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Originally Posted by shawano1
Thank you all for your responses. Let me tell you more of the story based on your responses.
On the first night, after taking her to TV ER and faced with an 11 hour wait, we did drive to Leesburg, because one of TV nurses said that Leesburg had pediatric care. When we got to Leesburg, we were faced with the same thing. The check in nurse said that they, too had an eleven hour waiting list. So we returned home, and gave our infant granddaughter acetaminaphin and put her to bed.
The next morning, I went to the TV Regional Hospital's Urgent Care across the street, and it wasn't open until 7 or 8 a.m. When I talked to one of the nurses about my sick granddaughter, they said that the ER is the place to go to receive a chest x-ray. That they would not have been able to help her. I then called around to various clinics and found one on HWY 466 and Morse that said they would be able to perform a chest x-ray on a toddler. Going back to our story, by then our granddaughter's fever had broken, so we went into a wait and lets see how she responds mode. Again, because of insurance coverage issues that only allowed for ER coverage pointed us to the ER or out of pocket expenses. By bedtime, our granddaughter was still very congested, but no fever. Our daughter wanted to take her into the ER for a chest x-ray, so I scouted TV ER for waiting time, and again it was five hours on the second night. We thought it would be better to wait until morning instead of having this toddler endure five hours of waiting in an ER waiting room. If no improvement overnight then we were going to take her to TV ER or to the walk-in clinic mentioned above. It ended up being TV ER on Saturday morning, and after an hour and a half wait, she received treatment in an open hallway, with no chest x-ray. We did receive an anti-biotic prescription for an ear infection. Hopefully, it will address the chest congestion, too.
In conclusion, a 24-hour Urgent Care would not have helped. They didn't do x-rays. Leesburg, was just as crowded as TV. Seasonality, has minimal blame. Going back to my original post, I needed ER care last August. I went to Urgent Care across the street, and once they heard pulmonary embolism, they whisked me to TV ER. There I waited nine hours for treatment, which ended up being an ultrasound and some blood work. When I asked personnel at TV ER why such poor service, they said that more snowbirds are becoming full-time residents that the ER can't handle summertime demand anymore either. As for people going to the ER that didn't need to be there and cause this problem, all I ask for those off-the-cuff flippant responses, is just go to TV ER some night. Pick any night, at any time of the year, and see the misery in all of the faces, and you will understand my outrage toward TV planners of how poorly they planned for this critical need. They do a great job in creating all kinds of availability for new housing, but missed terribly in this area. I pray that none of you ever has to go through what we and all of the others in that ER waiting room has gone through.
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Thanks for posting this story on TOTV. I had a little medical problem (slight pain near the pubic triangle above the male package) a few weeks back and fortunately went to the closest Urgent Care @ February 11, 2014 which got me a doctor within 10 minutes or so. I had very high blood pressure and constipation. It turned out I just had too much blockage but I had been reading all kinds of things on the Internet trying to figure out what it might be and put myself in a very agitated state. I have no medical coverage of any kind at the moment so we had to pay out-of-pocket. The thorough physician did take a group of MRIs as I had suspected that it might be my prostate. Thankfully, it was not as far as I know. I turned 55 on 2-24. Born on 2-24-1959.
We had to call 911 a few months back as my father fell about 9:30 P.M. and put a couple of gashes which needed 16 stitches near his hairline. He was bleeding profusely from the head so he did get into a doctor quite quickly. Of course, this was not during snowbird season. He went to the Villages Regional Hospital Emergency via ambulance with my mother while I spent about a half hour mopping up the bathroom with towels and bleach. I picked him up that night at about 2:30 A.M and brought him home.
I have heard stories of long waiting times at the Villages' area hospitals, of course.
So glad that your granddaughter is OK. Not sure of what kind of solution is needed.
I am still monitoring my own health after taking two weeks of blood pressure checks (@ Feb 11-Feb 25, 2014) and taking the pills the doctor prescribed. Trying to eat fruit and yogurt for the constipation. I also take regular blood sugar tests with a kit I bought at CVS.
I am looking into doing something about my own lack of medical insurance but this chronic state has never stopped me from seeking medical care. I am very lucky to have family that care for me. Great that you were there for your granddaughter.