On Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:51:22 -0400, Gary > wrote:

>Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> >just hours earlier in the bathroom and then ferrets in cage
>> >would have died too, if I did.
>> >
>> >Doctor visit was $75 plus treatment...total $150. No big deal and I
>> >paid before I left.
>> >If I had gone to the hospital's emergency room for that, it would have
>> >cost way over $1000.
>>
>> Had you dialed 911 an ambulance would have arrived and the EMTs would
>> have treated you and/or brought you to the ER. If you had no
>> insurance they'd still have to treat you.
>> If you're an Asthmatic why didn't you have a rescue inhaler?
>> You really shouldn't have driven a car in your condition... don't you
>> have a neighor who could drive you in an emergency?
>> Why don't you have medical insurance, if you're over 55 you can get a
>> very inexpensive plan through AARP... it would cover your Asthma meds.
>> which aren't very expensive to begin with, the pharmaceutical
>> companies will supply meds for free too, and your primary care doctor
>> has samples, ask. With AARP insurance many of the basic Asthma meds
>> are free, no co-pay... it's a lot less expensive to give you a dollars
>> worth of meds for free than paying your hospital bills. Sitting on
>> the toilet all night struggling to breathe is a definite indication of
>> mental illness.
>
>Sheldon. You assumed way too much and failed with most of your
>guesses.
>Don't be a putz. It was the night from hell for me and all was true.
>I had prescription drugs and they quit working.

What Rx drugs, broncoldilators don't quit working, not unless way
beyond their expiration date. You probably don't even own a
nebulizer, if not then you are really not Asthmatic or whichever
doctor diagnosed you as an asthmatic would have prescribed a nebulizer
and the neb meds.

>The doctor gave me Prednizone,

Prednisone gives no immediate relief, takes 2-3 days to run a course
of prednisone before any meaningful results kick in... Prednisone is
NOT an emergency drug. For emergency the first thing the ER would do
is put you on a nebulizer with a broncoldilator and 02 instead of
plain air. Were you barely breathing and in serious distress they'd
have interbated you. Think what you want about me but I know a lot
more about respiratory illness than you. I think you were sitting on
the toilet for eight hours because you were full of shit, literally...
you'd have done better with Dulcalax.

>the extreme reaction fix. That's what
>fixed my problem, plus I got many free drugs and prescriptions for
>more.
>
>Sitting on the toilet all night, deep breathing was survival.
>Thankfully, I had a book with me.

Were you able to sit on a toilet all night, able to do deep breathing,
and simultaneously concentrate on reading then you had absolutely no
respiratory issue... most likely you were experiencing a psychotic
trauma whereby you imagined you couldn't breath... if you could do
deep breathing for eight hours straight you were having no shortness
of breath whatsoever... in fact you were breathing so well you ought
to seriously consider trying out for the navy seals. I doubt you know
what Asthma is. Asthma is the involuntary constriction of the
bronchial muscles whereby the airways become so constricted that it's
difficult for air to reach the lungs... the therapy is a brocodialator
that relaxes the bronchial muscles enough to open the airways. An
Asthmatic would be on a regamin of broncolilators to prevent or at
least limit exacerbations. What you describe is much more like a
spoiled child so in need of attention that they hold their breath
until they turn blue and begin gasping. Perhaps losing your pet was a
loss that triggered the same response you experienced with the loss of
your marriage. You don't seem to have a network of friends (the only
company you ever mentioned was a ferret) I don't think you are doing
well living alone. I seriously recommend you see a shrink. Good
luck.