My wife found out the hard way that our local NH hospital is getting hit hard by COVID

[Silent3]

Last edited Sun Dec 26, 2021, 07:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Fortunately she's doing much better today and is on her way to recovery, but she had to go into the ER Christmas day because of what turned out to be a bleeding ulcer. (Most likely cause: long-term use of ibuprofen.)

There are no regular beds available. She was being treated in the hallway until 3AM last night, but after that she at least got a room in the ER, and that's probably where she'll stay until she comes home tomorrow.

I followed the ambulance to the hospital yesterday and waited in the ER waiting room for a while. It was empty at first, but then a woman with COVID was brought in by her husband because she could barely breathe. No room available for her either. Since my wife was going to be in the ER for a while, and I'm just a few minutes drive from the hospital, I decided to go home to wait for more news there, not hang out where I could be exposed to more COVID patients.

Today I went back to see my wife, and the ER waiting room was packed. I have no idea how many of those people had COVID, but no one still in the waiting room was in obvious respiratory distress.

We're both fully vaxxed and boosted, by the way, and had just done home COVID tests the day before and came up clean.

UPDATE: As of 4:30 PM today, she’s got a real room.

I’m in a more populated area of NH. I think the situation is even worse in the more rural hospitals, and it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that many of the patients our local hospital is treating came from elsewhere.

[alwaysinasnit]

1. Wishing a speedy recovery for your wife. What a way to spend Xmas day!

Stay safe.

[electric_blue68]

2. Eeeks! A full recovery for your wife and a Healthy New Year

[Collimator]

3. Best wishes to your wife.

I'm sorry this happened to her, and you.

But, of course, this whole thing is just a hoax, and all those people in the hospital are just crisis actors. The ones in the graveyards are holding out for Oscars.

Either that, or it's all Joe Biden's fault. Not sure exactly how it's his fault, but it is. If Trump hadn't been cheated out of his God-given position ('cause it's so easy to thwart the plans of an all powerful deity), everything would be perfect right now.

[KT2000]

4. Wishing your wife a speedy recovery

The ironic thing is that hospitals cannot even think of social distancing because they are so crowded now.

[Voltaire2]

5. NH has been a Covid shitshow for many weeks.

Sununu can’t figure out if he is on or off the clown car, and the legislature and executive council are too busy wrecking our schools and election processes to bother with a fake Chinese virus

[Klaralven]

6. The group I go to sent emails at noon saying both their walk-in clinics were not taking patients

for the rest of today due to the volume of Covid patients. This is in NJ.

[iluvtennis]

7. Well wishes to your wife. n/t

[orleans]

8. same thing (bleeding ulcer) happened to me a number of years ago for the same damm reason

ibuprofen.
only i was in the er for several days, mostly unconscious and was told i had been given several transfusions.
it's all still a blurr

i remember being quizzed by a doctor who asked me how much i drink. i told him i didn't drink. and the dickhead didn't believe me and he was very condescending. my daughter was in the room and was surprised at how he behaved. she had to tell him i was not lying to him. that's one of the few things i recall about that experience.

took omeprazzole for a long time after that.

hope your wife recovers quickly. (and fuck that advil!)

[Silent3]

14. My wife could have been worse if we hadn't taken quick action

She first felt ill Friday night, and even then I was suggesting a trip to the ER, but she hoped whatever she had would pass. She did feel better a few hours later, and close to normal when she got up Christmas morning, but by 2:00 PM the same unpleasant symptoms (which I shall not describe in detail) struck again with a vengeance.

Even then, she was hoping to put off seeing a doctor until Monday, but I talked her into the ER, and when she felt too weak and wobbly to even stand up to get to our car, I called for an ambulance.

This is nothing to mess with. Apparently it’s quite possible to bleed to death this way if it goes on too long. My wife lost enough blood to need a transfusion today (she was just on the borderline for that).

[jeffreyi]

21. Me too. Needed at least a couple units of blood.

Not as severe as yours, though. Ibuprofen can be really bad. It turns out I also had the H. pylori infection. After a course of industrial level antibiotics and Pepto bismol, was ok and no recurrences. I was a lot younger then and had always had issues with monthly cramps. After that regimen of antibiotics, something in my system reset and I never had a cramp again. Makes no sense, but that's my experience. No more NSAIDS or aspirin for me, ever again. Too bad, because they work so darn well.

[Vinca]

9. I know the NH hospital we're closest to is maxxed out. We usually go to a hospital in

southern Vermont, though, and I haven't heard anything about that hospital being stressed by Covid. Sorry your wife had such a bad experience between the ulcer and the hospital. Hope she's better and home soon.

[MLAA]

10. Sending best wishes for a fast and full recovery

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. My partner's hospital just emailed and said they are now prohibiting visitors.

Back to pandemic shutdown rules.

(Chicago suburbs)

[orleans]

19. which hospital? nt

[calimary]

12. OY! Worrisome to hear about that full ER waiting room.

I hope it's not COVID-related, but SHEESH - you never know anymore, what with all the pigheaded deliberately-dumb-ass reality-avoidance out there.

YOU stay safe, okay, Silent3? And safe healthy wishes of speedy healing to your wife, also!

[Silent3]

13. UPDATE: As of 4:30 PM today, my wife has a real room.

I’m in a more populated area of NH. I think the situation is even worse in the more rural hospitals, and it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that many of the patients our local hospital is treating came from elsewhere.

[Solly Mack]

15. Hoping for a speedy recovery!

I'm sorry y'all had to go through that. A lack of room at the hospital can be scary.

[Xolodno]

16. I'm in So Cal

But our area has two hospitals. Apparently they made a deal, one gets all the COVID patients, supplies, resources, etc. and the other takes everyone else. So they transport patients between the two as needed. When my mom was in the hospital, not a single COVID patient there. But we heard about some of the horror stories at the other hospital as the doctors work at both of them.

[MustLoveBeagles]

18. I'm glad your wife finally got a room

I think your initial decision to wait for news at home was a wise one. My friend had to take her husband to the ER earlier this month. She waited in the waiting room until he was seen. She thinks that's where she caught a breakthrough infection of Covid. Please stay safe.

[LuckyCharms]

20. Positive thoughts for a good outcome.

Your wife is in good hands.

[Heartstrings]

22. Healing vibes sent for your wife.......nt

[Silent3]

23. I just brought her home

She feels a bit tired, but it otherwise doing fine now.

Thank you everyone here for the support!

[Heartstrings]

24. Good to hear,

now you just need to pamper her!