Not a cab

[kpzra]

This is from my days as a Paramedic. One thing we hate is being told we are just drivers. No, we are medical professionals (for the most part).

Anywhoo...We got called to a residence for shortness of breath, chest pain, and vomiting. We arrive on scene with all the blinky lights going, siren, only to have our patient walk out to us...carrying a 2 liter of Coke. This should have been a sign. She climbs in, sits on the cot, and says to drive her to the "hopital", all before we have actually dismounted from the cab. I climb in back, and try to get a history. She tells me it's none of my business, she just needs a ride.

I'm thinking right here we should have kicked her out, but the higher ups frown on that, so away we go. I managed to get her to tell me she just needed a pregnancy test, that's why she wanted to go to the ER. She stated screaming at me and pulled the race card when I dumped her ass in triage.

[LillFilly]

Couldn't have gotten away with putting her in a full body brace and strapping her down? I mean, that soda was OBVIOUSLY the mechanism of injury!

[50 mission cap]

she probably got the bill for the ambulance ride though.

[NateTheChops]

Or, more than likely she has insurance that covered her first ambulance ride, no doubt brought on by the reason she needs a pregnancy test in the first place. And since she didn't have to "pay" for the first one she assumes she can just call an ambulance whenever.

Or she's played Grant Theft Auto too much, but even GTA I got paid for dropping people off at the hospital.

[Sapphire Silk]

This is from my days as a Paramedic. One thing we hate is being told we are just drivers. No, we are medical professionals (for the most part).

Anywhoo...We got called to a residence for shortness of breath, chest pain, and vomiting. We arrive on scene with all the blinky lights going, siren, only to have our patient walk out to us...carrying a 2 liter of Coke. This should have been a sign. She climbs in, sits on the cot, and says to drive her to the "hopital", all before we have actually dismounted from the cab. I climb in back, and try to get a history. She tells me it's none of my business, she just needs a ride.

I'm thinking right here we should have kicked her out, but the higher ups frown on that, so away we go. I managed to get her to tell me she just needed a pregnancy test, that's why she wanted to go to the ER. She stated screaming at me and pulled the race card when I dumped her ass in triage.

Paramedics are medical professionals. The "for the most part" only applies to the rare doofus who isn't professional (every profession has them, sadly).

She's lucky she didn't get me as the charge nurse. I'dve dumped her ass in triage as well. Our policy for this kind of BS, was, triage, get a urine sample in the waiting room, and unless they had other symptoms, make 'em wait until everything else is cleared out before the doctor sees him . . . no test results until then.

How stupid of these people . . . you can buy perfectly good pregnancy tests at the dollar store.

she probably got the bill for the ambulance ride though.

You can't get blood from a stone. These jokers usually don't have insurance . . . or have Medicaid which they view as a "get all health care free card." (which does a disservice to the vast majority of Medicaid recipients who use it responsibly).

[telecom_goddess]

I love the dollar store but would NOT trust a pregnancy test from there sorry.....

[Seshat]

Step 1: pharmacy med test.

Step 2: See your GP. (or 'family doctor' by whatever name). If you're an actual parent, you've got about twenty years of knowing your GP well ahead of you.

[laborcat]

I love the dollar store but would NOT trust a pregnancy test from there sorry.....

Believe it or not, the dollar store pregnancy test I originally bought for my second pregnancy was positive. The backup I bought for eleven bucks at the drugstore said negative. Eight months later, I have a ten pound redhead with grey eyes looking at me. I'd trust the dollar store test again.

[surreal20]

They do say "you get what you pay for"

The best part is...sometimes you get the best stuff for next to nothing

[Sapphire Silk]

I love the dollar store but would NOT trust a pregnancy test from there sorry.....

They're perfectly fine. Any OTC pregnancy test is as good as the urine dipstick test we do in the ER. If positive, we always follow up with a blood test. We only do an ultrasound if the patient is complaining of symptoms that might indicate a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Step 1: pharmacy med test.

Step 2: See your GP. (or 'family doctor' by whatever name). If you're an actual parent, you've got about twenty years of knowing your GP well ahead of you.

Step 2 only applies if you have a GP you've known for 20 years. You'd be surprised at the number of people who don't.

Nonetheless, wondering if you are pregnant is NOT a medical emergency and does NOT warrant a call to 911. If you don't have a doc, hit an urgent care or clinic

[Andara Bledin]

I've never met any of the doctors assigned to me by HMO but for one that I specifically asked never to be seen by again. He wasn't a bad doctor, but he was so incredibly loud that it hurt my ears when he talked. >.<

^-.-^

[Seshat]

Step 2 only applies if you have a GP you've known for 20 years. You'd be surprised at the number of people who don't.

We don't - we have one we hope to know for 20 years, though. He's GREAT.

But yeah, lots of people don't realise how important it is for you to have a regular GP.

[Shalom]

But yeah, lots of people don't realise how important it is for you to have a regular GP.

I've had one for years. Unfortunately for me, he's in Brooklyn, and I'm on the other side of the Hudson... kind of cuts down on unnecessary visits. If I have to be arsed to get in my car/on the bus and travel for an hour to get to see the doctor, you know damn well I'm sick.

[Plague*Star]

They do say "you get what you pay lay for"

There, fixed that for ya

P*S