My mom went to hospital for the 2nd time in 2 months for sever leg and foot pain to the point of not being able to walk. The first time was July 07 she ended up being released without care for the problem due to others things caused while in hospital that were tended to, that caused the Aug. ER visit she came to ER with a Fentanyl patch on and I informed the doctor she had it and gave them a list of medications as I always do along with her CPAP machine for sleep apnea. They admitted her and on top of the patch they where giving her Diludid and Methadone all 3 at the same time without her CPAP on her ,she had no monitoring of anykind not staff checks nor hooked up to bloodpressuer monitor or any of the usual monitoring systems patients are hooked up to while in hospital. On 08/18/07 at 6:00 PM I got a call from doctor at hospital telling me mom was in ICU due to cardiac arrest (code blue)caused by drug overdose. They found her blue, no pulse, no heartbeat not breathing and were not sure how long she was down, the last time any staff was in her room was approx.45 min prior but they did no checking on her they hung her phone up and glanced at her thinking she was sleeping but 1 hour prior to that there was a note in chart stating her breathing was slow and shalow still no CPAP or monitoring just the notation. They revived her comments from several staff throughout the night had commented they didn\'t expect to be seeing her after that she was lucky. Damage to already damaged heart was caused along with many other complications and memory loss all life altering changes for her and family. Hospital said sorry thought that was good enough I continued to persue it looking for attorneys without success and writting a letter to the President of the hospital that never contacted me but had a claims representative contact m! e and ma de excuses and blew me off for almost a year until I forced my demands and the Doctors attorneys got involved. My mom was billed for the cardiac arrest along with medicare and retail clerks insurance that was nerve, without an attorney I was instructed to ask for 30 thousand dollars because the attorney told me if no one will take case the hospital may be willing to pay because 30 thousand or less it wouldn\'t have to be public record. Mom still has the leg and foot pain because they still have been unable to address it because of now the overdose issue now no one wants to touch her they as they say are affraid to kill her. There is so much more to this it is unbeleivable, not only medical issues and health problems but double billing. I am also going to notify medicare because hey have billed medicare for services that they should not have and got paid along with more involved issues. I did everything I could to avoid this type of error I go farther now I always take pen and paper ask everything they are doing and giving her and ask spelling so every minute is noted in my book.
Were you able to make any headway with the hospital or with a lawyer? I had a similar outcome, but with very different circumstances. I had a tumor removed and after several complications and three other surgical procedures they thought everything was good, but then I went into a coma. They didn't know why, but they surmised that they "gave me too much medication". So they took me off all meds - not good when I just had back surgery three times in three weeks. Aside from the excruciating pain (yes I was aware of my surroundings while in the coma), I suffered complete anterograde (short-term) memory loss, which slowly came back to where I can remember back about three months. I also have brain damage (at least that's what 7 different doctors can guess is wrong because no tests can diagnose the real problem.) The brain damage causes me to have intermittent pains all over my body - mostly in my arms and legs. I am on large amounts of narcotics and anti-depressants to cope with the pain. I was not able to get an attorney because no one can diagnose the problem so they can't charge the doctors with malpractise if they don't know what caused it. I hope you can provide an update. Thanks!.
I went in for my 3rd knee surgery august 15th of 2008, this was to be a day surgery and go home shortly afterward. Apparently my air/oxygen level was low so they kept me overnight. My surgeon left instructions to not administer narcotics patient cannot tolerate. They gave me diladid, liquid morriphine and to die. When my husband and physcial therapist to start me moving they coded me blue I was placed on a ventilator, bronc tubes that they used stiches to keep in. I was tied to the bed and unaware of my thoughts. Strange as it may seem it's as if a eraser is chasing me and erasing my short term and I feel different. I have now type 2 diabetes 5 insuliins daily 24 hour oxygen and times when I lose my words as if I am drunk and I will fall asleep. I can not be awoken, it's as if I cannot stay awake and my surrounding fade, i hate it. The hospital openly admits overdose and there is a law suit but not until the reports are all in. A lien company pays all my specialist as well as all my testing and surgeries. It sucks most days because I am on adiministrative hold at worl and my host home client has been removed my 15 year old showed his behind on 4 court case in 2 months and he is in residental treatment today......what next?????
