Someone Missed It… And It Almost Killed Her…
Paul and I have been together for 3 years. No big dramatic stories here – honest! He has a wonderful family and his mother is a lovely, inviting person. It’s her voice, her demeanor, her laugh – the whole package. 
She’s in her 70’s and was diagnosed with Stage 2 lung cancer earlier this year. This article isn’t about lung cancer though… I’m taking a brief pause from natural and alternative options to talk to you about a topic that WILL save someone in your life – Medical errors.
From the time of cancer diagnosis to a family wedding three months later, her health deteriorated to full-time oxygen and total health deterioration. Her daughter was concerned about her leg swelling. It was a voiced concern to at least THREE different providers. When I saw her at the wedding, my first thought was congestive heart failure. Yes, the swelling was that bad. The oxygen problem was so severe that, if she was away from it for more than thirty minutes, you could physically see the loss of oxygen and subsequent change in color. Her daughter was so distraught that her internal alarm bells were going off and NO ONE WAS LISTENING to her concern.
Until, a radiologist took note. He agreed there was concern and sent her immediately to the ER. It was discovered that she had blood clots in her lungs. And how did they get there? YEP – those swollen legs were loaded with blood clots. She did almost die. Now, she is drastically better and the cancer is shrinking. The whole family is very hopeful.
It is estimated that over 250,000 deaths in the US per year are related to medical errors, ranking as the third leading cause of death. We should all be mortified by this. But, I’m not writing about what can be done to fix this, because we have many opportunities. And, health care workers are wonderful, loving, caring people – doing their best with the tools and time they have.But, it’s epidemic. I’m more concerned that YOU are informed. If you or a loved one stay over night at a hospital or needs regular care, someone needs to be there. You need to be an advocate and ask questions – SPEAK UP. Keep asking until you are satisfied. Call that friend that works in healthcare to accompany you. Sometimes, being able to talk the talk gets a faster response.
I hope this message hit you hard. More questions from you and persistence results in PREVENTION and keeps us out of the system because we are healthy. Once the problem was discovered, Paul’s mom’s life was saved. Thank you to those providers for treating her effectively. But here is the take home message for you. Every single person has somehow been affected by a medical error. Trust your gut. If you feel like something is wrong. It likely is. Ask. Don’t give up. Be vigilant.
