“Can Medical Justice solve my problem?” Click here to review recent consultations…
all. Here’s a sample of typical recent consultation discussions…- Former employee stole patient list. Now a competitor…
- Patient suing doctor in small claims court…
- Just received board complaint…
- Allegations of sexual harassment by employee…
- Patient filed police complaint doctor inappropriately touched her…
- DEA showed up to my office…
- Patient “extorting” me. “Pay me or I’ll slam you online.”
- My carrier wants me to settle. My case is fully defensible…
- My patient is demanding an unwarranted refund…
- How do I safely terminate doctor-patient relationship?
- How to avoid reporting to Data Bank…
- I want my day in court. But don’t want to risk my nest egg…
- Hospital wants to fire me…
- Sham peer review inappropriately limiting privileges…
- Can I safely use stem cells in my practice?
- Patient’s results are not what was expected…
- Just received request for medical records from an attorney…
- Just received notice of intent to sue…
- Just received summons for meritless case…
- Safely responding to negative online reviews…
Today, the Grass is a Little Greener. The Sky a Little Bluer.
We physicians are healers. We take care of those who are sick.
What happens when we get sick? What happens when our loved ones get sick?
We’ll all eventually be patients. As will our loved ones.
My son, Josh, has severe autism and medication-resistant epilepsy. He had craniotomies years ago to treat seizures. He can understand spoken language, but he does not speak. His underlying challenges are anything but trivial. Josh lives with my wife and me. That’s been our plan. That will be our plan for years to come.
My son sleeps with an Embrace Alert. It’s a wristwatch that detects if he’s having a seizure. That watch will call and text me. That watch will also call and text my wife. Even though we’re in the same house, it’s our belt and suspenders approach.
I also sleep with a bedside monitor with a video/audio feed to see if Josh is having a seizure while he sleeps. Not all positive signals are true positives. The baby monitor guides me to see if the call/text truly represents a seizure.
On Christmas morning, I awoke at 4 AM.
Josh had been coughing all night. He had not slept a wink. Still, his breathing sounded labored. I checked in on him.
His temperature was 103. His respiratory rate was 45 or so. I placed a pulse oximeter on his finger, and it read 80% saturation with heart rate of 140. I assumed the pulse oximeter was not functioning properly. So, I used a second one. Same results.
This seemed ominous.
My wife and I took Josh to the ER immediately. To my surprise, the ER was empty, and Josh was checked in rapidly. It took high-flow oxygen to get his sats over 90%. When I write high-flow, it was 70 liters a minute. That’s not a misprint.
Chest X-ray showed pneumonia (caused by influenza). He also had aspiration pneumonia and pleural effusions.
Josh was admitted to the ICU and stayed there for 5 days. He was started on IV antibiotics for the aspiration pneumonia. Tamiflu for the influenza.
And he was weaned from the oxygen over the week. One night in the step-down unit and we brought him home.
He looked pretty beat up. Like he was kicked by a horse.
But he loved getting back into his own bed.
I loved getting back into my own bed.
How anyone gets any rest in an ICU is beyond me. (I spent every night with Josh in the hospital. My wife covered the day shift.)
That was a close call.
What if I had not checked on him at 4 AM? It was Christmas Day. Everyone was planning on sleeping in.
Anyway, he’s better.
Today, the grass is a little greener. The sky a little bluer.
Hug your kids. Tell your parents you love them. Be kind to your spouse. Spend time with your friends.
The time we have on this planet is limited and precious. Don’t take it for granted.
Josh’s “before” pic:
At home after discharge. Needing a shower and a haircut.
“Can Medical Justice solve my problem?” Click here to review recent consultations…
all. Here’s a sample of typical recent consultation discussions…- Former employee stole patient list. Now a competitor…
- Patient suing doctor in small claims court…
- Just received board complaint…
- Allegations of sexual harassment by employee…
- Patient filed police complaint doctor inappropriately touched her…
- DEA showed up to my office…
- Patient “extorting” me. “Pay me or I’ll slam you online.”
- My carrier wants me to settle. My case is fully defensible…
- My patient is demanding an unwarranted refund…
- How do I safely terminate doctor-patient relationship?
- How to avoid reporting to Data Bank…
- I want my day in court. But don’t want to risk my nest egg…
- Hospital wants to fire me…
- Sham peer review inappropriately limiting privileges…
- Can I safely use stem cells in my practice?
- Patient’s results are not what was expected…
- Just received request for medical records from an attorney…
- Just received notice of intent to sue…
- Just received summons for meritless case…
- Safely responding to negative online reviews…
Sending love to you both and to Josh. YES, the grass is greener today.
And your advice is a wise and timely resolution for us all in 2024.
Be well.
Your dear family are in our hopes and prayers.
Yvonne and Mike
Thank you for sharing this story. I am the best Dr. in the world, until a family member is sick! Then you are vulnerable like everyone else. Best wishes in the New Year
So sorry to hear Josh was so sick but great to hear he’s recovered. Both my children battled childhood kidney cancer with surgery and chemo and thankfully are in college now. My son also had his chest cracked open at 8 weeks of age by a ped cardio surgeon for very labored breathing. If I hadn’t noticed his breathing while he was in his car seat it would have likely been called SIDS. Turns out he had a large thymus gland that was compressing his airway. I had a lot of scary stuff when my kids were little and it changed me forever. I’m much more anxiety ridden when my kids get sick. Just want you and all the parents of kids who have or have had serious illnesses and conditions to know you are in my thoughts and prayers and sending you all hugs!
J – You’re a saint and role model for all of us. Looking at Josh is like looking like you. No haircut needed! May God bless you and all of your family.
Praying that the Great Physician, the true Healer, will continue to watch over you and your precious son. Psalm 91:1