BREAKING NEWS!!
Disgraced Whack-a-Doc Awards Judge, and former head cheerleader at Uriah Stoop Middle School and a former Ms. Spondyville, Ms. Di Agnosis, was taken into custody last weekend, and later released on her own recognizance pending a trial for stealing the results of the 2011 Whack-a-Doc awards and then holding them hostage for 5 months in a second floor room in this nondescript motel on the outskirts of Spondyville. The entries and results were recovered, although most had been either defaced with crayons, cut up into paper dolls or covered with coffee cup stains. Ms. Di Agnosis has agreed, as a condition to being released, to explain her actions on her new blog page "Spondyville Princess" . which can be found here: http://spondyvilleprincess.wordpress.com/
This year’s winners of the Whack-a-Doc awards are:
Doctor X (name redacted to avoid lawsuit) The person nominating this doctor has this to say: "This #%$#@@ nearly killed me by increasing my dose of NSAIDs to the point of toxicity... (I had) Internal bleeding...the thing that was killing people back in the '70s … I had to bully this *&^%$# *& into getting referred to an Enterologist, who told me "Another six weeks and you'd be DEAD!"
Doctor Y (Name redacted to avoid lawsuit) The person nominating this doctor has this to say: “I would like to nominate my doctor for this wise statement: "I do not believe you have any form of inflammatory arthritis. I think you have a condition called Psoriatic Arthritis." (It's disturbing when a rheumatologist is unaware that PsA is an inflammatory arthritis, especially when the one page pamphlet he hands you on the subject says in the first sentence; ‘Psoriatic Arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis.’)”
The winners of this year’s
Uriah Stoop Lifetime Achievement award are:
Drs. XYZ and ZYX (Names redacted to avoid lawsuits) Their team-work in earning this award is best described by their patient:
“I’m nominating the two doctors involved in my case when I ruptured my L5-S1. My PCP, Dr. XYZ, and my Neurosurgeon: Dr ZYX
I had gone to my PCP for pretty severe sciatic nerve pain 3 times. I had injured my back the year before and gone through PT. He didn't do anything other than try to blame it on inflammation from my arthritis. I had just been sent to a rheumy and was undergoing diagnosis.
I ended up in the ER, pain level 9-10, barely able to walk. The ER doctor wanted to admit me and transfer me to a hospital in Sacramento that had MRI. My PCP was consulted and said I didn't fit diagnostic criteria because my pain was under control and I could walk again. The PCP said he'd order an MRI. I went home, doped up on Percoset & Valium and waited to get the call to schedule the MRI. After 4 days, I called, and the PCP had failed to order it. Mind you, the drugs just took the edge off enough that I could lie in bed without agony. Every time I moved or had to go to the bathroom, I was in excruciating pain.
I ended up back in the ER by ambulance. I could not stand or walk. I had lost bladder control when I tried. I was screaming, crying in pain. They again got my pain "under control" and released me, with even stronger pain meds. This time, I went to the doctor’s office that morning and a stat MRI was ordered. I had it done within hours. The next day I met Dr ZYX, the Neurosurgeon. He told me I had ruptured my L5-S1 and it was impinging the nerve root. I needed surgery. He scheduled it for two weeks out, because he’d had a cancellation, so was able to work me in quickly.
What followed was the most excruciating, traumatizing two weeks of my life. I ended up in the ER 2 more times, where they basically treated me like crap, saying they couldn't do anything for me. At one point, I was in so much pain I could not sleep for 28 hours. I finally passed out from the pain. I couldn't go to the bathroom on my own, couldn't shower, lost bladder control many times when attempting to walk to the bathroom. Hubby had to buy me a walker.
I went for my pre-op appt with Dr ZYX, and afterward, collapsed right outside his office. I was his last patient for the day. He simply came out of the office and walked right past me, on my hands and knees on the ground, without saying anything. A nurse from another office came to my and hubby's aid, (he was holding our 8 month old baby). She got a wheelchair from the urgent care center downstairs and helped get me into my car. Thank goodness I was wearing a pad, because I wet my pants when I collapsed. I could not walk. I could not sit. All I could do was lie flat on my back, unbelievably drugged up.
I finally had the surgery and all went well according to the surgeon. Well, now that I know more about what had gone on, and have researched back injuries, etc, I know that I had Cauda Equina syndrome associated with severe nerve root impingement. I should have been an emergency surgery case. I should have been admitted to the hospital at my 1st ER trip. I should never have been made to suffer in extreme agonizing pain for 2-3 weeks … I had to rely on my hubby and mom to figure out the timeline of events. I suffer from PTSD because of it.
The nerve root impingement for so long, caused severe nerve damage too. I have no feeling from lower back, down the back of my entire leg, the bottom of my foot, and 3 paralyzed toes. I have no feeling in that side of my genitals as well. My balance is all screwed up from the numbness in my foot and paralyzed toes too.
I spoke with an attorney who said I had a solid case of malpractice due to the Cauda equine syndrome being ignored and the level of damage I ended up with to my nerves. Unfortunately, I waited too long, not knowing about the 1 year statute of limitations in California. I’m just glad that the neurosurgeon has since retired, so nobody else has to go through what I did at his hands
And honorary mentions go to:
“My first Rheumy said to me that he thought I had a very mild disease and in the next breath said, "Youd better be very careful though because if you were to fall you could easily break your hip"....I was 42 at ...the time!”
And …
“My GP told me my SI joints could not be fused or it would have shown on the MRI (which he had right on the computer in front of him). I went to a Sports Medicine doctor in the same practice. He pulled up my MRI and said "You can’t even see your SI Joints on this MRI" After a CT scan, it was found that I did indeed have fusion in my SI joints. “
Congratulations to all our Whackees.
Nominations for next year's awards may be submitted by email to: Spenser23@aol.com
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DISCLAIMER: These 'awards' are NOT affiliated with, nor connected in ANY way with, The Spondylitis Association of America, and the lampooning of specific doctors does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Spondylitis Association of America, their support groups, the SAA staff or the SAA board of directors. Spondyville, (i.e., the Silly Spondy running it), is solely responsible for the poking of fun and/or good-natured ridicule directed towards the nominated doctors and/or support staffs and Health Care Providers. Remember, Health Care Providers, Laughter is the best medicine, so Spondyville figures we're saving you guys a fortune in medical payouts, you'd otherwise be obligated to make ...
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Thanks to all those who submitted nominations!!
See you next year for the 5th Annual Whackys!!
