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:
- 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.
- ***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.
- 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.”
- 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
