It's tough when you have to become your own medical advocate, or an advocate for a loved one. It's not only tough, but frustrating because it has become increasingly impossible to trust Doctors, Hospitals and even Pharmacists.
So, let me tell you a little story about a man named 'Bob,' a smart techno geek who has had a lot of probs! Bob began having severe headaches about 2 years ago, along with other symptoms IE: loss of peripheral vision and facial/tongue numbness. His Primary Care Doctor sent him to a Neurologist. After a CT scan and MRI of the brain the Neurologist determined he has what are called ocular migraines which explains the visual symptoms but not the numbness.
Ok, so Dr. 'Doolittle' prescribes Elavil to keep the migraines from happening as frequently, and Darvocet (which is now a known killer and off the market) to Bob. It didn't work! Bob was still coming home about 3 days per week in total misery, not to mention the stress of missing work (He is the boss). Dr 'Doolittle' was called more than once and he told Bob to give it time or go to ER for extra meds. Ok, Dr. 'Doolittle,' want to pay Bob's hefty deductible after the ER visit? Hint: While in ER Bob was given some heavy duty narcotics via an IV which are known to cause Respiratory depression and/or Respiratory arrest. Bob was left in a room with his wife while Nurse 'ImAloser' left the room. Bob began to stop breathing intermittently, so his wife called Nurse 'ImALoser' into the room and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be monitoring his heart rate, respiratory rate at minimum? The nurse replied, "Oh yes... you mean no one came in to do this?" Bob's wife bit her tongue, because she wanted to scream, "You idiot, YOUR supposed to be monitoring him, who did you expect to come in- housekeeping?!?"
It gets better (well seriously, it really doesn't). Bob's Doctor took him off the Elavil and Darvocet then switched him to Topamax and Vicodin. Bob tried to warn 'Doctor Doolittle' that he was an asthmatic- reason for warning... Topamax has been known to cause Chronic Bronchitis in patients who are already predisposed to upper airway disease. Well, Bob was one of the LUCKY fellows that developed this condition. The coughing got so bad he began to have bronchospasms. Bob's inhalers were not working; which they always did when having an asthma attack. Bob notified 'Doctor Doolittle,' and the good ole Doc said, " I have never heard of this happening while taking Topamax, he needs to see a Pulmonologist. Bob's wife was beside herself, because she had been researching the drug for quite some time and felt sure the cough WAS drug related. Bob's wife made an appointment with Bob's family Dr.
After Bob had his first visit with his family Dr, the comedy (not so funny) of errors continued. Bob's family Dr. treated Bob for a sinus infection with a drug called Zithromax, gave him a new emergency inhaler along cough syrup. This did absolutely nothing to clear up Bob's symptoms which continued to worsen. Bob was so tired from coughing, he began to sleep a lot when he wasn't coughing. Bob's wife called the family Dr. again hoping to get to the bottom of Bob's coughing ordeal once and for all! But, Noooo, Bob's family Dr. who happens to be FRIENDS with 'Dr. Doolittle' decided it must still be a sinus infection along with an upper airway infection. He gave Bob a prescription for Avalox and Prednisone this time, and ordered a chest X-Ray; which was negative.
'The saga gets worse: While Bob was on the Avalox (an antibiotic) which unbenounced to Bob and his wife had a black box warning... Bob began developing severe joint pain. The deep tendon pain started slowly and got worse with each day. Bob already has an underlying condition that affect his tendons and ligaments, so he thought he was just having a flare up. That was until, the pain was so severe he could hardly walk, and thought he was going to rupture one or more tendons. Bob's Dr. was fully aware of Bob's underlying condition prior to prescribing the Avalox. After taking Avalox for 6 days Bob's wife decided to call the Pharmacist, because she began researching the drug and saw the warnings about spontaneous tendon ruptures along with the black box warning. The Pharmacist said to stop it immediately and report it to Bob's Dr. Bob's wife reported the adverse affect to the Dr., and Bob never heard back from him. The Dr. couldn't even call to ask how Bob was, whats wrong with this picture? It was Bob's wife that kept insisting they need to taper Bob from the Topamax which his family Dr. FINALLY did!
Bob's family Dr. asked if the cough went away after tapering from the Topamax, uh yea Dr. 'YouHelpedSoMuch,' it sure did thanks to Bob's wife's persistence!
Unfortunately, Bob is back to square one; No medication to stop the migraines from coming on, along with the fact that he is now back to getting severe, and debilitating migraines 3-4 times per week. Bob's neurologist can't see Bob until after Christmas, so in the mean time he suffers!
Bob will make ONE last trip for re-evaluation to the Neurologist, and then Bob's wife will find another one for him; hopefully more competent!
Please make sure to read the inserts when you pick up your prescription. Follow your gut, and do not give up if you feel the Dr. is incompetent. And, make sure to speak up for yourself when dealing with health care professionals, because they are not God's; they are humans with flaws- some have many more flaws than others.
One last note if you got this far: A close family member was recovering at the Cleveland Clinic after a major surgery. She was put on a Morphine drip for the pain which caused apnea. Family members had to keep stroking her arm and yelling her name to breath when the apnea occurred; she would breath. However, after she was given a morphine pump in lieu of the Morphine drip, she went into Respiratory arrest while one of her family members was in the room. Luckily, the nurses were right outside her door, brought the crash cart in along with Dr's and after giving her a specific med, they were able to get her to breathe on her own again. She was much more alert; no more apnea on the pump. What the family found out later is the fact that the nurse forgot to discontinue the drip, and 'Margaret' was being over dosed on Morphine. They gave her a drug called Narcan to reverse the effects of the over dose. If it had not been for a family member being in 'Margaret's' room that day, she may have died because she was not hooked up to ANY monitors what so ever.
I guess we all need crash courses with regards to Medical treatments etc.. in order to make sure our loved ones are getting not only the best care, but also the PROPER Medical care. Too many 'Dr. Doolittles', and mistakes waiting to happen.
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