Multiple ER visits

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Lovemyfaith

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My sister and I are very close. She is kind and generous and forgiving. She also struggles with many health issues, especially her stomach. She has told me she has the stomach lining of an eighty year old. I am not sure what that means, but she has a lot of pain, so much so that she has made multiple trips to the ER in the past few years. She was also in a car accident about a year ago, and still had knee and shoulder paid from that. Finally, she had a bad fall in her house on the basement steps where she re-injured her knee and broke a finger. My sister had struggles with alcohol and drugs in her teen years and there were ongoing family struggles, however, she seemed to overcome all of that so many years ago and has a wonderful marriage and two beautiful children.
The other day, a friend of mine asked how my sister was doing. When I mentioned another ER visit, she commented that it was not normal to be in the ER multiple times a year. My sister is under a gastro-physician’s care, but has told me the ER is her only option if her pain is excruciating in the middle of the night. The gastro-physician tries to treat the symptoms, but according to my sister, there isn’t much that can be done.
My friend’s words just won’t leave my head. I don’t know if I should as my sister if there is something else going on.
My brother in law works a lot and I would not be comfortable going to him as it seems like that is going behind my sister’s back.
 
If by “normal”, your friend meant “out of the norm”, then I would agree that it is not normal to make so many ER visits. However, my interpretation of this situation is that your sister is bearing a heavy cross, bodily infirmity, and is deserving of sympathy. If there are no signs of ongoing addictions, and she is going to the ER for acute pain management and other medical interventions, then I see no reason to suspect anything other than what she says. Some people’s bodies just are not as resilient as others, and they are more frequently ill and they endure more pain on a more frequent basis than other “normal” people. But it is not a character flaw or moral failing. It is just a result of living in this fallen world. I am very sorry that your sister is dealing with so much infirmity and pain. But I am glad that she feels comfortable telling you so and receiving medical treatment as often as she needs. Thank you for being there for her.
 
I deal with a chronic pain condition, and have ended up in the ER on multiple occasions because of it. Sometimes the medications that normally work just aren’t enough. Is this “normal”? Well, I guess not, when you compare me to someone healthier who isn’t dealing with such issues. But it is rather normal for someone who is.

It’s not normal to have the stomach of an 80 year old when you aren’t 80 either. She’s dealing with a painful condition and suffering. It doesn’t sound like there is any good reason to suspect anything else is going on. Trust that she and her doctors, as well as the ER physicians, know more about her condition than you do and pray for her suffering.
 
I discovered that eating ground beef causes me incredible pain. I think it’s either a gall bladder problem, or something called, ‘leaky gut syndrome.’

At any rate, I quit eating ground beef, and no longer have any problems with extreme stomach pain.
 
It does seem unusual.

Maybe her doctor isn’t treating her condition? Or preparing her for times when the pain gets bad?

I know that my insurance charges the same for an emergency room visit as it does for two night in the hospital. BUT if I am admitted, I only pay for the number of nights I stay. So, it costs me a bunch to go to the ER and not be admitted. 🤷

Maybe next time she sees her doctor he can talk to her about how to avoid the ER.

Of course you would have to bring it up to her.
 
Maybe your sister could go to an urgent care (24-hour) clinic instead? Other than that, some conditions do end up requiring many visits to the ER. I know that asthmatics sometimes have to go frequently to the ER.

One problem is that the ER is well-covered by insurance, so sometimes alternatives are ignored, both by people and their doctors. If I had known how much the vist to the ER I made once with my daughter would cost, I would have driven to the next town over to go to an urgent care place. But it was Saturday morning of a 3-day weekend and I didn’t want to wait til Monday, but driving a little further would have been fine.

Anyway, i would not worry that your sister is making too many trips to the ER, esp if her refular physician knows about them.
 
ER Nurse, here.

If your sister is having repeated trips to the same ER for pain management and is given treatment each time, it is unlikely that the ER Physician suspects drug abuse. Her GI doc is probably contacted when she comes to the hospital so the ER doc can treat her properly. When drug abuse is suspected by either doctor, treatment is limited to drugs that act on the GI tract and not IV opiate medications.

However, a solution needs to be found for these repeated attacks. Is she taking her daily medications? Can you accompany her to a GI appointment so you can help her be compliant with diet and medications? If she is already compliant, a second opinion may be warranted. Different docs treat conditions different ways sometimes. Maybe a different treatment plan is in order.
 
foundmyfaith said:
ER Nurse, here.

