Adventures in Healthcare

True story.

Recently two people who don't know each other go to the same hospital to have a CT scan. One person has kidney disease, the other has cancer. Both are unaware of their conditions.

The hospital staff (radiologist, radiologist technician, report dictator) mixes up the imaging and the written reports. As a result, they tell the person with kidney disease that they have cancer and they tell the person with cancer that they have kidney disease.

The two separate physicians who ordered the CT scans don't know each other and neither look at the CT images, they just read the written reports, as a result, the patients begin treatment for illnesses they don't have. The person with cancer is treated for kidney disease and the person with kidney disease is treated for cancer. Six months pass before the mix up is figured out, meanwhile both patients true illnesses progress and get worse.
 
Chio said:
True story.

Recently two people who don't know each other go to the same hospital to have a CT scan. One person has kidney disease, the other has cancer. Both are unaware of their conditions.

The hospital staff (radiologist, radiologist technician, report dictator) mixes up the imaging and the written reports. As a result, they tell the person with kidney disease that they have cancer and they tell the person with cancer that they have kidney disease.

The two separate physicians who ordered the CT scans don't know each other and neither look at the CT images, they just read the written reports, as a result, the patients begin treatment for illnesses they don't have. The person with cancer is treated for kidney disease and the person with kidney disease is treated for cancer. Six months pass before the mix up is figured out, meanwhile both patients true illnesses progress and get worse.
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That's terrifying! :m071:

I've a story about mom's illness too... She got some mysterious rash 3 years ago after combination surgery of two organs (5th person in my country to get that kind of surgery), doctors had no clue where it came from, rash got worse and worse while doctors pushed from doctor to doctor for many doctors and the rash still went worse... Well, it wasn't just ''a rash'' , something badly wrong in her blood (not cancer or anything life threatening but bad enough!). It got so worse that every step she walked was pure pain. Well the situation has gone so bad now that most likely she needs amputation soon. Rash has otherwise healed expect in one part of her foot... I blame the doctors for throwing her health case around the hospital and no one wanted to research the issue hardly enough, so this is the result now: Amputation. Ughhh.
 
flower said:
That's terrifying! :m071:

I've a story about mom's illness too... She got some mysterious rash 3 years ago after combination surgery of two organs (5th person in my country to get that kind of surgery), doctors had no clue where it came from, rash got worse and worse while doctors pushed from doctor to doctor for many doctors and the rash still went worse... Well, it wasn't just ''a rash'' , something badly wrong in her blood (not cancer or anything life threatening but bad enough!). It got so worse that every step she walked was pure pain. Well the situation has gone so bad now that most likely she needs amputation soon. Rash has otherwise healed expect in one part of her foot... I blame the doctors for throwing her health case around the hospital and no one wanted to research the issue hardly enough, so this is the result now: Amputation. Ughhh.
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I have zero medical background but enjoy speculating anyway. It sounds autoimmune. I have a relative who had a strange ulcer on their leg and doctors kept treating it like an infection.. It was ulcerative colitis and the only thing that worked to heal it was steroids and meds/diet to treat the UC. But it looked like a flesh eating disease.. It took the doctors 2 weeks to figure it out but they did! Sometimes a traumatic injury can cause an autoimmune response.
 
acd said:
I have zero medical background but enjoy speculating anyway. It sounds autoimmune. I have a relative who had a strange ulcer on their leg and doctors kept treating it like an infection.. It was ulcerative colitis and the only thing that worked to heal it was steroids and meds/diet to treat the UC. But it looked like a flesh eating disease.. It took the doctors 2 weeks to figure it out but they did! Sometimes a traumatic injury can cause an autoimmune response.
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Sounds so painful! D: I'm glad to hear that they figured out what it was. Doctors suspect it might be Vasculitis or related to her past type 1 diabetes which she has had from since she was 4 years old (she got a new kidney and pancreas in the combination surgery, so no more diabetes...). It's just makes think that why the mysterious rash came 4 weeks after the surgery. Sadly it took like 1-2 years before they even had any idea what it was, 2 weeks is definitely much more reasonable time to find it out... She has been mostly using transplant rejection prevention medicines because of the new organs and cortisone after the rash issue. Hmm... I hope the doctors know at least NOW what it is, at least the cortisone has healed almost all rash by now, she still has it though and it's so deep that amputation is the best option since she can't risk her new organs.
 
