A word or two in the defense of emergency rooms. Last year I developed severe pain overnight - didn't sleep a wink because I couldn't hold still - and went to the emergency room in the morning.

I told them I thought I was having a gall bladder attack, even though I had never had symptoms. However, I knew several of my relatives had had pain the night before and had the gall bladder out the next day or so. So I thought...

Anyway, I lay there for a number of hours while tests of all sorts were run. I couldn't understand why they didn't take me upstairs and hustle me into the operating room. At that point, I would've been willing to do it without anesthetic and I couldn't understand why so many doctors examined my abdomen and why they ran everything from EKGs and ultrasounds on me. Hey! I'm in pain here! I've got a gall bladder that needs to come out!

Early in the afternoon, the main doctor came to me again and said they don't think it's my gall bladder but that I have a strangulated intestine. He added, I think we should take you upstairs and fix it, OK?

OK! I said.

Which they did. I'll never bad mouth an emergency room again. I am mightily impressed with the care I received there.

That said, I agree that an ER is NO substitute for one's own doctor and ongoing health care.