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 BigPat hep C History |
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Friends
don't let Friends use
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center! My intro to the
JOVO hep C mailing list (23Nov2003)
Doctors Are The Number Three Cause of Death in the U.S. - This according to the authoritative Journal of the American Medical Association. Learn how you can avoid becoming one of their statistics. My herbal/natural recommendation to Kaiser Permanente (25Oct2003 - *.pdf) How I got my hepatitis C
(and more)...
In November 1991 I was sent to Holy Cross Hospital in Granada Hills, CA, by my family GP when I had gone in to discuss a problem I was having. It was a morning office visit, and he quickly sent me to the above hospital for further diagnostics. Along with discussion at
the hospital, and a GP recommendation, they
determined it would be proper to perform a CAT SCAN on me to see if I
had any internal organ problems.
Post
CAT SCAN, we had a short little meeting, in which it was addressed that
I had an abscess on my pancreas, and once again using CAT SCAN for a
visual aid, they would place a needle into this abscess to "aspirate"
it. Minor procedure, and I should be released from the hospital
that evening, or following morning. So from me, it was: let's roll!
And
this procedure progressed, with Chief Radiologist Dr. Tomothy Sprague
at the helm. After a couple hours, or so it seems, of CAT SCAN
evaluation, and needle placement progress, Dr. Sprague came rocketing
from CAT SCAN monitor room, arms flailing in hysterical fashion,
screaming:
"Oh sh*t, I missed!"I was only given a 'local' prior to this procedure, and I had immediately gone into severe pain (just prior to his statement), and responded with my famous: "Oh sh*t, I hurt!!!" This gentleman druggie of a doctor responded with: "Just let me reposition
this needle, and you'll be just fine in a minute"
Which prompted me to state: "Now you're down to 30 seconds! I want a nurse in here immediately slapping some morphine sulfate in my arm, or I will quickly un-attach myself from this contraption and WHIP your ass!" 30 seconds later I had my morphine, a minute later it was lights out for me. No telling what the druggie doctor did then! Within hours I went into comma, for a 2.5+ month duration. Sooo, 2.5+ months in coma, two exploratory surgeries, the second of which finally removed a five inch segment of my colon, that this gentleman doctor radiologist had ripped during needle placement, 70+ pints of blood, 1+ month dialysis, and post coma, 2+ weeks of some ampiteracin they had smuggled from Sweden (a non-FDA approved drug at the time) that pretty much did hot/cold shock therapy on me... By
early March I was finally out of coma, and considered perhaps well
enough to go home. I did. But I was far from forgetting the
verbal exchange (above) I had with this doctor, and I was far from
forgetting ICU nursing staff comments to me in a few brief discussions
I raised, that "he might be on drugs, there have been other problems."
After
a couple months recovery, with weekly Holy Cross nursing staff
visitations to ensure I was recovering OK, I started feeling well
enough to go back to work. I did, soon, in June of '92 or
thereabouts.
I
had already arranged for, and picked up two Bekins boxes full of my
medical records from this MIS-Adventure, had delivered them to a lawyer
friend, we discussed and he reviewed all this paper, and finally by the
later part of that year, we determined that this possible med-mal suit
was
far over his head!
So
then this paperwork was discussed at length, and reviewed at length, by
a premier firm that specializes in med-mal suits. When I went in
for post review discussion, I was informed nothing was documented on
paper, and they wanted me to get witnesses. I declined, called it
case closed, I had ICU staff I could have asked for this, don't have a
clue how far it would have gone, I was only trying to file a med-mal
suit against this doctor, NOT the hospital - plus, I was busy back at
work, and didn't have the time I would need for this legwork!
Then, it was much easier for me to call it CASE CLOSED!
And
then, on July 26, 2002 the wife gets a phone call from my now GP over
at Kaiser Permanente, warning the a recent blood sample indicated I had
high liver enzymes, and that it looked as though I had hepatitis.
That was on a Friday eve.
On the following Sunday eve, my hero GP called and had a lengthy discussion with me about this. And for me, it was much better that he/we chose the phone discussion method that was used... It gave me the opportunity to educate myself a little on this disease. Then
there were several followup blood samples, a liver biopsy, and by
February 7, 2003 I started a peg-interferon/ribavirin prescription
medication remedy program.
By August 1, 2003, at my 24 week blood sample and checkup, it was determined I was a NON RESPONDER to their medication program. "Currently, NO alternative medication programs, but keep in touch." I
was somewhat prepared for this notification, as at my 12 week mark my
PCR viral load had not quite dropped to acceptable numbers for
them. And since then I have been researching this hep C thing for
all it's worth!
I have put together an acceptable routine for myself, and am feeling very good these days. The best part of this is most likely just related to not doing the peg-interferon/ribavirin. I have not put, as of yet, the ever important blood monitoring work in place, but will. UPDATE: As of 2 Dec 2003 my needed blood work, and mailing of results will be accomplished. As I've requested, I will be programmed for a quarterly Liver Function Test and a bi-annual PCR Viral Load test. And a copy will always be mailed to me. It's very a pleasant and special thing to work with a professional, cooperative and compliant staff at Kaiser Permanente! As
a side note, as pleased as I am with Kaiser Permanente, I do have to
fault them for completely failing to address by any measure
herbal/natural remedy alternatives for diseases such as mine!
Theoretically, I'm a prime candidate to push an issue like this with them, as they already informed me they had no alternative medication programs to offer me. I currently have a year + of self education on herbal remedy programs and routines for my disease, and have no reason whatsoever to discontinue my self education process! I
now have an ongoing battle with Providence Holy Cross (new name, due to
new ownership in 1995) over the double DEATH SENTENCES they tried to
apply to me! I successfully beat (with much help!) their first
attempt at this back around 1992. Their second will take much
research from me, and a lot of proper work, as I am now acting as my
own hep C MD... They had a chance to quiet me down with a proper
financial distribution, discussed in an exchange of letters I initiated
earlier this year, they have opted to deny my "claim" as they called it.
Now full tilt media attention is what I'm seeking, as I have a bunch of unsuspecting patients to inform, to avoid this hospital like the plague! -BigPat 20 Sept 2003 Contact info for Dr.
Timothy Sprague from CA Medical Board online:
Name Type Number SPRAGUE TIMOTHY JOSEPH G 37181 2402 LA MESA DRIVE SANTA MONICA 90402 LOS ANGELES
As all letter exchanges have terminated with Holy Cross/Trinity Health, I have taken my battle to different levels...
And still a 'work in progress'...  Many
of these publications are in PDF (Portable Document
Formats). To
open PDF files, download the free
Adobe Acrobat Reader if you do not already have it installed on your
computer.# # # Questions or comments,
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