My recent visit to Henry Ford River District Emergency Room was, without a doubt, the most…read moredehumanizing and distressing medical experience of my life. I am a single mother of four young children, with a husband who passed away almost two years ago. My family lives hours away, making emergency medical visits incredibly difficult to coordinate, so when I come to the ER, it's because I genuinely need help and answers.
For the past year, I've been struggling with significant, unexplained weight loss (over 80 pounds). My PCP has run blood work and a CT scan of my chest down, but we still have no answers. Approximately six months ago, I started experiencing debilitating nerve pain radiating from my arms into my fingers, primarily at night or when lying down. This pain would wake me up repeatedly, forcing me to get up and try to alleviate it.
The culmination of these concerns, especially the new onset of a lump at the base of my skull that I discovered recently, prompted my mother to travel across the state to care for my children so I could seek emergency care. I was terrified. This lump, coupled with the severe nerve pain, jitteriness, headaches, agitation, and continued weight loss, was a major alarm for both myself and my family.
My experience in the ER was nothing short of an absolute nightmare. The doctor I saw was beyond rude; he was demeaning and dismissive. He made me feel like I was a complete burden, a piece of trash. He told me the lump wasn't "anything to worry about" and that I needed to "manage my expectations." He insisted the severe nerve pain had "nothing to do with" the growth on my head and repeatedly stated there was "nothing he could do, or would do."
Multiple times when I was attempting to explain my symptoms, he cuttingly asked, "Well, what do you want me to do about it?!" His continuous belittling remarks, such as "It's not worth my time" and "Why are you all of a sudden coming to ER for this?", were incredibly painful and completely inappropriate. Does it matter why I'm there at that time, or day, why I "waited" to come in? What should matter is that I am a patient seeking help, scared and panicking over a new, significant lump on my head that wasn't there a month ago.
When I tried to show him my CT scan results from my Athena Health app on my phone, he completely ignored me, even as I held out my phone for him to see. I was left crying, feeling utterly unheard, neglected, and like I was just a number, not worthy of any care whatsoever.
The only bright spot in this horrific experience was the kind woman working at registration at the front desk. She at least acted like a human being.
I am truly, truly disgusted by the doctor and nurse (who admitted me) at Henry Ford River District Emergency Room. Their lack of empathy, professionalism, and basic human decency is appalling. No one should ever be made to feel so dismissed and neglected, especially when seeking urgent medical attention. I would strongly advise anyone to avoid this emergency room if possible.
