‘Lick 'em and stick 'em vs. compassion: An Ole Seagull's ordeal in the emergency room

While at home under the care of Compassus Hospice for Alzheimer’s disease, and by the direction of their nurse, the Ole Seagull’s wife, Lois, was transported by ambulance to the emergency room at Cox Branson with acute abdominal pain in the early morning hours of December 24, 2025. Approximately four hours later, she was discharged and sent home with a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection along with a prescription for antibiotics, no pain medications and the advice to see her Primary Care Provider within three to five days. Except for the acknowledgment that she was in hospice and her dementia problems, there was no discussion about that or any medications hospice had prescribed for her.

While the nurses and staff did an excellent, caring job, the only time a “doctor” came into the room was for less than five minutes at the end, when he came in, gave the diagnosis and said he was discharging her and issuing a prescription for antibiotics. There was no mention of any need for pain control, no prescription for such control, or discussion of anything related to hospice or her underlying condition. In terms of caring for the patient, it was like “lick ’em and stick ’em” was working the “butts” in the U.S. Marine Corps. Just get the sticker on the bullet hole and get the target up for the next shot, shot after shot after shot.

The next day, Christmas Day, was a repeat of the 24th, in terms of acute abdominal pain. The hospice nurse ordered an ambulance to take her back into the emergency room. God’s hand intervened because on the way into Cox Branson, the ambulance was diverted to Cox South. When we entered the emergency room at Cox South, we were greeted by a doctor who asked what we expected from hospice. The Ole Seagull pointed out that we knew the eventual outcome and that we wanted her to be as pain-free and comfortable as possible.

Without going into all the intimate details, three hours later, the doctors told us they were admitting Lois to the hospital for treatment of her urinary tract infection. She was discharged five days later on December 30 after determining that “5 days of Abx therapy was felt to be sufficient for treatment of her UTI.” During those five days, she was alert and acting just as she had before her December 24 incident.She came home, and we enjoyed her “normal day’s activity, including a couple of sips of champagne in celebration of the new year. When I put her to bed on December 31, as I did every night, I kissed her and told her how much I loved her. And as sometimes happened, she said, “I love you too.” That was the last time these old ears were ever going to experience the joy of hearing those words.

On New Year’s Day, there was another onset of the pain. The hospice nurse called for an ambulance to take her to the emergency room. This time, there was no divergence to Springfield, and she went to the Cox Branson ER. A few hours later, despite the Ole Seagull’s plea that they admit her to at least eliminate the complications of the urinary tract infection, she was discharged with a diagnosis of “Lower abdominal pain.” It was another “lick ’em and stick ’em” treatment session.

“Hold on, Seagull, are you saying that the discharge diagnosis was ‘Lower abdominal pain’ and no mention of a ‘urinary tract infection’?” “No, the hospital records say that.”

What an Ole Seagull would suggest is that the “lick ’em and stick ’em” doctors he dealt with at the Cox ER can take some lessons in compassion from the doctors at the Springfield Cox ER. Three ER experiences for the same thing: two different results, one illustrating the “lick ’em and stick ’em” approach and one the “compassionate what is best for the patient” approach. He would ask, “How can there be such a difference in two ERs run by the same company?”

An Ole Seagull will be eternally grateful for the compassionate caring attitude and actions of the ER doctors in the Springfield ER and their “help the patient” attitude. He finds it impossible to share the same feelings for the “lick ’em and stick ’em,” “doctors” he dealt with in the Branson ER.