figmo: Baby Grace and Lynn (Default)
figmo ([personal profile] figmo) wrote2002-09-12 01:00 am

Update on Warren

We went to Kaiser Sacramento. The head neurosurgeon insisted on examining him without a witness (me) in the room. Neither of us was pleased about it, but there was nothing we could apparently do.

After 40 minutes I was finally called in. This guy didn't automatically rule out surgery, but he was trying to convince Warren he didn't need surgery. He also set up another appointment in a month for us to come back after he'd reviewed all the tests.

I think this guy is stalling us and trying to con Warren into thinking he's supposed to be condemned to suffer. He told Warren there's a 10% chance of further complications after surgery, but didn't give the odds on hemorrhaging without it (which he said could happen). He also denied the cyst had grown without looking over the write-up of the original MRIs the HMO had destroyed from ten years ago.

[identity profile] delennara.livejournal.com 2002-09-12 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
*hugs*
To hear about such a health system makes me very angry. And he has no right to let you wait outside if Warren wants you to come in, too. I don't know how things are over there, but here patients have rights, and sometimes it is needed they insist on those. Adn I believd in such cases the patient woud decide which risk to take, living without or having surgery. (Mind, my everyday work is telling patients about those risks, not in neurosurgery, but in similar decision-processes)

[identity profile] gridlore.livejournal.com 2002-09-12 08:29 am (UTC)(link)
Call them immediately! Under California state law it is illegal to bar a witness from any examination room if the patient requests that the person be present. I'll try to find the cite.

Especially in a case where it has been demonstrated that the condition is affecting the patient's ability to make logical choices! Sheesh, I have Kirsten in the room with me all the time to help me remember dates and medication names!

[identity profile] figmo.livejournal.com 2002-09-13 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
Please send me any pointers. This whole thing was fishy to me.

I would like to blow the whistle on these creeps.