medical negligence and closed head (brain) injury
add to this harassment from Social Security.
There are eight pages total. The links are at the
bottom of the page.
The photo on the left was taken almost 2 weeks post motor vehicle accident.
Yes, it is I, the same person in the photo on the right. Nobody would clean the glass
and the blood from my head and my hair. I looked like this almost two weeks. A coworker
came over a day or two before I was finally hospitalized and cleaned my head and my
hair. All of this will be updated as soon as I can get to it. Dialup connection is
too slow. I need to work on the book outline. Oh by the way, in the photo on the left
I had just turned 48 years of age. In the photo on the right, I was barely past 62.
That is a long time to continue to struggle from a car wreck and a brain injury.
The photo on the right was taken Feb. 27, 2002 at work at the end of the day.
This was a part time, month to month contract, sit down job taking care of special
needs children. I will also be udating the many attempts at work struggles too.
Looking at the photo above, would you believe that the hospital I was brought
to did not do a Cat Scan? Considering my face broke the windshield and the car was
totaled, wouldn't you think a Cat Scan would have been ordered? Wouldn't you think
I would have been hospitalized? I was not. I was physically placed on a shuttlebus
and brought to the hospitality house and physically carried up the steps and left
there.
The next day I was brought back to the same hospital due to an increasing
headache and blurred vision. Once again, no Cat Scan ordered but released to the
hospitality house, same scenario with the van.
A friend of mine took me from the hospitality house to a mutual friend's
house to stay. I had neither relatives nor any family member in this state. I was
over 2,000 miles from the nearest family member. The ride was most uncomfortable.
My friend was surprised at how I complained of the bumpy ride, which to him was
not all that uncomfortable. Apparently all the little pebbles and small rocks felt
more like huge bumps to me. It really caused pain in my head, especially in the
lower left back area of my head. It also made me dizzy and woozy.
That night my head was hurting even more to excruciating pain. My lady
friend brought me to another hospital where again nothing was done for me. I was
not given privacy either. My friend told me later that I was crying and screaming
and all of a sudden I was sleeping. I was not sleeping. With the pain I was in,
what happened was I blacked out and nobody paid attention. Nobody noted what was
really happening to me. I was in and out of alertness and awareness and the
medical personnel were oblivious as to what was truly happening to me.
By the next morning, my face was swollen and my eyes were swollen shut.
I could not walk on my own power. I had extreme right-sided weakness. Obviously
I could not see. It would be later that I learn that my lady friend assisted me
to the living room where she gave me either hot chocolate or hot tea. I will have
to check my journaling to know which it was. I could not remember (and still don't
remember) but I was told and it is in my notes.
Because of the increasing pain and discomfort plus the fact my eyes were
swollen shut, my gentleman friend brought me to my family doctor. My friend
assisted me into the doctor's office in an upright position. I can not remember
this office visit but I did do a lot of journaling from what I remembered and
from what I was told.
The doctor assumed I entered his office on my own power. He stated it was
obvious I could not take care of myself so he would order home care for me. This
home care was not scheduled to begin until the next day leaving me alone in this
condition. However, after my friend brought me home and he went to work, the
home health agency called to speak with me. I informed them of my condition,
that I could not walk on my own power and could not see. I further stated I had
not eaten and could not remember what I had to drink for breakfast could they
start the care that day?
Note: still no Cat Scan. And as an added note: this doctor prescribed a
narcotic painkiller, which is in the same family as Demerol. My records stated
I could not take Demerol because it will cause my blood pressure to bottom out.
After this office visit I was to be alone twenty-one hours a day with memory
problems, inability to support myself, severe right-sided weakness, could not
see, excruciating headache, no family members nearby. What are you thinking by
now? Fact not fiction folks!
Shortly there was a knock on my apartment door. The manager had to let
the home health aid in because I lived in a secure building. I literally rolled
out of bed and dragged myself to the living room door. As I opened the door I
asked, "Who is it?" or something to that affect. It was my aid for the day. She
was there only three hours. My doctor had prescribed care for only three hours
a day for four days but it was begun on the first day giving me home health
care for three hours a day for five days and not the same hours each day. That
left me alone for twenty-one hours a day. Are you keeping up with this?
