Please please HELP! Although this happened several months back, I think about it often.
I was sleeping, connected to my cycler when I was awakened by abdominal pain-pain I recognized as peritonitis, the pain was so bad that i could hardly move. I was alone and was thinking about who I could call to take me to the hospital, I thought about driving myself, but dismissed it because in the past when I've had peritonitis, it was'nt long before I started to throw up.
I thought about calling a relative but i knew it would take about 45min for them to reach me. I thought about my girlfriend but it was 3:00am and she and her husband had to work the next morning. I called an ambulance
they arrived very quickly and proceded to take my blood pressure and put that device on my finger to make sure that air was flowing. I told them that I was a dialysis patient, Pd, and that I have had peritonitis before and that this is what it is. The abulance driver said "well Ms.Ferguson, we are not going to take you to the hospital, because we really would only be a ride your not sick enough. Can you get a friend or neighbor to take you or can you drive yourself?" I said NO, I am in alot of pain and will be throwing up in just a little while. My family is too far away and my neighbors have to work today. He repeated himself, asked me to sign so that they could be bill my insurance-I did, mostly because i was in shock! and they turned around and left. I called my girlfriend and the first thing that she asked was, did you call and ambulance I said yes, explained to her what happend and she said, I'm on my way. before we could get out of the driveway i was throwing up! this resulted in a 6 or 9 day stay in the hospital
I can't remember which. Tell me, can an ambulance service do this? do I have any legal rights? Please answer.