Prev: Prostate cancer and weight loss
Next: updated my blog re my battle with prostate cancer (Gleason 9)
From: NYETT999 on 31 Dec 2005 14:15
My dad was undergoing chemotherapy for his
prostate. About a month ago, he was on his last monthly
chemo treatment after having had a total of eleven or so.

Disaster struck on the final monthly treatment. Instead
of going into his bladder, the poisonous chemicals went into
his body.

Nobody knew this, so he went home after treatment, only
to find a short while later that he was really, really sick.
The doctors hospitalized him immediately. He was in the
hospital for about 3 weeks.

The chemicals' effect on his body made him extremely
weak and bed-ridden. I've never seen him so weak.

Well, after about 3 weeks, the hospital realeased him
to his home, where my Mom was taking care of him, but he's still
in bad shape.

When his doctor saw him, the doctor said the first hospital
should not have released him, and the doc re-hospitalized him
at a second hospital.

Anyway, the docs say he should return to normal, but it
may take 6 to 9 months. Some of the chemicals are still in
his body.

The original care-takers said that what may have happened
maybe was that his bladder could not hold the chemicals from the
final chemo treatment, and so the chemicals went into his body.
Is this a common occurrence?

I have to wonder if the catheter either leaked the chemicals
into his body or perhaps the catheter was not properly positioned
in his bladder--perhaps it became dislodged? I just don't know.

Something does not seem right to me.

I only remember that about 15 years ago when I was hospitalized
very briefly for a minor procedure, some IV fluids leaked into my
arm, instead of going into the bloodstream. When I woke up, my arm
was plumped up, almost balloon-like. The needle had not been inserted
properly, and so the fluids drained into the surronding muscle tissue,
instead of going into the blood stream.

When a nurse passed by in the morning, she commented that
5 or 6 people on the floor all had swollen arms from improperly
placed IVs. Well, I have to wonder about my father. I hope he
returns to normal.

Should I consult an attorney?

email address: NYETT999(a)hotmail.com
From: Frank on 31 Dec 2005 18:12
I was a juror on a medical malpractice trial for 8 days before
Christmas. Fairly complex and a death was involved but we found for
the doctors. Took nearly 5 years for case to come to trial and there
were some very expensive medical witnesses which plantiff will have to
pay. Fortunately part of case was settled out of court so plantiff
will not lose money. Consensus of judge and lawyers I discussed with is
that lawyers were greedy and/or, as young attorneys, wanted the
practice. I'd hate to get caught up in a mess like this myself.

From: NYETT999 on 31 Dec 2005 18:27
Steve J wrote:

> I suspect that this poster misunderstands the nature of the treatment
> (tx). Clarification would enable us to respond better to his inquiry.


Thank you for your post. I will try to get a clarification
tomorrow, and perhaps post again. My Dad and I are in two different
cities most of the time, and it's very possible I misunderstood how
the chemo was administered.

Thank you again.
From: I.P. Freely on 31 Dec 2005 19:24

"NYETT999" asked >Should I consult an attorney?

I would ... on a contingency basis.

BUT ... I presume this was a last-ditch attempt to prolong his life after
the three mainstream treatments had failed. That may relieve the hospital of
most of their liability even though they erred.

I.P.


From: John Loomis on 31 Dec 2005 18:59
Love your
Dad,
Chemo is very hard on the body. Steve Jordan said it right!
My sister in law had chemo for breast cancer and she was struggling with the
therapy.
I prefer to talk to the Dr.s and not get a lawyer involved.
I am sorry your dad had such trauma....
Chemo is a way of almost killing the person, in hopes to killing the cancer.
That is the way I see it.
Anyway I am not much help, and hope with Steve Jordans response you get a
better understanding of the chemo.
One of the largest problems in America is (mal practice) attorneys, and all
the above. It has made the cost of medical care skyrocket.
We need to trust our Dr.s and stop this (lawyer involvement) with problems
that are life threatening...
John Loomis
"NYETT999" <NYETT999(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Ee6dncBfq5vKRyvenZ2dnUVZ_t2dnZ2d(a)sysmatrix.net...
> My dad was undergoing chemotherapy for his
> prostate. About a month ago, he was on his last monthly
> chemo treatment after having had a total of eleven or so.
>
> Disaster struck on the final monthly treatment. Instead
> of going into his bladder, the poisonous chemicals went into
> his body.
>
> Nobody knew this, so he went home after treatment, only
> to find a short while later that he was really, really sick.
> The doctors hospitalized him immediately. He was in the
> hospital for about 3 weeks.
>
> The chemicals' effect on his body made him extremely
> weak and bed-ridden. I've never seen him so weak.
>
> Well, after about 3 weeks, the hospital realeased him
> to his home, where my Mom was taking care of him, but he's still
> in bad shape.
>
> When his doctor saw him, the doctor said the first hospital
> should not have released him, and the doc re-hospitalized him
> at a second hospital.
>
> Anyway, the docs say he should return to normal, but it
> may take 6 to 9 months. Some of the chemicals are still in
> his body.
>
> The original care-takers said that what may have happened
> maybe was that his bladder could not hold the chemicals from the
> final chemo treatment, and so the chemicals went into his body.
> Is this a common occurrence?
>
> I have to wonder if the catheter either leaked the chemicals
> into his body or perhaps the catheter was not properly positioned
> in his bladder--perhaps it became dislodged? I just don't know.
>
> Something does not seem right to me.
>
> I only remember that about 15 years ago when I was hospitalized
> very briefly for a minor procedure, some IV fluids leaked into my
> arm, instead of going into the bloodstream. When I woke up, my arm
> was plumped up, almost balloon-like. The needle had not been inserted
> properly, and so the fluids drained into the surronding muscle tissue,
> instead of going into the blood stream.
>
> When a nurse passed by in the morning, she commented that
> 5 or 6 people on the floor all had swollen arms from improperly
> placed IVs. Well, I have to wonder about my father. I hope he
> returns to normal.
>
> Should I consult an attorney?
>
> email address: NYETT999(a)hotmail.com


 |  Next  |  Last
Pages: 1 2 3
Prev: Prostate cancer and weight loss
Next: updated my blog re my battle with prostate cancer (Gleason 9)