"EMS Care Can Be Challenging"

In the past month I badly injured my foot. I waited 7 to 8 hours at home trying various methods to relieve the pain like ice, and compression  before my partner decided we needed to take some action and have me looked at by a professional. The problem was how to get me where I needed to go. I felt this was not an emergency despite not being able to bare weight and extreme swelling and pain. We tried calling 811 and there were 144 people in the queue before us. We left a message as instructed for a call back and that call back never came. 

We called 911 reluctantly and they were very kind and assured us greatly we needed to call them and did the right thing.

When EMS arrived the first thing they asked me was how many times I have used their services before. I noted they did this in the past, too, but this time was much more so and they seemed dissatisfied with my answer. I answered them as I did use them once already this year (the bill was paid) and prior to that in 2019, but they persisted with this line of questioning.

They finally switched to looking at my foot. They splinted it and as I understand, due to communication break down, they had to call a second ambulance to transport me. The whole ordeal was long and chaotic.

I felt the paramedics were disorganized and could not seem to agree on anything except that I needed an x-ray.  I was not at all comforted but found the transporting ambulance crew kind and patient.

They were advised early in our transaction that I am deaf/HoH (hard of hearing) and so is my partner. I don't believe that really helped. 

My foot was huge and the pain was unbearable. Then without any prompt from me or my partner they started insisting they could not give me pain relief. I never asked for it.  It was much better when the second ambulance and paramedics took over. They were kind and polite. 

At Urgent Care more waiting, x-rays and etc. I would love to see some changes to wait times, but I have no complaint about that in this case. My hope is that EMS can improve on bedside manner and give a rationale for misplaced statements and unreasonably long questioning.