Soo Looking Furrward to Surgery!! [GOING Home..]

[Cinder & Smoke]

Gina has taken lawsuits against certain California hospitals in the past
for just this sort of thing.

Bringing a lawsuit won't resolve anything for YEARS AFTER the poor service, poor treatment,
pain, and suffering has happened.

MOST of these ADA problems happen because the folks ON DUTY are ill informed
or don't think they have access to the tools (translator) to rectify the situation -
so they bluff it and pretend there is no problem!

A couple of always-handy laminated cards EXPLAINING the ADA provisions,
along with a few 24/7 Help Hotline numbers;
and a deaf person has the tools to overcome the poor treatment routine.

And TAKE a Trusted FRIEND!!
SIGN their name onto the Admission Forms - "THIS is my representative ...
he or she MUST be informed of my condition, prognosis, and treatment options.
You must explain my condition to THIS Person as well as myself!"

HELP THYSELF!

/s/ Phred

[Catsnclay]

Phred is 100% correct on everything that he has said, GINA needs to assign SOMEONE other than herself to a consent form, before the surgery would have been nice, but now is not too late.


I'm actully surprised that the doctor talked to you Cindy, you are not related to Gina in any way, so legally he should not have told you anything.......maybe this is why nobody knows what is going on!

My suggestion is that you (Cindy) get Gina to sign that form, just for short term, so that YOU can ask the doctor directly, and get direct answers. Flashing that piece of paper around will get you a lot of answers!

Gina should also print out what Phred told her, and carry that on her person just in case of ER's. She should also have a current, updated list of any and all medication she is taking - even over the counter pills!

The only way things like this will stop, is with education. I'm surprised Gina - will all she seems to have gone through - should already know all of this!

[Cinder & Smoke]

THIS was just posted and then deleted by the poster ...

The information is good and correct ...
BUT the "attitude" is an EXCELLENT Example of what's WRONG with our medical professionals ...
The "attitude" expresses contempt towards the patient

(NOTE: Emphasis ADDED by Phred)

They will not perform a surgery without a consent form signed, period.
They will not do it so that (one not being presented to Gina) is not correct.

Maybe she doesn't remember signing a consent form, but she most certainly did sign one.

If she did not read it, or did not fill out the paperwork correctly -
that is her doing.

Consent forms are in print, therefore can be read by anyone who can read.
... she could have read it before she signed it.

NO operation is performed in this country without a consent form signed. If you try to tell me it was I won't beleive you, I work in the medical industry and I know for a fact they will NOT perform anything on anyone, not even admit you to the hospital, without a consent form and other paperwork signed, that is all in print.

It is the responsibility of the person having the operation to read it and understand it
and if they DON'T understand it, then why are they signing it until they do?
That is the patient's responsibility.

OK, "Medical Pro", you ARE CORRECT about the Consent FORM ...
Gina HAD to be given one and told to sign it ...
OR she'd NOT get treatment nor her knee operation.

What you DIDn'T say is those "forms" run two to three FINE PRINT PAGES;
are often presented with NO "expalnations" other than "You gotta sign this!";
and often aren't further explained if you DO ASK queations!

I've personally been admitted to hospitals TOO Many times lately ...
ONE night THREE TIMES into different facilities - while suffering a HEART ATTACK!

I had NO glasses on, was drugged, drifting in/out of being awake/alert ...
and had NO Freakin idea in the world what I was signing!
On the Second "consent" form I tried to print "Under Duress" before my name ...
Clerk saw it but couldn't read it --- squawked --- but couldn't understand my reply
and let it go.

I *REFUSED* to make decisions or agree to medical procedures UNTIL my two
unrelated "Friends" -
both of whom were EMTs and were being forced to wait in the lobbies -
were allowed IN to the ER *AND* Heard the "story" from the MD Doctor!

THEN the "consent forms" were brought back and THEIR NAMES were both added to my forms.

NOW - imagine if I was DEAF --- couldn't hear a thing the whole time I was there ---
and some less-than-happy-to-be-working-today CLERK shoved a three-page form at me
and *pointed* to the last page signature line!

"Consent Form" is a BADLY named weapon that the hospital uses to protect THEIR Interests,
at the expense of the PATIENT's interests!

(Rant over, for now.)

/s/ Been there; been DONE that way!

[NoahsMommy]

"They wont admit or preform surgery without consent"

Oh yea?? I've both worked in and stayed in hospitals as well and I've seen it happen where that is NOT true. When dealing with humans, things fall through the cracks. If it were up to the doctors, of course no one would do surgery without first having all forms signed, thats a HUGE liability. It happens.

And Phred is correct. If Gina went into this surgery, knowing FULL WELL that in the past she's faced not having an interpreter provided to her by the hospital, why did she not go get one herself????

I've faced MANY a medical challege due to my chronic illness and as a result I PLAN for EVERY hospital stay. Granted, I can hear. But, I do have other limitations that I have to overcome that I wont go into here because well, its very private. The point is, I PLAN ahead of time so that I'm not stuck time and time again relying on other people for my comfort, for my safety, even for my medication or even FOOD for that matter. You're responsible for yourself as an adult.

