# I'm old, obese, with lungs that are charted as "a mess." Now I have COVID. Why does it take an hour to page a nurse? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 27, 2022, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461 "2022-01-27T04:04:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/41 "2022-01-31T03:18:38Z")
That’s what they told me. No booster, because there’s no point. My immune system is all topped up right now. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/42 "2022-01-31T18:37:16Z")
Hiya **dropzone**. Keep on keepin’ on, as they said in the '70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/43 "2022-01-31T20:36:47Z")
They didn’t even keep me. I was at the ER for a few hours. I was diagnosed with pneumonia and given a prescription for albuterol I had to go pick up in the middle of the night. What killed me was they didn’t even allow for a generic and my insurance wouldn’t pay for the brand name. I was completely out of my head. My daughter was trying to help me and I honestly don’t remember any of this, but she was crying because she truly thought I was going to die… she was crying and they worked something out. I am obese, over 50, and I had covid-related pneumonia. I don’t recall ever seeing a nurse in person but surely they had to have come in. I had a chest x-ray, no blood or urine or anything else. At some point a man came in, not sure if doctor or nurse, and said I could go and handed me papers and a prescription but he was the same orderly who brought me back. I was completely out of my head and could barely walk but he just left me and I had to find my way out of the hospital. I got lost and eventually someone saw me struggling and helped me to an exit. It was weird. They knew I had covid when I came in and they didn’t isolate me either. I was in the waiting room with dozens of other people, half not wearing masks even though at the time it was mandated. I fainted in the waiting room and they gave me a wheelchair but didn’t seem too concerned even though I was alone. The orderly who let me walk out knew I had fainted earlier. It was my first trip to an ER other than the time I almost cut my thumb off but that was decades ago. We weren’t experiencing a great surge in our county when I was sick and the ER wasn’t really too busy.I dunno… I guess I just expected more. But hey I didn’t die! I guess it was the albuterol that saved me. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/44 "2022-01-31T21:32:17Z")
Sounds like another lawsuit waiting to happen. But I’m glad you’re feeling better. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/45 "2022-01-31T22:23:06Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > But hey I didn’t die! I guess it was the albuterol that saved me. Jeezus! No wonder the death rate in the US is 3 times higher than in Canada, with our socialized death panels and all. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/46 "2022-02-01T04:36:10Z")
Especially relevant now: During the 2000 Olympics, I was dispensing some prednisolone for a baby with bronchitis, and when I told the mother that it was a steroid, she freaked out. I told her, “No, it will not make your baby have big muscles; it doesn’t do that. The doctor ordered this to help her recover faster.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/47 "2022-02-01T05:02:28Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Especially relevant now: During the 2000 Olympics, I was dispensing some prednisolone for a baby with bronchitis, and when I told the mother that it was a steroid, she freaked out. Some days I feel like I should flex, wink, and say, “I took steroids from age 2 to age 40, I am a buff god.” (I never do.) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/48 "2022-02-03T22:34:32Z")
I’m out of isolation and feeling quite a bit better, thankyewverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/49 "2022-02-03T22:38:30Z")
Great! Continue on this positive trajectory. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/50 "2022-02-03T23:39:25Z")
I’m very happy for you! It’s shitty being in a hospital but once you get out I bet it feels so much better. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/51 "2022-02-03T23:44:19Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I’m out of isolation and feeling quite a bit better, thankyewverymuch Whew! Good to see that. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/52 "2022-02-04T00:16:43Z")
Yay! ! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461/53 "2022-02-04T03:36:58Z")
Progress! Now, if they’ll just you to the point where you can get the hell _out_ of there entirely, we’ll all be much happier. Especially you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-old-obese-with-lungs-that-are-charted-as-a-mess-now-i-have-covid-why-does-it-take-an-hour-to-page-a-nurse/958461.md?page=2)