flower said:
Sounds so painful! D: I'm glad to hear that they figured out what it was. Doctors suspect it might be Vasculitis or related to her past type 1 diabetes which she has had from since she was 4 years old (she got a new kidney and pancreas in the combination surgery, so no more diabetes...). It's just makes think that why the mysterious rash came 4 weeks after the surgery. Sadly it took like 1-2 years before they even had any idea what it was, 2 weeks is definitely much more reasonable time to find it out... She has been mostly using transplant rejection prevention medicines because of the new organs and cortisone after the rash issue. Hmm... I hope the doctors know at least NOW what it is, at least the cortisone has healed almost all rash by now, she still has it though and it's so deep that amputation is the best option since she can't risk her new organs.
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My relative was hospitalized those 2 weeks and the doctors did every test that existed under the sun. My relative wouldn't go to the hospital, because they thought it was just a bruise. But it kept getting bigger and darker, and my brother and I begged and finally they went to the ER. When they were admitted in the hospital, a doctor broke open the "bruise" and that's when things started to turn really fast. That's when it started to spread even faster and look like flesh eating disease. Everyone thought it would require amputation. The lesion was actually something called a pyoderma gangrenosum (sounds like a Harry Potter spell!) It's been a few years since this happened, and my relative's leg is still not completely healed. It looks like they suffered 3rd degree burns. The skin will never truly heal and it needs to be hydrated continually, otherwise it will dry out and crack and open this person up to nasty infection.

I'm so sorry to hear about what your mother is going through.
 
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acd said:
My relative was hospitalized those 2 weeks and the doctors did every test that existed under the sun. My relative wouldn't go to the hospital, my brother and I begged. Finally, they gave in and went.
I'm so sorry to hear about what your mother is going through.
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I'm glad that you were so persistent and your relative got the right help. :hug: Thank you. I hope she feels better soon too, I notice how tired she is for this whole situation. 3 years is a long time... :<

When her rash started, it was really mild, just too bad that they wasted so much time. It's most likely too late now. Since her big surgery was kind of new in the medical area here, she has gotten help from the best doctors in this country, but I think that the doctors were different ones who treated her rash than the ones who helped with the surgery. Dunno. :/
 
flower said:
I'm glad that you were so persistent and your relative got the right help. :hug: Thank you. I hope she feels better soon too, I notice how tired she is for this whole situation. 3 years is a long time... :<

When her rash started, it was really mild, just too bad that they wasted so much time. It's most likely too late now. Since her big surgery was kind of new in the medical area here, she has gotten help from the best doctors in this country, but I think that the doctors were different ones who treated her rash than the ones who helped with the surgery. Dunno. :/
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What country are you in?
 
True story.

A person with complex and complicated health issues had a family doctor who decided to merge their practice with a different group of doctors. The doctor sent out generic "I'm going to be moving my practice letters to all of their patients". However, the doctor failed to tell their patients that they would only be accepting one type of insurance. The doctor also failed to tell their patients that all scheduled appointments after the move were canceled.

So, three months after the doctor moved their practice, the patient with complex and complicated health issues showed up for their previously scheduled appointment at the new location/group. They were informed that they would not be seen by the doctor because their appointment had been canceled and they could not make a new appointment with their doctor because their insurance was no longer accepted.
 
Great thread! True story: My parents' friend was diagnosed with a bone cancer about 40 years ago. It had spread everywhere and he had tumors the size of grapefruits that were actually causing some of his bones to fracture and break. Treatment was deemed pointless, and he was sent home with an ample supply of pain meds to die with his family. However, he did his own research and found what promised to be the miracle cure that mainstream/allopathic medicine had supposedly suppressed. It's called Cantron. A quick google search reveals that the stuff is still out there. It is basically some kind of vitamin C/antioxidant liquid that you put in juice and drink every hour on the hour. He did this, swearing the stuff tasted vile but that it was saving his life. Within two weeks the tumors had shrunken. Within a few months they were gone completely and no new ones formed. He remained cancer free and died of other causes in his 80s. I have since come to the conclusion that Cantron is nothing special and probably just another hoax perpetrated at the tragic expense of the terminally ill. However, I do believe spontaneous remission is a real thing which happens perhaps more than we know. How many people get cancer, have no idea what the problem is and don't seek treatment, and then the cancer goes away? We have no idea. Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.
 
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True story.
Guy works for hospital and hospital has such shitty health insurance for it’s employees that the guy cannot afford the treatment he needs to function.
Being less functional means not being able to work as many hours as the guy used to…as a last ditch effort the guy sees his Rheumatologist and an IV infused medication is prescribed. Hospital insurance denies covering the medication and the guy continues to get worse and worse and even though the guy and his Doctor and several others send proof to the insurance company that it is necessary it is still denied...until he is finally at a point where he cannot do his job anymore and is disabled.
He cannot go on unemployment because you cannot file unemployment and file for disability simultaneously…so for almost a year the guy has to rely on the goodwill and love of his family and friends until disability is granted. During this period his former employer the hospital where this guy worked assisting open heart surgery sends his medical bills he was struggling to pay while he worked for them to collections who then serve him court papers.

The state insurance was thankfully there and proved to be leaps and bounds better than the insurance the guy paid an arm and a leg for provided by the hospital he worked for. They approved the medication the hospital insurance denied over and over and now the guy is on the road to recovery.
Totally unnecessary.
We need the medical insurance companies GONE.
They are the REAL death panels.

