Posted on 09/01/2013 7:00:40 PM PDT by Black Agnes
We've very nearly had our first obamacare victim in the family. We'll see next week.
Daddy goes in for open heart surgery in Houston sometime next week. Prayers would definitely be appreciated...
My father is a heart patient for 25 years. Had bypass surgery in 94 and clean arteries after that. Had a mild clotting incident in '05 and was put on warfarin. Warfarin leads to aortic stenosis (calcification of the aortic valve) in some patients, particularly older men.
Daddy started noticing symptoms of heart failure last spring (spring 12). He wasn't given any medical options. Just 'let's wait it out'. (which I find now is death for this type of thing. the earlier you operate the higher the chances of success, the longer you wait the weaker the heart the bigger the risk of death...)
Fast forward to this spring. He had a major episode and they did a balloon catheter on him. Said they could do that repeatedly (a lie). 3m later he has another episode and now they mention transcatheter valve replacement. But, they tell him they don't use the size he needs so he has to participate in a clinical trial that's testing that size.
So, daddy has a cousin in TX who is a bigwig with marathon oil. Who has a buddy who's an even bigger (retired) bigwig with marathon oil and a donor to Texas Heart Institute. A phone call is made on a Tuesday and daddy has an apointment with a Dr. Fish on a Thursday.
During that appointment the doc tells him that transcatheter has a much higher risk in HIS age group of knocking clots loose and causing problems. And since daddy's had open heart surgery before and knows what that recovery is like they can replace the valve with the correct size that way. But his only concern is with daddy's lungs...
My dad was like ...'what's wrong with my lungs?'...
'Well, you are a heavy abuser of nicotine and have smoked for 60+ years it says here in your medical record and that sort of risk factor concerns us'...
**Daddy's never smoked a cigarette in his entire life.** ...
They were death paneling him because he was supposedly a smoker.
We're still wondering how THAT got on his medical record and how many OTHER older white people have that?
And the great part is...with Obamacare you have no rights to see your medical record...unlike Experian. To correct things that might death panel you w/o your knowledge.
So here's the rundown.
Baptist (Jackson Heart) wasn't going to do open heart surgery on him, at all. Didn't even present it as an option with risks due to his 'smoking'. Just told him 'we'll wait and watch'...Which we find out (from reading pubmed and his asking the surgeon and cardiologist in Houston) is the WORST thing you can do with heart failure from a replaceable valve...
So here we are, a year and a half later with GREATLY reduced heart function, waiting for heart surgery in Houston...
Again, prayers appreciated...
i HAVE SHARED THIS ON fACEBOOK, THIS STORY WILL GET AROUND!!
I am appalled to read of your dad’s experiences with the medical community—and I agree, we are falling down the slippery slope into the black depths that Obamacare promises.
My 87-yr-old dad recently had a horrible experience regarding a stent, and who we almost lost post-procedure because they would not take his complaints seriously until he lapsed into respiratory distress. I fired his narcissistic cardiologist and put mine on the case. Dad has been recovering nicely ever since.
Lifting up prayers for you, your dad, and your family, as so many other kind FReepers did for us when we needed them most. May your dad receive the care he needs—and deserves— quickly, and may God guide the hands of his surgeons and caregivers.
We ask these favors in Jesus’ holy name.
Amen
prayers were already sent her way.
PING
Prayers up for Black Agnes’dad, Black Agnes, and the whole family in this entire situation - and for all who are in a similar situation of need, both medically and administratively.
My G-d.
Prayers and best wishes.
All of us need to check our medical records. Our new doctor is a member of a group that allows the patients to read their charts. That is the good news.
The bad news is what the government and insurance companies now require in those charts.
I got a personal heads up from my fp for 30+ years, who retired this summer. I have a familial history of high cholesterol levels, which have had no impact on longevity, in fact my mother and her siblings had very high levels an all of them lived until their late 80’s or early 90’s. My cousins from my age to 5 years older are all still alive in spite of the high cholesterol levels.
