Sunday, August 11, 2013

Medically Misdiagnosed AGAIN!!!!

 
August 9, 2013



Karen L. DeSha



RE: Pursuant to my Park Ridge Hospital ER visit on August 8, 2013 seeking treatment for chronic symptoms associated with Tick bites.

Dear Hospital Administrator;

In speaking to the Park Ridge Infectious Disease office on Thursday August 8, 2013 it was their medical opinion that due to the severity of my symptoms I should go to the ER immediately. Their hope was that if I went to the Park Ridge ER I could be admitted for intense testing in an attempt to resolve a two year, and one month old, physically debilitating nightmare.

A 'young' ER P.A. approached the door of the room in which I had been placed, never even placing one foot over the threshold, he asked, “Have you been in the north?” I replied, “no.” He replied, “Then you do not have Lyme it is only in the North.” Continuing on, this 'young' P.A. informed my mother and I that he knows everything about Lyme because he is a native of Pennsylvania. This is indeed an exceptional 'young' PA; that he can diagnose a patient and assess they do not have Lyme Disease by looking at them [from outside the room] and asking a location query to ascertain said diagnosis is truly a remarkable gift! **[male P.A., dressed in navy blue scrubs, sand blond hair, orthodontic braces on his teeth, from Pennsylvania]. I will not forget, but I will forgive, his sneering glare. In an attempt [on my part] to walk toward him so he could see that I was in excruciating pain. I collapsed to floor because I am so physically weak. Instead of doing what any medical staff would have done he said, “Well, that was drama.” ; NO he did not assist me in returning to a standing position or even offer. This 'young' P.A. walked away without a word and my 80 year old mother had to assist me from the floor back to the chair!

North Carolina is [and has been for decades] a retirement area, and vacation haven, for Northerns who, unknowingly, transport Lyme diseased ticks to our home state. How do I know this to be fact; I am a thirty year licensed NC real estate Land Agent. I have walked NC wooded lots [from ¼ acre to 8 acres for thirty years]! This is not my first encounter with TICKS, or chiggers, or spiders, or snakes, or deer, or any other indigenous species of four legged wildlife in NC. This is also not my first encounter with the CDC; the CDC diagnosed me in 1997 with 'Tick Fever'; adding I have a heightened sensitivity the bite [saliva] of ticks. The CDC determined my heightened sensitivity is more than likely due to having been bitten more times, by ticks, than I can recall.

*****Diagnosed Lyme Cases in North Carolina for 2012 is 127. Lyme Disease is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnosis because patients exhibit so many different symptoms.

The 'young' P.A. spoke to my mother and I as if we were imbecilic hillbillies; I am old enough to be this child's mother and my mother is old enough to be his grandmother. He treated us disrespectfully, unprofessionally, condescendingly, immaturely, uncaring and like many northern transplants [down right RUDE.] I would seriously suggest he read a book, or possibly four, on “How to Develop and Strengthen Social Skills and Use Them In the Workplace” to assist him in dealing with the public; I will be more than happy to recommend a few titles.

Please enlighten and educate this 'young' P.A.; I have enclosed, for his reading pleasure, CDC statistics from 2002 through 2012 and articles about Lyme Disease in the South. This documentation completely contradicts this 'young' P.A.'s knowledge of Lyme Disease and where one can [and cannot] contract this horribly debilitating disease. Hopefully this critically and most pertinent information will allow this 'young' P.A. to understand LYME Disease is a scourge in the entirety of North America; including the Southern States [and oh my God North Carolina, in fact, IS on the list]!

Many Northerns do not know how to speak to Southerners or how to treat us; how do I know this to be truth? I am a native of North Carolina born in St Joseph's Hospital; I was a resident of Maryland from 1974 through 1989 and also a resident of Pennsylvania from 2002 through 2007.

***The biggest obstacle my former husband encountered, during our 2002 – 2007 PA transfer, was having to train all of the inside [telephone] sales personnel [all PA natives] how to speak to and treat Southerners!

After the bizarre encounter with the 'young' PA my mother and I decided to leave; we were walking out of the doorway when the 'young' PA returned with a doctor. The PA never acknowledged my mother nor me and quickly walked down the hallway. He gave NO apology for his unconscionable behavior and treatment of an ill patient. The doctor called to us to wait; my initial meeting with Dr. Howard, III. He asked if we could go back to the room sit down and talk. We returned to the room, he closed the door, sat down and actually talked with me about everything I have been through in an attempt to find a correct diagnosis. I told Dr. Howard, III I was just going to go home; my mother immediately said, “No you are not going home until we know what is wrong.” Dr. Howard, III got up and gently hugged my mom and said, “Thanks mom!”

