38 days at home and ironically I had to leave to go to the ER

Alright, I have some thoughts on my trip to the ER this morning, and much of what I saw basically was numerous things I think deserve some coverage in light the coronavirus. THREAD

First, I strained my back sleeping funny on my couch. I totally forgot about it at the time. I think there couldn’t be a more ironic injury for sheltering at home for 38 days.

At the time it didn’t feel like a strain. I waited a couple of days but felt a tad nauseated, and jolts down my leg. I thought about waiting it out, but after a few days of looking at WebMD I got scared.Turns out same symptoms of a strained lower left back can mimic kidney stones

This morning I called Northwestern to make an appointment to see a primary care physician but got transported to the ER.

What they said next shocked me.

“Come on in its only one person here. You’ll be seen right away”

I hustled over there. Sure enough. One dude. I’ve never seen an empty emergency room before in my life.

They gave me a mask before going in and took me to a second floor emergency room (I assumed the first floor was for COVID-19)

I had a battery of tests done and was seen by 3 different doctors. They almost seemed bored.

NO ONE was there except two patients. I was shocked. I thought the place would be overrun by sickness and death. It was not.

“Where are all the people?” I asked a nurse.

“It was crazy before all of this. Now, no.”

“So are people afraid to come to the hospital now you think?” I asked.

The next story she told blew my mind.

“We had a patient yesterday who had a heart attack but waited home 2 days because he was afraid to come to hospital and be exposed to COViD-19” she said.

People are literally risking death of other causes to not die of this death. Wow.

“Don’t hold me to that, because you’re in a nice area downtown where no people are. I’ve heard porter areas are faring MUCH worse”

Ahhhh, the inequality has appeared.

I had a barrage of tests and they showed I had the measurements of a professional athlete. Yeah, I was proud of that.

I was in and out of the ER with a prescription patch in NINETY MINUTES.

I picked up my prescription at the Walgreens in the hospital which was fully stocked with so much I couldn’t find anywhere, like toilet paper and this treat of the gods:

I had cancelled an annual physical prior to this so, and conveniently got one during a pandemic. Sweet.

Bottom line:

1. Hospitals are seeing lesss patients b/c people are afraid to go to the doctor b/c COVID-19

2. Poorer areas maybe far more swamped than nicer ones.

3. City downtown stores are plenty stocked.

4. Be careful laying around during a pandemic. You could get hurt.