Look at Moda healthcare….they spent $80 million on a deal in Portland OR to put their name on the Rose Garden Arena instead of paying the medical bills that were bankrupting their own consumers.
They are now going out of business and I can’t say they don’t deserve it.
Anyhow…insurance, doctors, hospital, pharmaceuticals, etc. who make money off of the sick, injured, and dying are no worse than war profiteers and criminals.
The should be viewed and treated as such.
 
True story

A hospital takes over a group of doctors who are renting space in/from the hospital. After the hospital takes over the doctors group, they proceed to replace all of the older experienced support staff with young inexperienced nurses, PA's, etc. because they can pay the inexperienced support staff a lot less than experienced support staff.

A doctor at this hospital orders a test to help develop a treatment plan for a terminally ill patient. An inexperienced nurse doesn't understand what the doctor is ordering and is afraid to ask anyone to explain it to her, so, she lies to the doctor and the patient, telling them she ordered the tests, they're just taking a long time. This happens twice in a six month period. The terminally ill patient never gets the treatment and the family ends up moving the patients care to another hospital.
 
True story

Patient goes to hospital outpatient lab for routine blood work. Waits in line 45 minutes. Is told we cannot help you because we no longer take your insurance.
 
A person with stage 1 cancer is treated at what is considered one of the best teaching cancer hospitals in the US. The cancer is small and operable, 80% survival rate but high chance of recurrence. After initial operation, the patient is seen for follow up every 3 months for the next 5 years and then every 6 months for the next 3 years.

At 4-5 years after the initial operation the patient begins bleeding and feeling pain. The patient informs the oncologist of the symptoms at almost every visit for the next 3-4 years. The oncologist ignores the patients symptoms and orders no diagnostic imaging. 3-4 years pass and then a mass is found. Finally, diagnostic imaging is ordered but it's too late. The cancer has metastasized everywhere. 2 years later the patient unnecessarily dies.

The doctor tries to hide what happened by manipulating the patients medical records. The patients family seeks legal representation. The teaching hospital where the doctor practices has a policy that protects their physicians from being sued for anything beyond a few hundred thousand dollars. In spite of there being a case, no legal firm will take the case because they can only get a few hundred thousand dollars and it isn't worth their time.

The family files a complaint with the state licensing board claiming medical neglect. It falls on deaf ears. The oncologist walks away and is free to neglect more patients so they too can unnecessarily die.
 
When my Dad was sick and dying of cancer, my Mom had to fight over the phone for almost a week in order for them to approve the medication he needed for the nausea. Finally, someone there didn’t brush her off and made it happen.
You’re Husband is dying and you are spending your time making frustrating and aggravating phone calls to insurance companies that you’ve paid for for decades?
Unacceptable.

Obamacare or the ACA is imperfect in my eyes because it still involves the insurance companies who have been the main driver of costs going up.
Supposedly (this is the BS we were all fed), the competition between insurance companies would drive down costs.
Really? When is that going to happen? Because we pay the most out of ANY country in the world and yet are ranked 47th in quality of care and outcomes.

I’ve seen it happen twice at hospitals where I worked…both were privately owned, and both got bought out by big Catholic conglomerates who immediately slashed benefits and the health insurance for it’s own employees.
The most recent one laid off 500 lower lever employees right before Christmas then gave the upper management million dollar bonuses.
It was all over the local paper.
Why is someone getting a million dollar bonus for laying off 500 people…fuck you.
They ended up having to scramble and re-hire most of them because the hospital could not function
(of course they were now paid less)….brilliant.
 
Nurse gets mandated to work a 16 hour shift on pain of dismissal and State Board investigation for patient abandonment if refused, and without OT. Nurse develops a 103 fever of unknown origin and is still required to work without seeing a doctor. Though the nurse takes special precautions and considerations when dealing hands on with patients, more than likely nosocomial infections will result.
In the US, the CDC estimated roughly 722,000 patients contracted hospital-associated infections which directly cause or contribute to 75,000 deaths each year.
 
A young woman is having one of many surgical procedures being done to fixate and repair broken bones after a car accident. The anesthesiologist counts back as she drifts away to sleep, only to be awakened by the sounds of sawing bone and flesh tearing and a surgeon screaming “She’s awake! I told you to put her out!” “I’m sorry, I thought you said ‘Twilight’!” “Put her out, NOW!” And the patient drifts back off to sleep, only to have her heart stop beating from an anesthesia overdose 30 seconds later. She was dead for two minutes before being revived. The surgeon, afraid to continue, haphazardly stitched her up without finishing the procedure. She remained in a closed isolation room with an open surgical wound, complete with forceps and clamps jutting out from it, exposing the bones of her lower limbs till she recovered from the previous anesthesia in wait for another surgeon to come and continue the surgery.
 
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