KILLING MY SISTER - UPDATE

[Th1onein]

I don't really know how to begin this post. Everything is so different now, than it was before. It's like everyone moved the pieces on the chessboard, while I was out of the room.

First the good news: Andrea's white blood cell count is down, for the fourth day in a row. This signals the level of infection that she has in the repaired valve of her heart.

More good news: Andrea was on two "pressor" medications. These are drugs that increase the blood pressure, so that the organs will receive enough blood. They are very, very hard on the body, though. Andrea has now been taken off of these medications, not because it is a part of withdrawing treatment, but because she no longer needs them.

Okay, I tricked you! There's all good news, no bad news! (I'm sorry; I'm just so happy!) The futility process has been halted. Andrea has a new doctor and the medical futility process has stopped right there, with him! He has lowered (halved) her pain medication, which she doesn't seem to need as much of now(none of us in our family ever thought she needed as much as they were giving her, but the futility morons pour on the pain meds right before unplugging a patient that is cognizant--we have learned that this is part of the "process").

This new doctor told us to make no mistake about it, our sister is in "serious" condition, but that doesn't mean, he said, that she can't get much better!

You know, my sister, who was one of the first patients ever to be operated on using the then brand new technology of the heart-lung machine, made history when she was five years old. And, having been declared "futile," and having had her family and the rest of this country fight that death sentence.....well, she might make history again, showing that this law gives doctors too much power over people's lives, if she continues to recover.

Knowing Andrea as I do; knowing her iron will to live, I'm putting my bets on her.

[amitten]

1. That's a bet you're going to win. She'll be fine!

Best of luck to both of you.

[wtmusic]

2. Great news

So happy for you. Your will is helping her pull through this.

[Oversea Visitor]

3. nice

[goclark]

4. Yes! Yes! Yes! K and R

Still praying for you and the family.

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Thanks for the update...

Fingers crossed...

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Thank you for the update.

There's one thing we can always rely on... HOPE!!

[Nicole]

7. Wonderful news!

I hope Andrea gets stronger with each passing day.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

8. Thanks for sharing your good news with us - your family is in my prayers

[Raksha]

9. Thanks for the hopeful update. God bless you and your sister. n/t

[serryjw]

10. Great news!

We all wish her a speedy recovery. Keep us posted.

[Toucano]

11. I'm so happy for you.

Bless you all.

[KitchenWitch]

12. I am so happy to hear that!

That is great news, that they are able to reduce the medications because they are no longer necessary is fantastic.

[caligirl]

13. Thanks but the way she had been treated is freighteningly like the

death camps in Nazi Germany or something like that. Thats insane, is anyone thinking of the killer the Angel of death here. That doctor who tried to do your sister in should have his license revoked in light of the recent facts you stated, he was wrong, lazy and determined to end her life.

[Mojorabbit]

14. This is wonderful news!

I am so happy for you and your family. Hurray!

[SeattleGirl]

15. That's wonderful news, Melanie!

Thank you for the update. I continue to hold your sister, you, and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

[Sydnie]

16. Great news

so glad to hear it. Give her our best and I hope someday soon she can come and tell us all about it herself.

[usregimechange]

17. Interesting.. One comment...

Having an MD that understands the need to have pts on only the rx they absolutly need, is very important. Some MDs are dangerous legal drug dealers.

[Th1onein]

21. Think about the Texas Law if Andrea recovers

What do you think this is going to do to the Texas Medical Futility Law, to have a patient who was almost killed because of it, recover, and live to tell about it?

I think that law is going down. God help them when Andrea gets ahold of 'em. She's mean as a snake.

And the doctor, who declared her futile, convened a meeting to pull the plug, and then left town on vacation? What do you think people are going to say about him, if Andrea recovers?

[Nicole]

24. Speaking of the Texas Law

I left a message for you on your thread where you asked who sponsored that bill.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

I hope it's info you can use, if still needed.

