Bad experience

Bengalsfan

New member
Do any of you have problems with doctor's or hospitals? We do, but this last one just beat all!! We're in hickville USA, Southern Illinois, and Jeremy has tried doctor after doctor, and we finally found a family physician and pulmonologist we thought would be pretty decent. Well, Jeremy's been in and out of the hospital this year already 3 times....once for a blood infection and twice for his lungs....the first time he wasn't given the right antibiotics....that's a whole other story. He doesn't go to a CF clinic because the one he went to in St. Louis is just awful!! The doc is wonderful, but some of the staff is just ridiculous, and other than that the closest CF center is 4 hours away and he says he just doesn't feel like traveling that far anymore. The first time he was in for the blood infection, they took out the port-a-cath from his leg because the infection would not clear up on the plastic and metal in the device. This last time, he finally got the right antibiotics, but the fam phys and pulmo doc called in a surgeon to put a new port-a-cath in....only they REFUSED to put it in his leg! They told him he HAD to put it in his chest. Jeremy BEGGED them for 3 DAYS to put it in his leg....the surgeon refused to come back in and talk to him again, and he felt very pressured, but really had no choice because his veins were giving out because of the high doses of the Tobramiacin. So these doctors pretty much forced the issue of putting it in his chest...and when the surgeon went to do this, he was unsucessful AND punctured Jeremy's left lung collapsing it 10%, which went up to 20%!! Then to top it ALL off, an OR nurse comes in that night and says the only reason his lung was punctured is because the surgeon didn't wait the allotted time for the anesthesia to take full effect, and even though Jeremy's mind couldn't register the pain his nerves did and that made him move around on the OR table, and the needle slipped!!! Now the kicker?? There isn't an attorney around here that will take this case because even if this is the case, the anesthesiologist won't "rat out" the surgeon, so there wouldn't be another physician in the room to verify this and attorney's have trouble basing a case on nurses notes!! We have one attorney that said he would look at the records, but unless they could get another physician to verify what happened was just WRONG, it would take years to get anything done and even at that probably wouldn't be a lot of money....not like what you would think because we wouldn't be able to prove permanent damage.......HELLO!!! CF....lung disease.....physician punctures a lung.....WHO KNOWS WHAT THIS MIGHT LEAD TO????? Anyways....I thought doctors took an oath to do what is best for the patient..not each other?

I just had to let this out to someone who might understand all of this....thanks to all who read and endure it!

LeAndra
wife to Jeremy 30 w/cf
 

Emily65Roses

New member
I've had doctors with that kind of attitude before. "I have a medical degree, and I'm a doctor, and I ALWAYS know better than you, even though you've been living with this disease your whole life." Hate hate hate. I refuse to see people like that.

As for the port, if he had an old one in his leg, there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to deny putting a new one in his leg again. Maybe his other leg? But it doesn't NEED to be his chest. That's complete crap, and I would be just as pissed as you are. If no lawyer will take it, try the media. People often dislike having their name dragged through the mud, all while on the news. Ahahahaa. *hatred*
 

Bengalsfan

New member
Hey Emily! Thanks for the support....that's what we questioned...why not the other leg...the surgeon said it was because the hospital wouldn't approve it because they had never had another patient have one put there....the OR nurse said it was because the surgeon didn't know HOW to do it....you go figure!! I have my own opinion about that one!!

Karen--right now it's almost impossible to move. I have a great job, and honestly, we're one income since he's gotten worse. Also, all of our family, mine and his both live in this area, and with the twins and again, him getting worse...we HAVE to have them close. He grew up in Columbus OH, but his parents relocated here, so he did to. I wish we could...or he would consider going to Cincinnati though..we're about 4 1/2 hrs from there.


Thanks for your responses guys!!
 

julie

New member
I'm really upset to hear you weren't able to find a lawyer, REALLY upset. I hate the way our justice system works. I know beth sufian does disability cases, but have you considered calling her office to get her advice, see if she might be interested in offering some advice. I don't know that she would take the case, but it's worth asking.

As far as getting some media attention on the issue... that might get you an interested lawyer. Contact your local TV station or something like that and see if they are interested.

ALSO, BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR, GET COPIES OF HIS RECORDS NOW. Things have a way of disappearing when something goes array.... believe me.

I'm still going to be praying for you two, this just sucks and I hate it.
 

kybert

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>ALSO, BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR, GET COPIES OF HIS RECORDS NOW. Things have a way of disappearing when something goes array.... believe me.</end quote></div>

so true... so true...
 

cutiepatootie

New member
<span style=
" font-size: small; font-family: Arial; color: #800000;">Bengalsfan,
I am so sorry for the ordeal that your husband and you
have been through this last little bit, and I don't want to
discourage you in anyway about getting a lawyer.  I just
remember when I got my port put into my chest, the hospital had me
sign something, so just in case something happened during the
surgery they were not liable for wrong full malpractice, or if
something happened, basically there watching there own backs. I
said what if I don't sign these paper, and they told me I had
to sign them if I wanted to get the surgery done, and I need
the surgery.  After I signed them they told me they that in
the surgery they could slip and like what happened to your husband
they could puncture the lung.  Of course after that was told
to me I was so nervous, I thought why didn't anyone tell me this
before, but I got the surgery done and everything went ok.
 I'm only telling you this long story because if your husband
had to sign something before he went into surgery like I did, they
probably will use that against your case.  I just hope they
didn't ask your husband to sign something, but likely that didn't
happen he probably had to if you don't know, you should find out.
 I'm sorry if this new bums you out, but if he sign something
and something happened its most likely what every he sign will be
on file to save the hospitals a$$.  What every does happen I
hope it work out in your favor. 
 

JazzysMom

New member
Even tho the liability waiver is signed that doesnt gaurantee them to get a get out of jail free card & allow them to get away with a screw up. It does make it harder, but not impossible. Everything is within reason. If you have a total idiot that botched a surgery no ??? about it then the liability waiver goes out the window. That is usually to cover the "normal" risks associated with the surgery! I would at least consult with Beth Sufian & definitely get ALL medical records NOW!
 

cutiepatootie

New member
<span style=
" font-size: small; font-family: Arial; color: #800000;">I wasn't
say that you shouldn't pursue the case, I just was saying that she
should keep that in mind, that's all.  Because hospital have
away of getting away with allot of stuff to you know, that's
all I was say, was just to watch out for that basically.
 I did say I hope everything goes your way.  Sorry if I
was implying anything else.  I do hope that I does work out
for you in the end. <span style=
" font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0">
 
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