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Mal practice.
It occurred to me a while ago that there may actually be a case for malpractice around my mother’s death. Her GP who she liked, trusted and went to for many years while whenever we were living in Dallas (ever since I was a toddler) never told her to get a colonoscopy. I liked this man too but for one bad suggestion I take birth control to cure my monster menstrual cramps which did not work out well for me. My mother did everything this doctor suggested for her health and did it regularly; paps, mammograms, etc. But he never even mentioned colonoscopies. This was in the mid to later 90’s when getting colonoscopy in people over 40 was normal, especially if you had any sort of a family history.
Now my mum had an Aunt that died of a ‘lump down there’. Keep in mind this in a time and place where they simply called it that. They weren’t going to get very specific and say ‘Anal vaginal tumor’ or ‘gross intestinal obstruction’ etc. Other than that there are no other instances that we know of of colon cancer in our family.
The fact she never got a colonoscopy did lead to her death. The tumor in her colon was 5 inches long which suggests it had been growing for at LEAST 5 years (up to 10 they estimated). This places the date of the latest possible start of the tumor at 2001. She was still seeing this doctor at that time as her main health care provider and would continue to see him for another year till my parents moved.
On her deathbed she was still cursing this doctor for not telling her, suggesting, or informing her in any way about colonoscopies. She never suggested I sue his ass though- because really, at the time we had other things to worry about and it wasn’t going to save her life or give her a better death in ANY way. But her cursing him over and over is still something I remember most about her life just before death. Maybe there is still some anger in there for me. At the time her curses did nothing but make me sad because I felt they did no good and shouldn’t be what any of us should focus on as she died.
None the less, I take lawsuits seriously. I prefer to work things out outside of the legal system, hell outside of all systems and in honest communication if I can. The time and energy (not to mention anything of the eventual cost), even of just finding out how this would be pursued could be not worth even the most hoped for end result.
Karmicly speaking I feel like it is a campaign that may bring no good unless I am absolutely certain of a NEED to enter into a lawsuit. Obviously I am not certain of any such NEED. I don’t know of his medical advice to others and if this is simply a symptom of a general mal practice that affects his other patients as well, a singular goof up, or if he’s really not at fault at all. If he’s not at fault but still loses what have I done but support a bogus system, harmed someone’s otherwise deserved rep, and wasted a portion of my life. What a bad practice indeed.
last modified Nov 29, 2007 at 12:02
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