What would you do in this case? (ER situation)

Author: exorphin

Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:19 am


First of all, I’m not sure if I am posting this in the correct section;
so- Mods- please feel free to move it if necessary.

Anyway, yesterday, I woke up around 7 am with severe, acute pain that was localized in my ribs-
directly beneath my right breast. I took 2 Aleve and 1 tylenol, but it didn’t go away.
I debated about going to see my PCP- who is open on Saturdays til noon- but I ended up not going there.

Around 4:30 PM, or so, the pain was around a 5- and was persisting. So, I called my insurance’s helpline-
to see if I should go into the ER. Well, a Registered Nurse had called me back, and asked me about 25 questions.
After her questions, she then advised me to be seen within 4 hours at an Urgent Care Center-
which we do not have in this small town- only the ER. So, I got my shoes and jacket on, and got my neighbor
to drive me to the ER, which is only several blocks away. (I was in way too much pain to walk there.)

So, I get to the ER around 5:45 PM. They check me in, and get me into an exam room. Well, I waited almost 2
hours to see the ER Dr. She orders a bunch of tests; and- in my IV line- she gives me Dilaudid, Zofran, and
something else- I think it is called "Protonix" or something like that. (Yes, I had told them upon check-in
that I am on Suboxone @ 4 mg per day.) I get a CT scan of my abdobmen, and they find a kidney stone-
BUT this doctor tells me that this stone is NOT the cause of my extreme, localized pain.

After the CT scan, I request another shot of pain medicine. She agreed to this… UNTIL she REALIZES that
I am on Suboxone! This is what she barges in the room saying: "I didn’t realize that you are on Suboxone.
So, I am not giving you another shot in your IV line for pain." I reply with an "Okay".

Finally, around a little bit before 10 PM, she tells me that I can go home. The nurse takes out my IV line, etc.
Then the nurse gives me 2 Vicodins in a little bottle (which I take as soon as I leave the ER), and 2 scripts:
1 for Prilosec, and 1 for fifteen Vicodins.

Now, here is what I am wondering what I should do:
Should I dispose of this Vicodin script? Or should I get it filled?
Or should I call my sub doc and ask him?

What would you do if you were in this situation?

Thanks!

-ex-