BirdOPrey5
Scout
As someone who spent about half of the last 3 years in and out of hospitals and rehabs I have some advice for the big and tall out there- things you should look into NOW before an emergency arises and you won't have time.
First, if you're overweight you seriously need to find a hospital with an MRI and CT Scan (AKA "Cat Scan") machines able to fit you. Virtually all serious illness will require one more scans for diagnosis these days. I've seen weight limits as low as 220 lbs although 250 lbs and 300 lb are more common. I also believe some have built in scales and they won't work even if you can physically fit in the "hole."
There are "Open" MRI units but they still have a tube you need to fit inside. Don't confuse them with "Whole Room" / "Open Room" MRIs. The latter is where size and weight shouldn't be an issue although Doctor's will be the first to admit it's harder to get a clear image on larger patients.
The point is if you are 300 lbs and find yourself in a hospital with weight limits of 250 lbs you may very likely suffer needlessly when a hospital down the road may have been able to accommodate you. Make the calls now so you know where you need to go in your time of need. Many localities (if not all?) you are allowed to request any hospital within reason when calling an ambulance. It is certainly true in New York City and Long Island.
NOT ALL HOSPITALS ARE CREATED EQUAL.
Worse, weight is not the only physical limits you need to inquire about at a Hospital. Height can also be limiting.
If you go into the Emergency Room you will likely find yourself on a "gurney" - If you're much above 6 foot you can expect at least some of your feet to be hanging off the end. You should ask as soon as possible if they have longer/larger gurneys because if you get put in s regular size one it is likely that is where you will stay until you get transferred to a room or discharged. In some areas (like around NYC where I am) it is not unheard of to wait 24 hours before you get a room so it's not something you can "deal with" for a couple hours.
If you do get admitted you need to be as pro-active with the hospital bed as you are with the gurney. The first hospital I went to was supposedly a good well funded place. It still took weeks for them to obtain a suitable bed for me. I wasn't conscience for it but I was told about how my feet would hang off the standard size bed and the nurses setup a chair and pillow to hold my feet up. Unsurprisingly they developed sores. Don't take no for an answer on a hospital bed too small- they may not be able to get one immediately but there is no excuse for more than a couple days to pass without one- there are companies that will deliver them as needed to Hospitals within a day or two.
If you have computer access or visitors with computer access try to look up the model bed you are in and make sure you are within the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer. If not inform the hospital staff that you know you are outside the specs for the bed you are in and they need to provide you with a suitable bed.
There are other difficulties being outside of one standard deviation of weight or height will bring you but the above are the biggest (no pun intended) issues in my experience.
First, if you're overweight you seriously need to find a hospital with an MRI and CT Scan (AKA "Cat Scan") machines able to fit you. Virtually all serious illness will require one more scans for diagnosis these days. I've seen weight limits as low as 220 lbs although 250 lbs and 300 lb are more common. I also believe some have built in scales and they won't work even if you can physically fit in the "hole."
There are "Open" MRI units but they still have a tube you need to fit inside. Don't confuse them with "Whole Room" / "Open Room" MRIs. The latter is where size and weight shouldn't be an issue although Doctor's will be the first to admit it's harder to get a clear image on larger patients.
The point is if you are 300 lbs and find yourself in a hospital with weight limits of 250 lbs you may very likely suffer needlessly when a hospital down the road may have been able to accommodate you. Make the calls now so you know where you need to go in your time of need. Many localities (if not all?) you are allowed to request any hospital within reason when calling an ambulance. It is certainly true in New York City and Long Island.
NOT ALL HOSPITALS ARE CREATED EQUAL.
Worse, weight is not the only physical limits you need to inquire about at a Hospital. Height can also be limiting.
If you go into the Emergency Room you will likely find yourself on a "gurney" - If you're much above 6 foot you can expect at least some of your feet to be hanging off the end. You should ask as soon as possible if they have longer/larger gurneys because if you get put in s regular size one it is likely that is where you will stay until you get transferred to a room or discharged. In some areas (like around NYC where I am) it is not unheard of to wait 24 hours before you get a room so it's not something you can "deal with" for a couple hours.
If you do get admitted you need to be as pro-active with the hospital bed as you are with the gurney. The first hospital I went to was supposedly a good well funded place. It still took weeks for them to obtain a suitable bed for me. I wasn't conscience for it but I was told about how my feet would hang off the standard size bed and the nurses setup a chair and pillow to hold my feet up. Unsurprisingly they developed sores. Don't take no for an answer on a hospital bed too small- they may not be able to get one immediately but there is no excuse for more than a couple days to pass without one- there are companies that will deliver them as needed to Hospitals within a day or two.
If you have computer access or visitors with computer access try to look up the model bed you are in and make sure you are within the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer. If not inform the hospital staff that you know you are outside the specs for the bed you are in and they need to provide you with a suitable bed.
There are other difficulties being outside of one standard deviation of weight or height will bring you but the above are the biggest (no pun intended) issues in my experience.
I try to stay away from hospitals as much as possible. A few years back I was in a car accident and they weren't able to see my neck clearly on x-ray so they put my through a Cat Scan. That was no fun but the were able to get my head and neck in the machine at least. 