I went to the ER yesterday evening around 11pm after spending nearly two days having difficulty breathing, chest pain, becoming extremely dizzy and feeling so week my knees would shake when I walked.

I called the Ontario telehealth line and was advised to immediately go to the ER, take an ambulance if necessary, and to not drive. I arrive, get registered, etc.

3:30am rolls around and I am “re-assessed” I am beginning to now have a panic attack because I was supposed to work in several hours (no sick leave/paid time off), I was in a lot of pain and have already spent two days not being able to breathe.

I start having a full-fledged panic attack in the triage area with the nurse where the nurse becomes defensive and tells me to “not blame her or take my anger out on her” (I am visibly shaking, laboured breathing, bawling my eyes out). I snap that I am having a panic attack, I haven’t been able to breathe and I am now being told I’m looking at another 5 possibly 6 hour wait.

I could have gone home, slept, gotten up early and seen a doctor at a walk-in clinic before I’d have seen a doctor at the ER.

On top of this, the nurse blamed ME telling me “Well you decided to come in this late to the ER when you knew what it would be like.” Excuse me?! I’m sorry I couldn’t plan my health issues around when the ER is not busy.

I left. I got only a few hours of sleep, haven’t seen a doctor and I left feeling in way worse shape than I did when I initially got there.

It was an absolutely terrible experience and I would rather wait until I collapse and have no choice in the hospital I get taken to than to repeat that experience.

Ps. I am still having difficulty breathing.