A local and very distant male cousin in his early 60’s with a similar family history of no heart attacks/strokes in parents, dad died of pneumonia at age 80, mother is still alive at 92, and older siblings and cousins with high cholesterol levels still alive with no MI’s or strokes, is now a patient with the large California HMO. He was about to be labeled as a non compliant, and he was told to try the cholesterol lowering drugs for a while. He had real and very severe side effects, and the HMO doctor dced the drug.
My former FP knew this and my history and never pushed the issue. After his retirement, he said that with the new medical history requirements, I should discuss this with my new FP, go on the meds and at the first sign of a side effect, dc the drug. That way, I would not be labeled a non compliant patient.
After another trial diet, which have never worked, I will go on the med. Like my distant cousin at the first sign of lab changes or side effects, I will dc the drug.
You need to discuss the DNR with your family md, any mds who might operate on you or do a procedure and any anesthesiologists working with you.
Praying for your daddy, BlackAgnes!
Nicotine? Could he eating way too many of your yummy tomatoes??? :-)
Sincere prayers for your Dad and your family in this time of serious crisis.
“I fired his narcissistic cardiologist and put mine on the case. Dad has been recovering nicely ever since.”
Drs like that one or with huge egos even with knowledge able patients should be fired.
My wife and I know our orthopod, personally and hundreds of his patients, and we selected him for our surgeries in the past few years. My eye surgeon is terrific and has zip ego issues, and I have recommended to dozens of patients, who love him and his results.
I will be having some fairly serious foot surgery this fall, and my selected Orthopedic Foot Surgeon was recommended the Orthopod mentioned above. He has zero ego issues, and his local patients, we know are very happy with him. We will drive 45 miles out of town for the surgery.
Fortunately, our local cardiology group got rid of the ego driven docs years ago. Their current group of mds are excellent docs and good people.
I’m so glad you’ve got a great orthopod that you trust and who really cares for you. That’s so important! I learned the importance of trust and connection when .45MAN required several specialists before he passed.
The thing that got me about dad (two things, actually) was that the first stent procedure had to be postponed because he was nauseous...he is diabetic and hadn’t had food for nearly 24 hours before they finally took him to surgery (several hours late). The first cardio said “He got himself worked up.” When I reminded him it might be because he hadn’t eaten all day, the response was, “Neither have I.” I should have fired him then.
The last straw was when dad was swelling post-op and having difficulty breathing and no one would listen to me when I told them it wasn’t “normal.” He finally had 2 code indigoes called on him and ended up in ICU for the night. That’s when “doctor” “Neither have I” was fired.
All the best to you and your family, Grampa Dave.
Lord, please help this Dad and family. Smooth the way and inspire his doctors to do their best.
“The thing that got me about dad (two things, actually) was that the first stent procedure had to be postponed because he was nauseous...he is diabetic and hadn’t had food for nearly 24 hours before they finally took him to surgery (several hours late). The first cardio said “He got himself worked up.” When I reminded him it might be because he hadn’t eaten all day, the response was, “Neither have I.” I should have fired him then.”
The lack of food, nutrition and liquids by mouth, pre op are great for the gas passers and the surgeons doing the procedures. That can cause a lot of serious problems for the patients post op, and the nurses and doctors tending to the post op patients.
A couple of decades, I attended a pre op, operation and post op seminar at a teaching hospital. I thought the pre op and op MDS might get assaulted by those who had to tend to the patients post op.
One of the post op Mds said, “You starve/dehydrate your patients, hit them with toxic drugs to put them out, drug them afterwards and leave us with the abused patients in recovery, icu or a general post op floor.”
It still isn’t any better.
Thank you. Those are our prayers as well.
Thank you so much!
My dad is an old country boy. He dipped snuff for years. Doesn’t anymore though.
Prayers up, for your Dad, for you and your family, and for us all : /
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.