[caligirl]

29. file a complaint with the medical board, have the pro bono attorney

write a letter supporting your position with it. Thats what I would do once I had a breather from this wild ride.

[mom cat]

47. And all the right to life people who have helped you so much and

the DUers can make a common cause on this one and support you!

[BrownOak]

50. Hi, I'm "Miss Texas Medical Futility" 2006 and you won't like my platform

I thought of what could happen to this law as soon as I saw this thread title.

So now we all have two reasons to hope that Andrea makes a full recovery from this-

First, there's the obvious care for human life. Andrea seems to be fighting the good fight right now and let's hope she keeps it going.

Secondly, there's nothing I would want more than the bastards who voted for this obscene law to have to stand there face-to-face with a person they would have killed had it not been for the resolve of those around her. I know how those Texans love their beauty pageants so give Andrea a tiara and a sash with "Miss Texas Medical Futility" on it. Let them see that there's a human cost for putting the profits of hospitals and insurance companies ahead of the people that they are supposed to represent.



BTW -$50 bucks says that the doctor who left town for vacation was on some big pharma perk trip.

[Raksha]

62. That's one more reason she has GOT to live!

She's got to live to give them the hell they so richly deserve, and to see that JUSTICE is done!!! And to remind the world several times a day that it was Governor GEORGE W. BUSH who signed this immoral bill into law.

[shance]

18. Thank you for the update Melanie. How instrumental was the activism

and the rallying of the troops?

[Th1onein]

25. Oh HONEY!

There are some wonderful people in this world. I found that out during this fight for my sister. The Texas Right to Life people are absolutely phenomenal. The attorney worked for us pro bono, and believe me, she was up all night on weekends and everything. The hospital, the bastards, served us with notice of the medical futility committee meeting late GOOD FRIDAY (a holiday) and expected us to be there, in downtown Houston, at SEVEN AM on Tuesday, which is not even a reasonable hour. We contacted Jerri Ward late Friday evening, and she was on the phone to us that night. Saturday night, at 2am, I was still answering emails from her, and she was replying back to me, asking for even more information. What a woman! We met Monday, in a Houston attorney's office, got together on a conference call with Jerri (Jerri is in Austin) and the Texas Right to Life people were right there. I have never seen people swing into action so quickly. They got us another doctor, and one that is a specialist in the field that Andrea needed. These people are great; just absolutely wonderful.

And the right to life and Christian blogs and radio stations. I can't say enough about how they got the word out for us. These people have the courage of their convictions. They are right there, battle stations ready. Whatever differences Democrats have with these people, they are fighting tooth and nail for their cause, and I don't know what we would have done without them. And they didn't care whether we were Democrats or not; they fought for our sister's life. They stood by their principles and didn't let politics get in the way. It was a very stressful and frightening time for our family, but it was good to see the right and the left get together on an issue, for once.

One woman, right here on DU, had her husband contact St. Luke's and offer to take Andrea as a patient. And, when that wasn't possible, she continued digging up information for us. This person wouldn't know us if she passed us on the street, but she stood right by us, all the way. And the CALLS to St. Luke's! Did you know that they had a "media team" formed to deal with all of this? A gentleman from one of the largest newspapers in the United States told us that this was a "public relations nightmare" for St. Luke's Hospital (as well it SHOULD have been!).

I just don't know what we would have done without everyone who worked on this. I don't know how to thank everyone. I am just absolutely floored by the capacity for decency in my fellow human beings.

[quiet.american]

19. Absolutely wonderful news, I'm so happy for you and your family.n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. That is just wonderful. I so admire your courage.

May she recover successfully and confront those who would have written her off. This should be a cause for pulling licenses. People who write people off prematurely and for financial reasons should not be practicing medicine.

I am truly very relieved for you and your family.

[faithnotgreed]

22. beautiful news

[Iowa]

23. Terrific news!

So... just in case any of us encounters a similar situation in the future, what worked and what didn't? Was it just a matter of demanding a new physician and firing the first one, or did the publicity force the committee to rescind their decision?

