A Day at Prime Care and the Emergency Room

My wife had been having unbearable pain in her left shoulder and arm. Her doctor had given her pain medicine, which did not touch the pain and made her extremely nauseous. After a night of no sleep and sickness, we went to Prime Care, and waited in line for 3 hours. She was so miserable, she returned to the car where she could lie down while I waited for her to call her name. After being taken to the exam room, an EKG and x-rays were done. There was no conclusive idea from the doctor from those tests. As a theory, they tried nitroglycerine tablets and the pain seemed to lessen. They immediately called for an ambulance and sent her to the Emergency Room at Forsyth Medical Center, thinking it was her heart. Her family has a history of heart disease. I prayed all the way to the hospital. Upon being treated at the ED, another EKG was done in the ambulance. It was insignificant. An x-ray was done again of her back and neck. One intern looked her over and had no real diagnosis. She was given pain medicine to make her able to rest some. Another doctor came in and located what he believed a pinched nerve at a disc in her spine. He stated he did not believe it was her heart and seemed very knowledgeable. He pressed on the area he suspected was the disc causing the problem and it was tender. He gave prescriptions for an anti-inflammatory drug and a steroid to reduce any swelling to the disc. We were so relieved that it was not her heart. She had lost her Dad in his forties to a heart attack and her brother in his 30's. We thanked God for his mercy and guidance of the doctors. She was able to sleep fairly well last night, eventhough she awakened several times. Her pain is bearable now and the new pain medicine doesn't make her sick. Praise God. The ED doctor said to try the medications for about a week and then see her family doctor. If it isn't better by then, he recommended seeing a spine specialist and get an MRI. I am so glad her pain has lessened and that she can now sit and rest without having to lie down...