I was under the impression this surgery was elective - as in, she needed it to relieve pain, but it wasn't life or death. You'd think that if an intrepreter was THAT important, she'd arrange one. If she couldn't do that via her own support channels, she'd postphone the surgery.

And this doctor REFUSES to write down instructions and updates for his patient? Um, what kind of person DOES that to a deaf/hearing impared person (I'm sorry, I'm unsure on the proper term ) ??? Where do you find these doctors?? You are aware you can ask for the department heads, right??? Hospital heads??? ASK FOR THEM!!!!! Don't just sit there and become a victim, people treat you the way you ALLOW them to treat you.

Please get well and get the HECK OUT OF THAT HOSPITAL Gina.

[NoahsMommy]

I used to Work in In/Out/ER Hospital Admitting and have practically memorized those stupid consent forms...

Basically, you are signing for the following:

1. Your siggy gives up your right to sue the hospital for anything the MD's do to you! (FUN!!! Although, there is usually a way around this one, I think you can sue nurses, or the hospital for neglect and all that fun stuff. In Gina's case, for not providing an intrepeter when she obviously needs one.) {I think this one is a combo of two points, actually.}

2. You are giving consent for the hospital's billing dept. to bill your insurance company(s). If you owe more than what your insurance company will pay on this/these services, the hospital will then bill you for these services.

3. If you have a co-pay or deductable, upon admission, you must pay these.

4. While there are many, many doctors that use the hospitals facilities, they do not work FOR the hospital. (ie: Radiologist, Anesthesiologist, Pulmonologist, Gastroenterologist, your Surgeon, etc.) As thus, they will be billing you and your insurance seperately from the hospital.

5. Do you have an Advanced Care Directive or a Medical Power of Attny? Would you like info on this?

6. We are a teaching hospital and so you may witness students helping your nurses or doctors at times. This is in no way a threat to you or your care/safety...blah, blah, blah...improves the future of healthcare...blah, blah, blah.

7. Due to being a teaching hospital and in the course of surgeries and tests/procedures, there are photographs taken of ...pretty much the insides of people, or the removal of organs, or laprscopic surgeries or scopes, etc....that remain the property of the hospital. Just an FYI, we may use them. (I always thought this one was soooo odd and this was the one people would ask me about...I never knew what to say to them!)

OK, I'm forgetting the rest...but those are the main ones. Fun stuff you have to sign while terrified, drugged or in pain, huh?? This is why its good to have, like Phred kinda suggested above, FRIENDS or FAMILY with you of good, sound minds that can help you with the admitting process.

OK, done hijacking the thread.

[Catsnclay]

I used to Work in In/Out/ER Hospital Admitting and have practically memorized those stupid consent forms...

like Phred kinda suggested above, FRIENDS or FAMILY with you of good, sound minds that can help you with the admitting process.

OK, done hijacking the thread.

Kelly-

You did NOT hijack this thread, you would think with all the medical problems & hospital stays Gina has, she would know this by now.....deaf or not.

If she didn't ask for an inturpertur, then they understood she read everything that she had to sign. As a hearing person I have asked questions before I signed, and I have read everything before signing - or my husband is there, reading, before anything is signed - regardless if it is a hospital or not!

Never, ever sign a document before reading AND understanding it. It is just good common sense.

[jennielynn1970]

Wait... she fell after the surgery?! I must have missed that in a post somewhere. I'm surprised they didn't give her some kind of crutch or cane or something to help her with balance.

Hope things are going better.

[Karen]

She had crutches, but did fall anyway, she was in a lot of pain, so that may have thrown off her balance further.


Taz_Zoe is Cindy, not Cathy! Gina is in the hospital, so Taz_Zoe's probably feeding the Ark.

[jennielynn1970]

Oh.... yeah, crutches aren't the easiest things to maneuver. I hated them when I broke my ankle twice.

The blood clots are the super scary part. Gosh. Hope they can take care of that quickly. Those suckers are no joke.

[NoahsMommy]

Taz_Zoe is Cindy, not Cathy! Gina is in the hospital, so Taz_Zoe's probably feeding the Ark.

Oh no! I'm sorry Cindy...leave it to me to call someone the wrong name.

That's so sweet of you to care for Gina's beloved crew. No doubt she's worried about them.

Hugs, Kelly

P.S. Glad to see Gina's healing up and is now battling the boredom. Boredom is at least curable! Sounds like trashy magazine time (ie: celebrity rags)!! I adore reading those.

[Karen]

Gina asked me to update everyone, and sends her greetings. Taz_Zoe is now on vacation, but her parents, bless them, are taking care of Gina's ark for her, which is a great releif for her. She's having more pain again, and the fever has returned some. The surgeon came by again today, Gina's still having thrombosis forming in her leg, and that's what really hurts the most. Thank goodness for the morphine.

Gina is hoping to be moved to a higher floor tomorrow, and hopes that coverage will be better there, and she'll be able to access Pet Talk herself then.

Please keep Gina in your prayers, for healing, and for comfort, and help her also as she's feeling pretty lonely right now as well.

And she has a request!

Could each person post one photo and tell why it is their favorite? That will give her something cheery to look at when hopefully she gets better coverage for her pager.