I did not meet Dr. Howard, III until 45 minutes prior to his 13 hour shift ending; I should have come to the ER sooner. I was at home wasting valuable time in an attempt to convince myself [for the one millionth time over the past two years] “this” is all in my head. Yes, it is in my head the pain in my cranium generates down the entire left side of my body; difficulty for medical personnel to detect a pulse in my left wrist, numbness, tingling, loss of blood flow, a sense [as if something] is crawling on my left leg, I cannot raise my left leg, nor my left arm, the lymph node behind my ear is [and has been] swollen [including while I have been taking Doxycycline for six weeks], I am becoming weaker and exhibiting new symptoms that now accompany symptoms I have had since mid-June 2011. I have four Doxycycline pills remaining from a 30 day treatment yet my symptoms are worsening.

The end result. Dr. David Rollins came on shift and spoke with me pursuant to a discussion with Dr. Howard, III, before he left the hospital. Dr. Rollins asked me to fill him in with more details. By the time of our meeting I was so exhausted I had difficulty expressing myself; let alone in detail. These are the events that I recall, with clarity, when Dr. Rollins took over my patient file:
  1. Dr. Rollins communicated to me that it is not possible that I have had Lyme since 2011; even though my symptoms have remained the same and as of Monday [07/2013] I have begun to experience new symptoms~drooping of my left eye, left facial twitching, excruciating cranial pain and severe neurological problems. **There are hundreds of documented cases of Lyme Disease being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed in patients from months to decades.
  2. ***Dr. Rollins' added that I have not been having seizures so I do not have Lyme. Wouldn't it be wonderful, for everyone working in the medical field and patients, too, if every patient FIT the profile symptoms for every disease known today? Well patients don't always fit the profile; ergo, they suffer long term side effects from undiagnosed illnesses and sometimes they die.
  3. My diagnosis? Dr. Rollins' said [quote un quote] “Nothing is making sense. So go to your appointment with Park Ridge Infectious Disease on August 20th.” Yes that was my diagnosis word for word; he added, “I know you're angry with me.” I replied, “No I do not get angry I guess you have done all you can do. So get a nurse to remove the IV and discharge me so I can go home.” I stated this sentence twice; because Dr. Rollins' [I believe] was concerned but on the ER floor he did not have the time to work with me. Yet Dr. Rollins insisted I could not possibly have Lyme because I have not had a seizure [?]. Needless to say my mother is very upset that her only daughter was sent home with a diagnosis of, “Nothing is making sense.”
  4. I may or may not have Lyme; however, the reality is I am extremely ILL and conclusive testing sometimes takes several attempts; all I was asking for was HELP.

I am NOT saying Dr. Rollins' is not a kind and caring ER physician but not every patient fits “the profile” symptoms thus causing many to suffer with lengthy illnesses until a doctor really [looks, listens, actually comprehends and is curious why a normally healthy person is suffering so]. I understand this takes time, too much time for an ER doctor who is dealing with patients 'coding'. It is only my opinion but my mother and I both feel Dr. Rollins should have followed through with Dr. Howard, III's decision to admit me.

I came to Park Ridge because I was treated in this hospital in 1991 and remembered the kind care and the doctors patience and medical expertise. I guess a lot has changed in twenty one years; although, I would have thought the medical treatment and caring of patients, seeking help, would have remained the same! I remain undiagnosed and unable to care for myself or perform daily house hold tasks. I will be seeing the Park Ridge ICD doctor on August 20, 2013 at 10 AM; until this date I have no idea what to do other than lay in my bed in excruciating pain.

It is my opinion the PA should hand write apology notes to my mother and me. In America's economic struggle I wish no one to loose their job. But I do expect a person WHO HAS A JOB [in whatever industry they have chosen] to perform their job description to the highest standards; they are the faces that represent your hospital's reputation.

Please express my thanks to Dr. Howard for his concern and decisiveness, Dr. Rollins for trying to understand and deal with my lengthy list of symptoms when he [really] needed to be with more seriously ill patients. I graciously thank the attending nurse, she is wonderful [a real 'mover and shaker']. Your hospital must be proud to have medical personnel of this caliber in your ER.

Thanking you for your time and consideration.



Karen L. DeSha