I will elaborate on what happened between this first day and the following
week later. I will cut to the chase and inform you that on December 29, 1988 I
was feeling very weird so I moved from the couch to the floor of my living room.
By this point I could open my eyes enough to peak and get a glimpse of who was
present. The swelling had gone down considerably. Keep in mind, I still looked
much like this photo. Nobody would touch my hair. Nobody wanted to clean the
glass from my scalp or wash the blood out of my hair except for the coworker
who took this picture. It was the week of the hospitalization that she came over
and washed my hair for me.
However, on this date, Dec. 29th, I asked my aid to call the doctor, which
she did. She got an answering machine. With my medical knowledge (I was a brain
injury nurse at the time) I knew I did not have time to wait for the doctor to
return the call. I told her to call her agency, which she did. She then placed
the telephone receiver in my hand with me laying on the floor and left. It was
time for her shift to end. She placed my sandwich and drink on the coffee table
and left me in a medical emergency.
Apparently I made two calls on my own. I called my place of employment
and was informed to call 911 that once I arrived at the hospital my condition
would warrant insurance paying for it. My doctor had told my friend on Christmas
Eve because he had seen me in his office the day before and I appeared okay to
him, he could not warrant writing an order for an ambulance. I will cover this
issue later.
From my telephone bill I learned the operator called 911 because I was
charged for the operator assisted call. I don't even remember placing the call.
The last thing I remember about this incident is saying the words, "Don't
stop talking to me." I knew I needed to remain awake. I repeated that over and
over yet I don't remember the ambulance ride or anything else that occurred.
I may have appeared to be awake and alert but I was not cognitive of what was
going on. The only sound the paramedic heard when he checked my blood pressure
was something in the seventies and no other sound. I was brought to the hospital
and admitted to step down ICU because there were no beds available in ICU.
A Cat Scan was finally done which revealed I had a left cerebella brain
hemorrhage, basilor skull fracture among other things. A series of tests to
include MRI's of my brain and my spine, x-rays of my orbital sockets and other
areas, plus many more tests would be done on me during this fifteen-day hospital
stay. However, an EEG was not done until a half year later after I was
transported back to Texas. The first sleep deprived EEG was not done until April
of 1994 prior to breast surgery.
It is important to note at this point that the first rehabilitation nurse
that my car insurance company sent to my apartment to assess me wrote in her
nursing notes she believed because I had been working as a closed head injury
nurse I had convinced myself that I was closed head injured. She stated she
thought I was faking. Fact people, I have my medical records to prove my
allegations.
I am what is considered a high level brain injured person, a survivor.
Yes, I have worked again but had struggles and was eventually diagnosed with
a seizure disorder in 1994 which set me back. In May of 1994 I had breast
surgery for fibrocystic breasts and had to be cleared by a neurologist prior
to being put to sleep. Therefore, the first sleep deprived EEG was finally
done, over five years post brain injury. I sure hope you are keeping up with
all this.
It would be several months later when grand mal seizures would begin due
to negligence on the part of the neurologist I was seeing at that time. Six
medical personnel to include police officers plus my daughter witnessed the
seizures. My daughter told me there were six men hovering over me and my dog
was lying on my body protecting me. Six men! and I was totally unaware of what
was going on. I don't remember that particular episode except for my journaling
and what I was informed occurred. This episode was what is known as status
epilepticus, several grand mal seizures back to back.
There is so much more horror to tell about the seizure episodes and
medication. (They made me more vulnerable to intrusions and stalking episodes,
which is yet another story.) I will inform you that I became toxic on Dilantin
with a level of 43 and this doctor released me from his care stating I self
medicated and he never prescribed the dosage I was taking. Fact is, when I was
beginning to get toxic, he told me to continue the same dosage, which was
against the recommendation of the doctor who saw me in the emergency room.
