Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Emergency's Online Review Report Card

I've had RUQ burning pain w/ nausea, vomiting, white black & yellow stools for 2 years. My worst episode previous to this most recent being May 2019. And it's important to keep in mind I started using cannabis in August 2019, MUCH after this all started and it was to alleviate the nausea/vomiting when this pain comes on. This last episode was worse. The burning pain lasted 5 days when usually it only persists for about a day or 2. I told them it was probably my gallbladder as my previous doctor said it was a possibility the last time I saw him, so they sent me from SY Cottage to SB Cottage for a US. SY Dr said my gallbladder looked distended and it could be possible there's a gallstone trapped in my biliary duct but he didn't have the US machine to check it and sent me here to confirm a blockage. Here I was evaluated by PA Jasmine Seargeant. She took me in ordered the US and then  spotted my coworkers cannabis lanyard and asked "do you use cannabis" I answered honestly and the energy in the room changed. I told her it was for nausea and pain. I had the US done, and she said it "might be a biliary obstruction" ? I was sent here for confirmation on whether it was or wasn't. Mind you, I'm uninsured until next week so I'm sure that also had a big role to play in this after admitting to cannabis use. Despite giving her my backstory and explained by very recent cannabis use, she shrugged it off and gave me my diagnosis by starting with "so this is a big word" (it wasn't). I've heard the term before, cannabinoid hypermesis syndrome and she continued to explain that it's due to too much THC in your system causing dehydration... that's false. First of all, this only happens IF you use cannabis and don't hydrate or eat and just smoke all day instead, yes you're going to get dehydrated and sick but it's not because of an over abundance of THC. And that right there was all I needed to hear to know this is a blanket diagnosis because I'm a cannabis user. I already knew the term because two of my coworkers who also use cannabis had been given this diagnosis in the past as well after admitting to cannabis use and were also shrugged off, later after being re diagnosed it turns out one had Nephritis and the other had PCOS. Not only was I upset that my level of treatment and care was affected because of some biased opinion due to negative stigma, but also because of the way we were spoken to. I informed her I started using it AUGUST 2019, much after these symptoms. And all she said was, "well you can't rule it out for sure unless you stop using it". I have stopped use of cannabis just to prove a point and rule it out if this is how it's gonna affect my treatment. Then she proceeded to say "I see this often in this area with the college kids". I'm not a college student and I know better, I feed myself and stay hydrated, and I even put myself on a liquid diet for 2 days before I was instructed to do so by the PA, I had done everything I knew I needed to so that they wouldn't have any loopholes to just push me out of their ER but it was to no avail. It felt like she was finding an excuse not to treat me. She told me to come back if my symptoms got worse... I waited 5 days and came in when I was at my worst to be seen. I lost 12 pounds in a week, mentally I feel like I've been in a constant haze, I still can't hold food and liquids down, I felt fatigued and the pain was constant and persistent. How much worse do I have to get? I don't appreciate the judgement I received and I don't appreciate that it majorly affected my diagnosis and treatment, I was written off because I was a cannabis user. This is not okay, this is a blanket diagnosis to get me out of your ER faster. If you guys can share this I'd appreciate it because the healthcare system shouldn't let prejudice beliefs interfere with someone's treatment. Thanks for the expensive "maybe", reduced level of care, what seems to be borderline negligence, the blanket diagnosis, and now the giant debt. With the given info I'm sure I won't get a response either. Good luck to all future pt's. Also, they'll probably try to delete your reviews.

On  Sun Oct 14, 2019.    in the Emergency Room.  Dr Vowels produced results of the examination that were not complete...    I would prefer another doctor to review:     the results of the same brain scan again,  Dr Vowels's  procedure,  exact dosage of the invasive rays, radioactive substance called a tracer  which was used on me (which should be time stamped by the equipment system).I do not have enough confidence from this visitHe was not thorough with other injuries on the  back of my neck..  either.