OT Post When Harm follows you Home from the Hospital

Harm  Link may not be working http://www.propublica.org/article/when-harm-in-the-hospital-follows-you-home

My wife went undiagnosed with Lupus for many years and then even after she tested positive for anti Smith and anti DSDNA.  antinuclear antibodies  She had been diagnosed by a prominent hospital many years earlier of Autoimmune Hypophysitis (anterior pitutiary) The pituitary used to be called the master hormone gland as it issues hormones that activate other endocrine glands to release their hormones. Any stress can cause an adrenal crisis as her pituitary will not signal her adrenals to produce cortisol which  prevent an over inflammatory response. Very early on I was referred for possible abuse. So each time I took her to the ER I gave it 50/50 whether I would be arrested.  Once your name is in the chart it becomes the Seinfeld episode of Elaine trying to get her rash treated and being labeled difficult. Everything you say and do will be used against you. My wife now uses a wheelchair and a walker for short distances. She is no longer working,not on disability.  Since we did not have a diagnosis I did not push my wife to pursue the disability claim as I felt it would give more motive for their case of abuse.  I thought there was a higher probability of me winding up in the clink than her getting any disability.  She had seen a psychiatrist for personality change, fatigue, and memory loss.  I left with the extreme feeling that he thought I was using her to seek drugs.

Working with a patient in a nursing home the issue of abuse came up again. It is something I do not think I would be able to deal with if accused again so when it came time to renew my license I put it on hold. Talking about a left tongue probably puts me way over in the whacko land along with some of my political beliefs. It would be an easy case to establish that I am violating most norms of standard treatments and behavior a great deal of the time.

 A hospital is probably the most dangerous place you will ever be admitted to. I have made my share of mistakes so I understand the other side of the story as well.  I have been very well meaning and have screwed up and that is on my good days. So each time I work up a great deal of anger over the doctors I also understand how most are very intelligent and care deeply about their patients.  No easy answers no matter how many tongues one has.

Update To be more fair I was just walking with my wife today and remembered I did ask the shrink if my wife could benefit from marijuana. She had lost about 30 lbs was not eating often vomiting, dizzy and weak. Since we did not have a diagnosis she was seeing multiple doctors in and outside my benefit plan. All red flags for someone who is seeking drugs. She was on a couple of medicines highly valuable outside the normal  prescribed medical system.  That was not my intent but it sort of goes with the everything you say and do will be held against you theme. I personally feel the abuse and drug issue led to the delay in her diagnosis.