Mr. Brown has been a patient in the ED 48 times this year and that's just about every other day. The E.D. staff all know him and every ED in the country has a Mr. Brown. He is in his sixties and lives alone. He is able to care for himself but just barely. He has real diseases and he has imagined ones. He has physical pain from arthritis and mental pain, we all agree, from loneliness. Out of a hundred or so visits last year he was admitted twice for serious medical problems, and discharged the other times after a pat on the hand and a 30cc hit of maalox.
The other day he told our nurse manager, "You know I got a letter from my insurance company telling me they weren't going to pay for my emergency room visits anymore. "
She expressed concern about this and was about to offer whatever insight she thought appropriate when he continued his thought...
"... I'll bring the letter and show you when I come in tomorrow."
She did manage to stifle her laugh.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
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Mr. Brown died a few weeks ago from pancreatic cancer.
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