You are a real inspiration, and I hope you can take some time to rest now. I'll bet you're exhausted. Having gone through fights on behalf of an ill/disabled family member, I know how draining such battles can be. When you add in the life and death time constraints they thrust upon you... I can't even fathom the stress you have experienced. FWIW, you have my admiration.

[Th1onein]

26. Two things were key, I think.....

It's kind of funny, now, to think of it, but you know, when the doctor called us into an informal meeting, to discuss Andrea being taken off of life support, my sister, Lanore, my brother, Robert, and I were really pissed off. My sister and I told those doctors that if they called for an ethics committee meeting, we would stand in front of their hospital and picket. I don't think they took us seriously. I think they thought we were just pissed off and we wouldn't actually carry through with our threat.

When we DID stand with our signs in front of the hospital, we didn't number very many, but by then it was all over the internet. Some blogs picked it up from DU, and spread the word around. Once that happened, it was like it caught fire, or something. It just went from one blog to another, and to another, and another.

The doctors didn't underestimate our family. They underestimated the power of the internet.

They also underestimated the power of the right to life people. This is an issue that is close to their hearts, believe me. In this case, as well as many others that will probably come up in the future, I think we should all be glad that this IS an issue in which such a passionate and large group of people have chosen to wage war. Once these people get started, they are like a steamroller--they ARE going to run through the opposition.

In this case, you had two networks--the internet, and the right to life groups. Both of them worked in synergy, to create such an uproar that the mainstream media had to pay attention to. Once the media got on to this, St. Luke's began to be aware that they had a major problem on their hands.

The right to life doctor that the Texas Right to Life people put us in touch with--once he signed on to take Andrea as a patient and the transfer was made to his care (he practices at St. Luke's), that is what stopped the the futility process. I think St. Luke's was happy to have this way out.

[liberalla]

35. I'm so glad to read about the improvement Andrea is making,

and the outcome of this battle to lift the euthanasia order.
She really needs a chance to recover and now she's got it! Yeah!

I couldn't believe what I was reading when I first noticed the thread you posted on Apr. 21.
Andrea may be the reason that futile care law is overturned. Let's hope!

Thank you for posting this good news!

[Gloria]

27. Great news! Keep fighting, Andrea!!

And when you're able, tell those bastards and their "futility" process to screw themselves!

[RevCheesehead]

28. Excellent news!!!!

I am so happy for all of you!

[incapsulated]

30. Great News!!

Happy to hear this!

[Kurovski]

31. K&R

[nicknameless]

32. So happy to hear this!

[demobabe]

33. This is great news

Sending prayers for her recovery.

[applegrove]

34. Best Wishes.

[area51]

36. That's great!

I'm so glad.

[hlthe2b]

37. THanks so muh for the update and good news...

We've been wathing for news and celebrate with you these positive steps. While I'm sure it remains "one day at a time," these do seem like major developments! So happy for you and your family.

[salin]

38. Great news.

[xultar]

39. THANK GOD!!! I love good news.

[Guaranteed]

40. That is amazing. Great news. Keep on truckin'! nt

[Hekate]

41. Dear heart, I am SO glad to hear this!

Hekate

[crispini]

42. K&R.

Oh, it's nice to have good news!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

43. That is amazing news!

Your sister sounds like someone with a great deal of spirit -- I have a feeling she will recooperate just to piss off the doctors and show the world "don't fuck with a person's wishes."

Continued healing for all of you!

[wicket]

44. Thank-you for keeping us all updated!

You and your family are all in my prayers

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

45. excellent--thought and prayers with you and Andrea for full recovery!

[mom cat]

46. That is such great news! She is lucky to have such a loyal sister!

for you!
for your sister!
for the new doctor!

[sinkingfeeling]

48. Absolutely great news! I'm pulling for her all the way!

[bear425]

49. Great news! I'm very happy for you and your family.

I'll continue to send good thoughts your way.

