Rideout Hospital - 3AM Flank Pain, Anxiety Poops, and an RN Named Sara Who Deserves a Trophy…read more
I rolled into Rideout Hospital around 3AM on Sunday, July 27th, after hours of battling whatever-the-heck-was-happening to my right side. Flank pain from hell. I tried everything at home Tylenol, ibuprofen, deep breathing, mild crying, you name it. I finally gave up pretending I could handle it and decided to go in, expecting the usual ER horror story: packed waiting room, dismissive staff, and being told to just "walk it off."
Nope. Plot twist, it was EMPTY. I was checked in and seen in literally 10 minutes. My BP was sky-high (169/90), and the team jumped into action like a Nascar pit crew. I was given oral pain meds, labs were drawn, and soon I was moved to the back where the real MVP of this story appears: RN Sara.
From start to finish, Sara was everything. She didn't just do her job she nailed it. She advocated for me, listened, and made sure I got the right pain meds. The doc was about to give me Dilaudid, but Sara was like, "Let's try morphine first" and she was right. It worked perfectly, and honestly, I don't think my body or my soul could've handled anything stronger. She took the time to assess what I actually needed, not just what was on autopilot protocol. Total lifesaver.
And then came the most humbling part: anxiety hit me like a truck and brought along its BFF emergency bathroom runs. Every five minutes, there I was, speed-walking to the bathroom in between waves of panic and pain. It was humiliating. But Sara? She never made me feel awkward or gross or dramatic. She was understanding, gentle, and even joked with me and my sister to keep the mood light. Bless her.
Eventually, I got a CT scan because the pain was no joke, and while they didn't find anything alarming (just some good ol' constipation), they told me to come back immediately if the pain returned. The PA on call gave me a well-deserved "mom talk" about not mixing mega doses of Tylenol and ibuprofen like I'm a chemist with no consequences, which I appreciated. Stern but caring.
By the time I left, I was pain-free, relaxed (ish), and just really grateful I had gone in. I was originally hesitant I mean, let's be real, women often get brushed off in ERs for pain. But not this time. I was taken seriously, cared for quickly, and treated with so much compassion.
I hope whatever went down in my body that night never comes back, but if it does, I know exactly where I'm going. And if I'm lucky, Sara will be on shift again, because she is an absolute gem.