Re: Those little unlikely things people say

[Guest guest]

Ana, all;

I'm afraid there are a lot of war stories about these kind of happening where

people discount important things because they're simply not prepared to consider

& it is a human failing we can be guilty of too. I have a serious tale of one

with myself & treatment that could have cost my life, but I'm going to tell a

short one about my being a daddy instead.

When my oldest son was about 7, my wife & I both had demanding work schedules &

it was tough when one of our then 2 kids got up with night time problems.

Well, my son started whining & sobbing somewhere about 2 am about something we

couldn't quite understand. Wife tuned it out, & I went into his room to see what

was up & if I could get him back to sleep without waking myself completely up.

It was all mumbles until I woke my son a bit, & then I could understand he was

crying " daddy, I have a screw in my nose. " This went on for quite awhile, and I

tried to sooth him & get him back to sleep, assuming it was due to a bad dream.

Continued for about an hour before I realized it might be a good idea to look

further. So I got a flashlight & looked into his nostrils. Sure enough, there

was a big screw lodged up toward the sinuses. Happening to have some lab

instruments handy, I took a forceps & extracted the object that logic insisted

was ridiculous.

After that I learned to take what seemed little or odd much more seriously. And

I have never learned why the screw got there.

Ken

At 01:58 PM 8/4/98 -0400, you wrote:

>

>

>I will thanks for the advice. I agree with you the care should be the same

>for everyone. No one should get better care because they know someone. I

>though this hospital was bad but they will see you and not forget you are

>there. What happen to your little girl is scary. My best friends sister in

>law needed a c section when she had her baby but the HMO had done all the c

>sections for that month met there quota I guess they did give her one in

>the end but both her and the baby almost died. He is a yr old and he still

>has somewhat of a cone head so that gives you an ideal of how bad it was.

>And he is slow at something's my friend is praying that he is just a slow

>starter and that it isn't damage from his birth. Sometimes it gets to the

>point you really don't know which way to turn to get the health care you

>need.Take care Barb

>----------

>>

>> To: chronic_painonelist

>> Subject: Re: Violating Patient Rights?

>> Date: Tuesday, August 04, 1998 1:26 PM

>>

>>

>>

>> ANA,

>> I have several " nightmare " stories to tell about care at clinics. I went

>to

>> my Rheumatologist one day and was told to strip and put on a paper robe

>and

>> wait for the doctor. I was much younger then, and much more patient, and

>> waited over two hours before saying anything while I read a book I had

>> brought. Finally had to go to bathroom and ran into a nurse who wanted

>to

>> know why I hadn't gotten dressed yet. I said because the doctor hadn't

>yet

>> come to my room. Her eyes got real big and she dashed off and the doctor

>> came in to the room just a few minutes later. Seems she had to run to

>the

>> parking lot to stop him from getting in his car and driving away.

>>

>> Another time I was sick with a strep infection, high fever, vomiting,

>etc.,

>> and was put in room at our HMO clinic and told the doctor would be in to

>see

>> me in a few minutes. I fell asleep and awoke to a dark hallway and dark

>> reception center. Seems they went home with me still in the examination

>> room. There was a second side to the clinic and when I walked over

>there,

>> the nurse on duty was aghast that anyone would be left in an exam room.

>> When I checked with the office the next day, the nurse blamed the doctor

>for

>> walking by the room without checking my file in the basket on the door.

>And

>> the doctor blamed the nurses saying they hadn't told him I was in the

>room.

>> To make matter even worse, I went there a few months later and the same

>> thing happened again. This time I lodged a complaint with the HMO

>> administration.

>>

>> I had a biopsy of my esophagus in February one year at same HMO. They

>lost

>> the results. It finally caught up with my assigned family physician 6

>> months later. She called me in and apologized, gave me the results,

>which

>> were negative, thankfully, and said, " If it had been cancer, you would

>have

>> died by now. " She and I both filed complaints with the HMO

>administration.

