Her shortness of breath implied death was near

[Joanne98]

Run time: 08:01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGx6njmjxWQ   Posted on YouTube: June 20, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: June 21, 2009 By DU Member: Joanne98 Views on DU: 1018

 

A few words about this video:

H/H, in the video, was a young woman who presented with acute shortness of breath that had just been confused with asthma by another medical provider. H/H had a viral cardiomyopathy and was in severe heart failure. I managed H/H very carefully. She began to improve over the next few months. H/H at times consulted for actual asthma or life conflicts with associated anxiety. I had to clinically differentiate between asthma, heart failure or hyperventilation due to stress. H/H had graduated from a prestigious Claremont College in California. Once she got a job, H/H got a health care provider through a commercial plan. Six months later she dropped dead at work. It was personally painful when her father asked to speak at her funeral. Many of my patients have died prematurely once they joined commercial plans. If patients were to receive the right care on the first visit, we could solve the issue of health care for all (universal).

The lady with epiglottitis was denied health care by a for-profit hospital chain. I managed to save her with treatments that I have developed over the years. The emergency room doctor threw away the radiographs (the evidence) in case the cleaning lady died. I had, however, taken extra radiographs for my records. Had she died, the legal implications against the hospital would have been severe.

A lung cancer may present with pneumonia. For this reason, doctors must be certain that the pneumonia resolves, especially in smokers, by performing follow up radiographs. A chest film may be reported as normal on a patient with pneumonia. Asthma is a clinical diagnosis and radiographs are usually reported as normal.

The 15-year-old with a retropharyngeal abscess that I treated as an outpatient dismisses the thinking or belief that such abscesses only occur on those under age 5.

The biggest gift to all of you is to have a medical provider for life that you trust. One who deeply cares for your well-being. The physician can be divine, if so ordained by God.

[patrice]

1. Is the "I" referenced above you, Joanne?

How helpless!!! all of us who are ignorant feel when listening to someone who is supposed to know the benefits and liabilities of various courses of action, and all we can do is trust their humanity to lead them to the right choice, but there is no way to dialogue about decisions in the face of pain and disorientation.

Your example strikes very close to home for me.

[Joanne98]

2. No

[marias23]

3. ADVICE Bad Diagnosis

I have a number of chronic illnesses. ( I too was mistakenly diagnosed with ashman.) My life has been saved more than once by MD's, but I must tell you if you have serious illness seek out multiple opinions. And, by the way, doctors in big cities and universities in most cases really are a lot better.