>So then she told me, "You know, this could be expensive"
>>>I told her, "I've got money, I'll pay for this today"
>>>She still didn't seem convinced. Again, I was made to feel like some
>>>bum.
>>>
>>>So I finally got to see the doctor. They treated me there and I was
>>>good to go plus I got prescriptions. Funny how just 1/2 hour treatment
>>>in the doctors office fixed me when I really almost died of asthma
>>>attack
>>
>> That's why you need medication at home, you should have an Albuterol
>> Sulphate inhaler on you at all times, and a nebulizer at home... with
>> a neb treatment at home you'd be fine in ten minutes.
>
>Yes, I have all those things and have never got into difficulties the way
>Gary did. As soon as I have a problem I have everything I need to treat
>myself instantly!
>
>I hope Gary will take better care of himself now. What he suffered and the
>way he was treated was dreadful.

Essentially it was Gary's own doing. Nebulizers cost very little,
$50-$80, they can even be obtained for free. Albuterol sulphate
ampules are dirt cheap, they cost no more than smelling salts, usually
free from ones doctor. If his primary care physcian knows he has no
insurance and can't aford medication a plan can be set up with the
pharmaceutical company to provide meds for free from a local pharmacy,
plus doctors have lots of free samples, just need to ask. Gary was
really nutso to sit in his toilit all night because he had no
medication on hand that could save his life, what a low IQ jerk. If
the story he told is true (which I doubt) he's very lucky to have
lived, Asthma exacerbations don't get better by waiting, they become
worse. Gary, if you are truly an Asthmatic, get educated, if you're
lying STFU.