Originally published on June 28, 2021 12:00 pm
Claire Lang-Ree was in a lab coat taking a college chemistry class remotely in the kitchen of her Colorado Springs, Colo., home when a profound pain twisted into her lower abdomen. She called her mom, Jen Lang-Ree, a nurse practitioner who worried it was appendicitis and found a nearby hospital in the family s health insurance network.
After a long wait in the emergency room of Penrose Hospital, Claire received morphine and an anti-nausea medication delivered through an IV. She also underwent a CT scan of her abdomen and a series of tests.
Hospital staffers ruled out appendicitis and surmised Claire was suffering from a ruptured ovarian cyst, which can be a harmless part of the menstrual cycle but can also be problematic and painful. After a few days and a chemistry exam taken through gritted teeth the pain went away.
Colorado
United-states
Stanford-university
California
Johns-hopkins-university
Maryland
Michigan
Colorado-springs
Claire-lang
Johns-hopkins
Jen-lang
Vincent-plymell