[MissB]

51. Wonderful news!

[Greyskye]

52. Fantastic!

Proud to give the 40th recommendation!

[Midlodemocrat]

53. Absolutely fantastic news!!!!

[knitter4democracy]

54. Praise be to God (and all the powers that be out there)!

This is the best news I've had all day! I can't wait to tell my hubby, who'll be so relieved that she's got better care and is doing so much better.

The hospital needs to straighten out the insurance snafu, and that social worker needs to be written up. I'll have Hubby call the new doc to figure out what to put on her report.

[demjuli]

55. Yay! I'm so happy for your family

Now it's time to get rid of that evil law

[Ilsa]

56. Make sure you share this info with that so-called "ethics" committee,

and let them know how terribly wrong they were about her.

I am so, so happy for you and Andrea and your family. Hang in there. Hugs and prayers to you all.

[Blue Diadem]

57. Thank you for the update. Hugs to you all!

Sending prayers for Andrea's continuing recovery.

[rucky]

58. What a difference a doctor who cares can make!

I'm happy for all of you!

[knitter4democracy]

64. Ain't that the truth.

My hubby sees that every day. *sigh* He gets patients from other doctors and just shakes his head. I don't get it, myself. Why go into medicine if you don't like people or like what you're doing? Why stay in it if you hate it?

[sndrake]

59. I hope this isn't the end of it, because other are endangered

This is great news. But even now there is at least one woman, Yenlang Vo, in Austin, whose life is under the same kind of attack. There's no way of knowing how many others this is happening to. People with little education, who bow to authority, who aren't assertive, who aren't articulate and persistent...

This statute was passed with bipartisan support - the final version of the bill in question passed unanimously in the Texas legislature. It will take bipartisan and cross-ideological efforts to reverse it.

To achieve a final victory, the statute needs to be overturned:

Disability Advocates: Texas 'Futile Care' Law Should Be Euthanized

http://www.notdeadyet.org/docs/TXfutilecarelawPR0506.ht...

[knitter4democracy]

65. This is so awful.

I hadn't heard about another case, but after seeing what Melanie and her family have gone through, I'm not suprised.

You know, in reading the law, I could see why they passed it--if they really believed that hospitals and doctors always and in every case have the patient's best interests at heart. As we've seen in this case, that's not always the truth. I've known docs who've half-assed their patient care, but I've never seen anything like this. Deep down, though, I'm not suprised. I know that not all doctors are as amazing as my hubby ( ), and I can see why they start giving up on their patients. When that happens, though, they should just walk out of the hospital and never go back.

[sndrake]

77. Doctors come in all kinds - some great, some scary

knitter,

I am not down on all doctors. I know there are great ones out there. But frankly, there are some real monsters in the system as well. A few years ago, I did a workshop at the American Association on Mental Retardation. A minister at the workshop works with an institution in Texas. According to him, there is a standing order to make sure a staff person stays with one of the people at the institution at all times if they go to the hospital. Why? Because there is one doctor who, if he ends up as the attending physician, will impose "do not resuscitate" orders on the individuals, refuse to order tests, etc. According to this same minister, at least one person has died because staff failed to be vigilant enough. I doubt that this doctor's attitudes toward people with mental retardation are a secret in the hospital. It doesn't mean they like him. They may hate the bastard. But he gets obeyed. Whether he's liked or not, he gets protected and no one exposes him.

I'm not a big fan of "self-policing" in any profession, including medicine:

http://www.notdeadyet.org/docs/drakehastings0605.html

[knitter4democracy]

78. They're horrible at self-policing.

My hubby has problems with a few docs in town, but because he's staff and has an at-will contract (and it's a small town), he just takes over as many patients as he can and avoids working with them when he can. It sucks, but he isn't in a position to take them on, as many times doctors who are reported then sue the doctor who reported them for defamation and libel.

We need more oversight of the profession, that's for sure. That doctor you mention really needs to be written up at the state board. Any of his former patients can do it.