Also, I have the bottle the medication came in plus the hospital report where
he prescribed the dosage and I have the pharmacist's records, which reflect
the prescription. It was not a large dose; however, it was too much for me.
I am supersensitive to Dilantin, which caused me to have severe diarrhea for
over three months and an increased sensitivity to the sun. A woman in my
fifties, I was and having to curl up in a ball and hide under the bench at
the bus stop to hide from the sun; embarrassing and extremely humiliating.
Add to that, the family doctor refused to believe anything was wrong with
me until I was passing too much blood and became dehydrated. I have his
records also. Note: People I have audited my medical records.
My plans are to write a book about all the abuse done in my care. I
am not alone in all this either. My brother told me it was my medical
knowledge that has kept me going and saved me. He further commented,
"How many people without your knowledge have these things been done to
and they can't defend themselves?" They get lost in the system like what
was happening to me in spite of my knowledge, so my sister in law said.
My son told me it is my faith in God that has saved me. I say it was
both plus all the journaling I have done. I have researched extensively,
audited my medical records, and processed my writings.
Please make note that I live a relatively normal life. From all
appearances, you can not tell what my challenges are because I have
learned to adapt and the problems are not major in my opinion. The problems?
I can not lift over fifteen pounds on a daily basis yet I have packed
and moved myself several times. However, with each move, I become weaker.
I have managed to move things around and pay for it later. Until the knee
injury in 2002, I could walk my dog. Now I use a motorized scooter. However,
I originally qualified for it in 1997. So am I handicapped? For legal
purposes I am. From a practical standpoint, I am not because, as a doctor
in Dallas told me, "You know your limitations." I also think of Joni Erickson
Tada. She is a quadraplegic and has her own ministry.
I was seizure free using herbs and minerals prescribed by a doctor
in Fort Worth, Texas. As of October 1999, a new anti-seizure medication was
prescribed. I almost blacked out in a chiropractor's office during his
initial screening exam. From his office I was brought to the hospital by
ambulance and was admitted for a four-day hospital stay. Medication was
keeping me from having dizzy spells. I missed a half month's work. Upon
my return to work, my boss requested I resign so I could seek work where
health benefits are provided. That too was a part time sit down job; however,
my doctor had told me I needed to seek work where benefits were provided
and another doctor told me the hours I was working was not good on my
health and my bones for my age, I obliged and went home not finishing my
task for the day. Besides, I hope God has something better planned for me
so not to worry about me. On the other hand, the struggles to keep my head
above water and have a decent life have not been easy. This story is very
important to be told and besides, web design is very intriguing to me.
I hope to some day pursue webdesign for a fee. I was scheduled to take some
online courses but the knee injury and the move back to Texas ended that too.
I consider myself to be a survivor, not of one brain injury but
of two. In August of 1992 I was in another accident where I was once again
a passenger. I was one of three who received a concussion while sitting
in the back seat of the van when the back seat came unbolted. All this is
documented at the hospital where the Cat Scans were done. Due to a car
wreck in February of the same year, I was a patient at a hospital when
this occurred and the hospital did a cover-up. I had posttraumatic
stress syndrome and was suicidal. This second car wreck caused a fracture
to my left shoulder and cost me two nursing jobs I was to start the
following week. One job was full time and the other was part time. This
wreck was also the reason for the suicidal tendencies. If you want to know
about that, please email me. Maybe I wasn't ready for the jobs yet.
Fact people, not fiction.
Some people have asked how the wreck happened. We were south bound
on Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday, December 17, 1988.
The time of the accident was documented sometime after 7 pm EST. I was
a passenger in the front seat, and yes, wearing my seat belt, thank God.
The car we were in was a Chevrolet Citation. The other car was what is
considered a large family car. I don't know what make other than like
a Crown Victoria Ltd. or the like; just a larger family car. They ran a
red light going west on Avenue H. The person driving the car I was in
was ticketed for driving without headlights. This was after dusk and it
was snowing hard. I was unaware there was an electrical problem with the
car I was in. The other people were not ticketed and told a lie that
they were north bound and we ran the red light.