>>

>> In another situation my 1 year old daughter became dehydrated from cyclic

>> vomiting. She was non-responsive and I went to HMO clinic because they

>were

>> too busy to see any additional patients. They sent me to hospital

>emergency

>> room. I was told to wait. Four hours later I was still waiting with

>this

>> vomiting child that was now near coma. I asked how long before they

>could

>> see us. Several hours was the reply, the ER had no open rooms due to

>three

>> heart-attack patients brought in. I walked back upstairs to HMO clinic

>with

>> my daughter, said very loudly, " I can no longer wait for care, would

>> somebody please admit my daughter to the pediatric unit. " The doctor

>came

>> out and told me to go back to ER. I refused and demanded a direct admit

>to

>> pediatric ward. He called ER and couldn't believe that we had not been

>seen

>> yet. He direct admitted my daughter to pediatric ward and had the

>> admissions clerk come to her room for me to sign admission papers.

>>

>> Needless to say, I don't ever want to belong to another HMO. Much prefer

>> private pay status with private insurance. My wife is now a doctor and

>you

>> are right, sometimes it is who you know that determines the kind of care

>you

>> get in a hospital. I don't think that is the way it should be.

>Everyone,

>> regardless of whether they are related or in friendship with doctors or

>> hospital employees should get the same kind of first-rate care.

>> Sounds to me like you have done everything you can do to make the

>hospital

>> take notice of your poor care. Try writing a letter and sending a copy

>to

>> local newspaper and hospital board of trustees. At least you could get

>some

>> attention to your complaint that way.

>> Ray in Virginia

>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> Reach me by ICQ. My ICQ# is 14278868 or,

>> * Page me online through my Personal Communication Center:

>> http://wwp.mirabilis.com/14278868 (go there and try it!) or,

>> * Send me E-mail Express directly to my computer screen

>> 14278868@...

>> For downloading ICQ at http://www.icq.com/

>> Ray in Virginia

>> Violating Patient Rights?

>> >> >> Date: Monday, August 03, 1998 9:02 PM

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >> Hi all, recently I switched to a new neurologist and obtained

>copies

>> >> >> of my medical records from my former neurologist. In looking them

>over

>> >> >> I found a drug analyisis screening which he ordered without my

>> >> >> knowledge or consent. Allow me to back up to March 1998. I

>developed a

>> >> >> rash covering my body from my neck down. My doctor ordered 2 blood

>> >> >> cultures to rule out a blood infection (at least that is what was

>> >> >> written on the slip I took to the hospital. Now after reading my

>> >> >> records I called the hospital to question when and how this test

>(drur

>> >> >> screening) was ordered since it wasn't on my slip I brought into

>the

>> >> >> hospital. She told me my doctor called it in after I left his

>office

>> >> >> and before I got to the hospital. Of couse I was really angry upon

>> >> >> finding this out. When I was in his office he asked me what meds I

>was

>> >> >> on, so I told him he should know because he prescribes them.

>Obviously

>> >> >> he didn't believe me so he went behind my back to order them. He

>> >> >> tested my blood for alchol, antidepressants, narcotics, anti

>freeze,

>> >> >> valium and the list goes on. The test came back showing positive

>for

>> >> >> the meds he prescribed me and negitive for all others. When I went

>to

>> >> >> registar for my blood work I signed a release for only the blood

>> >> >> cultures. In other words test were performed on me without my

>> >> >> knowledge or consent. By the way my rash was diagnosed as

>Pityriosis

>> >> >> Rosea by a dermatologist. I informed my insurance company of what

>he

>> >> >> did and they are denying any payment to the hospital for the drug

>> >> >> screening. I believe a doctor patient relationship should be built

>on

>> >> >> mutual trust and respect. He did indeed violate my patient rights.

>> >> >> Come to find out from friends who work at the hospital that this is

>> >> >> par for the course with this doctor and not to take it personally.

>> >> >> Happy to report that I have a new neurologist where we have mutual

>> >> >> respect and trust. I think some doctors assume that their patients

>> >> >> respect them but respect must be earned... Pati

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >> >>

>> >------------------------------------------------------------------------

>> >> >>