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Date Posted: 21:43:41 12/20/01 Thu
Author: Rita
Subject: Mother-in-law

My mother-in-law is an independent 81-year-old.
Her questions and comments could NOT all be answered.
My first question about NO Previous Medical Records
would be that there is a charge for the Hospital
Records department to send a copy of the patient's
records to the doctor.

This happened to me when I had to ask that the doctor
receive the medical test in order to read it.
The Test Prescriber was never SENT a copy.
The Records Department waive the charge,
because what good is a test if NOBODY was to read it.


Watching Father Die

On November 28, 2001, dad fell while walking to or from the dining room.
He was an 80-year-old who was living at an assistance-living complex.
Dad's health had been failing. He had gone from 160 pounds to 105.
When dad fell, he had apparently broken his hip and was taken to
St. Mary's Hospital in Livonia.

My 81-year-old mother-in-law, Maxine, wished to know all the details.
Maxine's husband Sherman had died at Pontiac General Hospital
because of complications that had developed from a broken hip surgery.
Apparently now in December 2001, Maxine's doctor had told her that she
was in need of a surgery, but the surgical pain might kill her.
Maxine also had not filed her Living Will.

The day after dad fell, a doctor called me. I knew dad's health had been
failing. The fall was as if it was the beginning of the end, so I said:
"Father is old and frail."

The doctor's voice turned into a guilt-trip tone, saying, "Are you going to
leave this poor man in pain?"

When dad could speak for himself, he declined all surgeries; but when he
made out his Living Will, he did not include "No Surgeries". Had dad
included "No Surgeries", I would have replied, "Yes. We'll make
arrangements for hospice." Instead, I replied, "Call my brother...he's in
charge of that."

Mother-in-law then asked, "Where were your dad's medical records? My
doctor hands me all my medical tests...I don't even have to ask for them."

Apparently, the doctor didn't have any of dad's medical records and he had
to make his own. When the doctor discovered that dad had not had a surgery
in 50 known years. It was one surgery after another. Dad was hospitalized
from November 28, 2001 to his painful death on December 12, 2001.

First it was a hip surgery, then an amputation to the knee. I was not
aware of the amputation. The day after, I had visited dad. He had been in
constant pain since he had entered the hospital. So, when I saw dad
sleeping, I began chatting with the people visiting the next bed.

A doctor entered the room to see dad. I asked about the possible gangrene
that brothers mentioned. The doctor removed the sheets to look at dad's
foot. I didn't see dad's foot. I asked, "Where's his foot?"

The doctor replied, "Foot?"

Since I don't speak clearly, I have to say something several times. "Yes,
foot," and I pointed to my feet, saying, "I have two feet, you have two
feet.dad had two feet.those things at the bottom of your legs."

The doctor moved from the foot of the bed to the center, saying, "Let's
see," and he pulled the sheets from dad's body.

My first thought was that his foot was tucked under his body. Then the
light bulb clicked, "Oh my God, it's been amputated!"

Brother later said, "When a doctor tells you to amputate to remove the
gangrene...He is the doctor and you agree!"

The next day, my husband and I visited dad. He was lying on his side,
appearing to be asleep with his eyes half open. Dad's food came about
5 p.m. The man in the next bed told me that dad had eaten in the morning,
but they had to feed him. It was difficult to feed dad, while he was lying
on his side. So, when they came to pick up his tray, I asked if sitting up
would help dad eat better.

Two people entered to move dad to a sitting up position. Dad's eyes
popped wide open, screaming as much pain as his words. I couldn't
believe the pain Dad was in. Immediately, I wished that I had not asked
dad to be moved.

I tried to feed dad some vanilla ice cream. His breathing was heavy and
rattled. He didn't want to eat. I quit the feeding and sat down.

Dad's nurse came into the room. Most people know about the 1908
tuberculosis vaccine that was never used in Michigan. So, I started
chatting with dad's nurse to see if she knew about the 1908 tuberculosis
vaccine. Had the vaccine not been withheld, it would have been developed
into a much better vaccine. The man in the next bed joined in our
conversation. As we chatted, the nurse turned her head to look at dad. His
head was laid back on the pillow, his eyes half open and his mouth was fully
opened. I thought I saw his chest move; it was probably his last breath.

The nurse placed her stethoscope on dad's chest, shaking her head. At
6:30, a doctor entered the room and officially declared dad dead. I
considered myself blessed that I was present when both of my parents had
passed on. In dad's case it was obvious that he died of surgical pain, and
I wondered if the doctor would be calling the cause-of-death: surgical pain?

The next day, dad was to go to a convalescent home to die of old age
because he needed special care for his frail condition. So, why mention
"Watching Father Die" and how he died weighting 80 pounds without dignity?

Again, I mention that my 81-year-old mother-in-law wished to know every
detail. (I'm still working on half of the list of her questions.) Dad did
not go to a lawyer to file his right-to-die with dignity. He did not state
where he wished to die: at home with family or in a convalescent home around
strangers. Dad also did not state that when he could not speak for himself,
he did not wish that his body parts be removed, leaving him totally,
painfully bedridden until death. The message to the United States elderly
would be go to an attorney and put it in writing: "Please don't kill me with
surgical pain."

It used to be that you paid your doctor to save your life, this was a clear
case of paying a doctor to painfully kill you.

Meanwhile, I had been complaining how the Prescription Drug Law removed
my right to my more effective antibiotics. The chapters of my book appears
on
http://www.voy.com/43243/

The non-fiction book's subject is how from 1977 to 2001 the withholding of
effective antibiotics and unnecessary surgeries have affected me.

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