The last thing I remembered and journaled was telling my friend
to watch out. (I have had flashbacks too but remember very little save
my journaling.) I could see, over her left shoulder, a car that was not
stopping. If I was in the front passenger seat and I saw over her left
shoulder while she was in the driver's seat, these people were not north
bound but west bound. Question: If they were in the process of
making a left hand turn from a northbound position, how did we broadside
them twice on the passenger side opposite the driver? The answer is
obvious. They were west bound already, coming from the cross street,
which was Avenue H. It took years for my mind to be alert enough to
really figure that out.
Later I questioned my friend why she didn't correct the police
report. Her reply was, "What good would it do me?" My response was,
"But it would help me!" She told me we hit the other car broadside,
bounced back and hit the other car again. Her husband was not with
us but told me a telephone pole and a fence is what stopped us. Remember
the roads were slick because it was snowing on top of other snow.
This was Kalamazoo, Michigan on December 17th. There was nothing left
of the dashboard, it was all powdery substance. The front end of the car
came to meet us due to three major impacts. Praise God for seatbelts!
Everybody but myself were taken to Borgess Hospital. I was taken
to Bronson Methodist Hospital. I do not remember saying anything about
that. Apparently I was on autopilot. I can not remember the ambulance
ride at all. I do remember being in the emergency room. It is apparent
I was in and out of consciousness. You need to know I had worked at
Bronson Hospital when I lived in Kalamazoo before. At this time I lived
in Grand Rapids.
My face broke the windshield as I mentioned before. The neighbor's
child who was in the back seat received a few small bruises on his face.
The driver's daughter lost her two front teeth and had a few bruises.
The driver received a crushed heal. I was the one seriously injured and
the hospital turned me away twice. I received a left cerebelar hemorrhage,
a basilor skull fracture, right carpal tunnel, left trigger thumb, a huge
hematoma at the base of my spine and on my left forearm, glass in my eyes,
glass in my scalp, glass in my forehead and minor cuts and abrasions on my
legs, arms, face, and shoulders (clavicles). My clothes could not be
cleaned due to all the glass caught in the fibers. The burgundy plastic
removed from my forehead came from the middle layer in the windshield.
This is the layer that shields your eyes from the sun's rays.
If I knew then, however, what I know now, I would have tried to
find the money to do a lot of suing. My attorney wanted $10,000 up front.
But health issues have been ongoing as a direct result of the initial
brain injury. It seems somebody would be willing to take this on to set
a precedent. Symptoms can take years to develop after a brain injury.
And for problems to stem from the original injury should be significant
in itself. Where is the justice? I'm not alone in this.
Update: I was diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis in 1997. Due
to weight gain from inactivity from a dislocated knee cap, the problem
has exacerbated which is why I have need of a motorzied scooter. I should
have been on total disability instead of social security considering me
partially disabled. They never acquired ALL of my medical records and I
have documentation from them to that affect too. It has been a continuuing
battle with social security. I've received conflicting letters to include
monies being withheld when I had documentation from them I did not owe.
How does one survive on $325 a month? on $549 a month? and pay medical
bills? Then too, why have some people not needed an attorney and get 3
times and more than what I get? If one is working part time and still
qualifies for welfare programs, how can that be considered by social
security as being gainfully employed? If one drifts from one job to another
trying to make ends meet and trying to find a place to fit in and not
have seizures, how can that be considered being gainfully employed?
I don't understand. On the other hand, when you have doctor's orders for
help at home, how can a government program circumvent those doctor's orders
stating you can feed yourself, you can dress yourself, and you can bathe
yourself....even though you can't stand long enough to prepare a meal let
alone clean up afterwards, you need a shower chair so get one, and you some
times have to sit down to dress, your overall score is not high enough so
forget about the things you obviously can not do, we will forget about
the doctors orders, this is a government program. Will somebody explain
that line of thinking to me please?
This story will be continued; however, if you are interested in
knowing more, feel free to email me. Ask any questions you would like
to know the answers to. I can also direct you to web sites targeting
brain injuries. Thank you for your patience.
