another phone call

It's after midnight, on Sunday. For the past few nights, the sandman has not come to visit me at a decent hour. Last night, it was sometime after 3am! I have restless legs, and they are moving at full speed. I try to fall asleep before the leg jerks start, but I never can.

So instead of getting frustrated, I thought that I would let you know about a telephone call that I received yesterday afternoon (Saturday). The surgeon whom I saw at the second hospital, who is named in the letter written to the hospital...whom we feel failed to do his job...called me. He felt that it was something that he should do.

He had a lot to say, and his tone was genuine, and un-rushed. He did apologize for what I have endured, and he agreed that surgery was needed. He thought that I was getting it...from the gyne department. He referred to it as mis-communication between the two departments.

I feel good that he called. Honestly, I think that we are all surprised that he did call, or at least call himself. It doesn't mean that the patient safety review is off the table...this slate is not clean.
But this has been a good start.

I'll keep you posted,

Emily

fast action

I barely hit the PUBLISH POST button on my previous post (making it viewable to all) when I received a telephone call from the OTHER hospital involved. The patient relations office wanted to let me know that they have received the letters, and the Patient Safety Review that we have requested is underway.

The review could take over a month, as the staff members that perform it, do so on their "own time". Interesting.

Emily

the truth about letters

My recent hospital and health experience has been emotional. I believe (as do many others) that the situation, for the most part, was unavoidable. That isn't to say that appendicitis is avoidable, but the hospitals and doctors did not do their respective jobs. My situation was not handled efficiently, effectively, or within basic medical practice.

For the past few weeks, Ladyfingers has lived and breathed this experience. She felt, along with the support of Dude, Jason and myself (and others too many to name here) that questions needed to be asked, and a thorough investigation into my entire ordeal needs to be made.

On Tuesday, we mailed about a dozen letters, directed towards two hospital CEO's, all doctors involved, and patient advocates. The amount of time, thought, and energy that went into these letters would blow your mind. Every detail was carefully recounted (often more than once) and then put to paper articulately and purposefully.

Among the people who support the letters, there are people who do not. But why? Maybe if you have never gone through such a situation you don't understand. Maybe if you aren't close to someone who has gone through the situation you don't understand. Maybe if you don't allow yourself to open up to the reality and possibility of emotion in life you don't understand. Or maybe you don't understand, if you are afraid of repercussion, or rocking the boat.

The letters are written because the institutions and people employed by the institutions need to be aware that their actions have repercussions. They need to be reminded that they are dealing with human beings, who not only have emotions, but have intricately designed bodies that can be harmed and scarred. Letters have the ability to remind the machine (or the boat) that real people are involved.

And if you are sitting here reading this, thinking to yourself, "So what. Good luck getting a response". Shame on you.

We mailed the letters on Tuesday, and by Thursday evening, we had our first response. My mom and dad, and Jason and I, received an e-mail from the President and CEO of one of the hospitals. He will seek out answers to our questions, and he apologized for the trauma that I went through.

And....if you are still skeptical...no, it isn't a form letter. By acknowledging our letter, he has put himself out there. We know that he knows...the ball may be in his court, but the power is in ours.

Emily