You are absolutely right about laying down on a bed at home being more comfortable than sitting in a chair in an Emergency Room waiting area. The problem locally is that our emergency rooms are slammed. Last November (my first episode) the emergency room was full of sick people. The hospital had no beds due to people hospitalized for covid and other respiratory viruses. They gave me the option of going to my car (away from all the other sick people) to lay down for a couple of hours waiting my turn, which I did (with emesis basin in hand). Even at MD Anderson I had to sit for a long time in the ER on an uncomfortable chair. I finally asked if I could lie down on the floor somewhere, whereupon they gave me a place to lie down and soon got me into a room. They can't insert the ng tube until a room is available with a hookup to suction. By the way for me the pain does not immediately go away when the ng tube is inserted. It takes a while. They are willing to give me IV medication for the pain, but unfortunately that slows down the intestines. Ironic! I believe I need to be more assertive in the future (hopefully in a nice way) and ask for an IV immediately for hydration and a place to lie down until medical personnel can assess me.

Once admitted, the hospitalists rely on the surgery department to call all the shots (as to when the ng tube can come out, when oral liquids and food can be started , and when a patient can be discharged). The surgeons take a very conservative approach which requires many inpatient days. I get frustrated at the delay and want to get out of the hospital as soon as I feel the blockage is resolving--usually in 36 to 48 hours. A nurse suggested that for the future I could enter into my advance directive document the specific treatment i would like for my bowel obstructions. I am going to give that a try. Going without any food for 3 or 4 days or more is very hard on my body and causes loss of weight, which I have to gain back when I get home. Also, I am going to suggest that a CT scan (and its accompanying radiation) may not be necessary each time especially if my lab work is normal (except for dehydration) and the symptoms are similar to previous episodes. All my prior history is documented in my chart. These are my plans anyway, and I will let you know how it works out the next time I visit the ER/hospital. Thanks for listening!