MEMORIES
Memories are not a place
but thoughts stored in our mind
of things we did, or shared, or saw
in another place and time.
When in our hopes and longings
for that other place and time,
we need only tap the memories
in the recesses of our mind.
Somewhere, somehow, sometime, someone,
from an incident in time,
the memories we used to know
were stolen from our mind.
But with the help of loving friends,
with Christ's love in their hearts,
to us bestowed new memories,
from us will not depart.
Freefallnz's home on the web.
Click on the Emu picture for
an interesting web site in
New Zealand by a fellow
TBI survivor. There you will
find information about TBI
recovery, caving, kayaking,
rock climbing, and other
things of educational interest.
It is with great sadness to have to say that
Terri Schiavo died the morning of March 31, 2005.
Ultimate Caterfly
Note: If you know of anyone who had a brain injury, please have him or her
write to me. Thanks!
This site was created by me using HTML web design and I also maintain this
site. Keep watching because I will be adding more and editing too. I did
add some pictures of the car I was in when the accident occured. There
will be more added later.
As of July 26, 2002 I can no longer work as a nurse. It was nice while
it lasted. I dislocated my knee cap. The seizures came back on in
December of 2002. Princess came out of retirement as a service dog.
I praise God for her. Be sure to read her stories.
I am still prone to have a seizure, just have to avoid the precipitators.
I also can drive now. I've a motorized scooter and an automatic lift on my
van. Plus, I now have a Total Gym XL but Chuck Norris didn't come with it.
With the remainder of my workers comp funds, I purchased a used mobile home.
Prayerfully, I will get this home in order so I can start using the gym. It
isn't easy when I am not supposed to bend, stoop, lift, and walk up steps.
Trinity Army from Trinity United Methodist Church in Beaumont, Texas built me
a very nice wheel chair ramp. Now I can get my scooter into the house and
keep it charged. Some day I should be able to use the scooter in the kitchen.
God has richly blessed me with many talents, maintained my sanity and my sense
of humor. But some days that sense of humor and my sanity is attacked. I'm
healthier than my mother was at this age. She died shortly before her 64th
birthday. My biological dad died at age 59 from a heart attack and his mother
died from cancer at age 48. I just lost part of my brain. She had congestive
heart failure. Nothing wrong with my heart. Ooops I have to maintain a correct
diet to keep the fibrocystic breasts problem and potential for seizures under
control.(^.^)
Please view my love poems site and the other sites that I built. I do continue
to create websites, graphics, etc. I love computer stuff and really love to write.
NOTE:
The black and white photos of me are not suitable for
young children to view.
Index 6 still needs to be typed yet.
Please sign the petition for
Social Security Disability Reform.
Read it first. It may not affect you
today but it could affect you in the
future or someone you know and love.
You may be interested in joining the
Coalition MSN Group for support too.
Please visit these other sites created by or for TBI Survivors.
Vince Bell New Mexico
Mark Davis/Freefallnz New Zealand
Dark Blue Knight Australia
Dan Windheim New York
Linda Fullerton New York
Carolyn Bigler Texas
A message from Linda Fullerton, President and Co-Founder of the Coalition
for Social Security Disability Reform.
"Nobody should have to endure the hell that this system imposes on the
disabled of this country. So the best we can do is tell everyone what is
going on and fight back. There is a some reason that both of us are not
dead yet and in my case I guess this is it. Good luck and be well."
The following links were provided by Linda:
Social Security Disability Coalition - FREE knowledge and support
with a focus on reform of the Social Security Disability System:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
Sign the Social Security Disability Reform Petition please.
Read the horror stories from all over the nation at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
Social Security: The Hidden Dangers of Privatizationhttp://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/SOCSECHDP.html
I am in Texas but lived in Michigan at the time of the accident
and lived in Hawaii from April 2001 to mid May 2003.
These links will eventually be on a separate page.
The link below is for an attorney for North and South Carolina; however,
the site is very informative with regards to Social Security and Disability
issues. Check it out.
bravenet.com