If your sister is having repeated trips to the same ER for pain management and is given treatment each time, it is unlikely that the ER Physician suspects drug abuse. Her GI doc is probably contacted when she comes to the hospital so the ER doc can treat her properly. When drug abuse is suspected by either doctor, treatment is limited to drugs that act on the GI tract and not IV opiate medications.

However, a solution needs to be found for these repeated attacks. Is she taking her daily medications? Can you accompany her to a GI appointment so you can help her be compliant with diet and medications? If she is already compliant, a second opinion may be warranted. Different docs treat conditions different ways sometimes. Maybe a different treatment plan is in order.
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I am really really grateful for all the replies, especially this one. I was wondering if the ER does contact her doctor, and now I know. I want to make is clear I do not in any way underestimate that she is in pain. I can not imagine anyone would go to an ER if they had any other option. I did ask my sister what they do for her in the ER and she said she gets an IV, I assume because she is weak (stomach problems lead to not eating problems) and I assume so type of pain medication.
When I do ask what can be done, my sister says very little. She blames the abuse she did to her body in her teens (drugs) for it. I wish I could do more for her, but she has been so ill lately and our mother is also very sick, so I don’t want to bring on additional stress. I would imagine the last thing someone in chronic pain needs is being questioned about how they are treating that pain. I have offered to go with her to the doctor, but she has told me she knows what she is doing.
 
I don’t know if this will help, but unless your sister’s doctor told her that she ruined her GI tract with drug use, she shouldn’t leap to that conclusion. Many people who have never done any such thing have serious GI problems that only get worse as they get older. I know two of them.

One found that she had several food intolerances, and is fine if she avoids those things. Avoiding gluten and dairy is a lot of work, but it is worth it for her! It took her a long time to get there, though.

The other has tried a restricted diet, but to no avail. She has a diagnosed GI problem that cannot be managed to the point that she is always pain-free. She can greatly lessen her issues if she is compliant, but she and her doctor have not hit on any regime that will keep her completely free of attacks. It is a work in progress, though.

Having a bad physical problem* does not *mean you asked for it. She may have dodged all the problems that the drug use put her at risk for and yet fallen to a disorder for which she has no risk factors. It happens. Whatever the case, there is no reason to live in regret. As long as she is not abusing her body now, it is better to put the things that might have left her more at risk in her past. What’s done is done. Encourage her not to punish herself for being in pain…being in pain is bad enough without that!!
 
Hi, for my two cents from the perspective/experience as an RN:

You don’t mention a diagnosed gastric issue. What exactly does she have? I had stomach pain for years. Turns out I had a combination of a stomach ulcer and malfunctioning gall bladder. Chronic conditions like colitis and Crohns can be managed.

I would suspect there is a psych component here, from the history of addiction. Generally, in my experience, most people who have addictions (past or present) have a higher tolerance level for pain meds; logical, if you think about it. They’ve built up a tolerance. These same people generally also don’t “suffer well”, meaning that they have a lower tolerance for pain. I think this is a combination of psychological and physiological factors.

There are pain specialists out there. I would suggest that she go to one if she is going to the ER multiple times a year. And the hx of accidents and falls… are you sure she’s not overmedicating or self-medicating?

In the hospital setting, pain is considered the six vital sign, and now with medicare/medicaid laws linking reimbursement to customer satisfaction, physicians are often too willing to just treat the immediate pain w/out thinking about long-term consequences. Many pain med addictions begin from hospital stays. I see it every day. The hospital is not a good place to go for pain management, unless it is under the care of a pain management service, which is more methodical and fine-tuned.

I am not really into alternative methods of medicine, but I have heard acupuncture is good for chronic pain; again this is something that could be discussed with a pain specialist.
 
Thanks to all! Once again, the angels on the forum section of Catholic Answers helped me work through a personal struggle in my life. You guys have given me a lot to think about. Hopefully I will be able to process it all to come up with a plan to help my sister, or at least support her in her suffering.
I saw Jimmy Aiken making a plea for donations on the site. I have to dig a little deeper to support this site. I have benefited from this site in so many ways, including in this thread. I have to make sure Catholic.com continues to help others, who like me. turn to it for help.
 
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