Rick Wark sent PAC this letter after hearing Sholom Glouberman speak with Dr. Goldman on CBC's 'White Coat, Black Art' which aired February 11, 2011.
On August 07, 2007 I was in New Mexico for a work conference. On the last evening of the conference I went for a bicycle ride. The bicycle front tire became stuck in a rut and threw me through the air and I hit a tree.
I went to the local New Mexico Hospital. As I came through the hospital ER doors, there were two nurses, one on each side of me. One nurse said you look like you are in extreme pain, I'll get you something for that - and she did. Following x-rays it was discovered that I had badly shattered my right shoulder and had two breaks in my upper right arm. I am also right handed. Due to the extensive swelling they could not operate and advised me that it would be at least a day or two before they could operate, but they would make me as comfortable as possible. As I was booked to fly back to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario the next day I decided to leave the hospital and return to Canada for treatment. I was given a prescription for pain meds; these came in handy as I had a twelve hour flight with three airport transfers before landing in Pelston, MI, USA. From there I drove thirty minutes and crossed over into the border. My day started at 5:30 AM with a 7 AM boarding of the first plane.
It was midnight when I got back into the Sault and I immediately went to the Sault Ste. Marie Hospital ER. I was seen by a doctor who told me to go home and come back tomorrow morning. There was nothing they could do for me.
The next morning at 8 AM I returned to the Sault Ste. Marie Hospital ER and went through the entire intake process again and waited for two hours to see a doctor. Now mind you I had brought my x-rays with me from New Mexico and this doctor looked at them and told me to wait he would see if he could find an orthopedic surgeon. After a lengthy wait I was seen by an orthopedic surgeon who explained what needed to be done at which point he turned towards the door and started to leave. I asked him when the surgery would be done. He told me with a smirk that he didn't know but it would not be him, he was going on holidays.
I was sent home from the hospital once again and told to await a phone call for surgery.
Three days later I was still at home with my arm in the same sling I had been given in New Mexico and utilizing the pain medication sparingly to try and make it last until my surgery; I still didn't have a date.
On the fourth day I had what the hospital called an 'event' or as the heart specialist called it a heart attack. Due to the 'event' I was admitted to the hospital for monitoring. Now, I do not have the use of my right arm/hand, so I was limited in most activities. Each meal came and went because I could not remove the lids from the containers, nor could I cut up the meat. I repeatedly let the nurses know and they said just call us - I tried this and was told over the P.A. system, we're with another patient, we'll be there later. Later never came. I called my spouse who then arrived at each meal and helped me eat.
When I had to shower I was supposed to be supervised so I wouldn't fall and because I needed someone to help me take the sling off and hold my arm. None of this happened, I was shown where the shower room was, given a towel and some soap. I managed to take the tie from my bath robe and wrap it around my arm and over my head to hold up my arm while showering.
Pain medication was another story; almost none existent. They felt that Tylenol was sufficient and only when they decided I needed it. I was in the worst kind of pain and finally my general practitioner's summer replacement dropped by to see me. She prescribed a stronger pain med but still it was a fight to receive it.
After nineteen days I was seen by an orthopedic surgeon who was holding his clinic in the lower level of the hospital. He would do the surgery only if I was cleared by the heart specialist. I therefore had to have an angiogram. This proved to be extremely painful as they couldn't understand why I could not lay my right arm out to the side. They even went so far as to remove the sling leaving my shoulder and arm loose. I almost died from the pain. Not one person heard my complaint. I had a 30% blockage and was cleared for surgery.
Twenty-one days following my accident my shoulder and right arm were operated on. One day later I begged the surgeon to let me go home. And home I went.
It is now almost four years since the accident and I have had to deal with RSD/CRPS [chronic pain in my right should and right arm and hand]. One of my medical practitioners told me when I was diagnosed with RSD/CRPS that the most likely cause was the twenty-one day delay in surgery. No one however would ever admit to that on paper.
I filed a complaint with the hospital and followed up for about a year. No answers were given except to tell me that they needed to clear everything through their legal department before giving me a response. I never received an apology from any of the hospital staff or an explanation why I was sent home twice without medical treatment. I have since resolved within myself to let the matter go and try and live as normal a life as I can with daily chronic pain.
From listening to the "Listen To Me" show podcast I felt compelled for whatever reason to write to you.