[sndrake]

79. They'll sue patients too

And there's the rub - at least one of them. Doctors and hospitals are very hostile toward malpractice lawsuits, but will threaten lawsuits against patients who complain of these kinds of things.

I suspect the failure to report is due to a number of factors. For one thing, staff might be afraid of retaliation by the hospital or some of the influential members on the board of trustees. It's also likely they'll get no corroboration from hospital staff, since whistleblowing isn't treated kindly in the medical arena. And if Texas is like other states, there's no guarantee the people sitting on the review board will take any meaningful disciplinary action.

A couple of years ago, there was a case in Colorado involving a failure to administer CPR to a woman with multiple sclerosis who was in a facility for a short-term rehabilitation from surgery. The staff who let her die altered her records to show a DNR. The staff person who reported them to authorities was fired. I am not sure actual charges were ever laid against the two staff people.

[knitter4democracy]

80. They'd be backed up here, but it's still hard.

The doctors here only talk about suing other doctors (deeper pockets than the patients and more likely to negatively affect their jobs). At least, that's what I've heard through the grapevine.

I can't believe they altered the records--that's so very awful. Wow. If that happened here, there are too many who would make sure that person never worked again. They take that kind of stuff very seriously at our hospital and in my hubby's practice. I have a good friend who works in quality control, and she's both trusted and believed when she reports something wrong.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

60. Hope she does get better. Now -- is it just me or...

...these thread titles make it seems the poster is asking DU for advice on how to kill his sister?

"KILLING MY SISTER - UPDATE

Today I tried throwing her out of the window. Unfortunately, a pillow delivery truck happened to pass by at that same moment. Will try again tomorrow. Am inclined to try the poison method. Any suggestions?"

[alarimer]

61. Wow that's great news.

I'm so glad to hear it.

[cally]

63. I'm so thankful for the good news

I would love to see your sister on TV one day, fully recovered, blasting this horrible law! Most of all, I hope for a full recovery.

You post your thanks to the internet and the right to life community. I think you forgot you and your siblings who have never given up and fought for their sis. You are all wonderful. It's nice that the left and right can work together. Maybe we can find a common understanding.

[Miss Chybil]

66. That is great! Absolutely great! Remember Jurassic Park...

"Life always finds a way."

Amen to you and your family. Your sister is very lucky to have you.

[Joe Chi Minh]

67. That's just wonderful news, Th1onein.

If she has a wicked sense of humor like you, I'm sure it will be a great help for her recovery, too!

I'd been wondering what was going on, like all the other DUers, I don't doubt, but I could not have imagined how well things have been moving.

[blondeatlast]

68. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

Thank you for letting us share your joy even as we've tried to help shoulder your pain.

Prayers for all of you--this is a great day!

[mia]

69. Thanks for the update

and great news!

[Synnical]

70. Glad to hear this

Thanks for the update. I'm hopeful.

Best to you and your sister,

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[bonito]

71. A Big teary Kick!

Great News, By by the way we are all in serious condition, its just that some folks don't take life seriously. made my day! thanks for the update! Peace

[Tigress DEM]

72. Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!

Happy tears! Speachless! (A rare condition - so enjoy it!)

[conflictgirl]

73. I'm sorry I missed this earlier but that is so WONDERFUL!

I hope she continues to recover!

I'm thinking of your family. I actually had to scroll down three pages to specifically look for your update. I'm so relieved it's a happy one. Keep fighting!

[laheina]

74. Thank God!

I'm bettng on Andrea too.

[tigereye]

75. I am glad to hear that your sister has more chances!

I have never heard of this bill - do you have a link?

[helderheid]

76. this is such wonderful news!!

[Crunchy Frog]

81. Wonderful news!

I'm so glad that you have finally been able to resolve this case in your sister's favor. I've been just sickened reading about everything you all have been put through.

I pray that your sister will make a good recovery, and that she will be instrumental in bringing down that horrible law.