They call them 'procedures' or 'outpatient surgery'. They talk in silky, smooth words that slip off their tongues like butter and drip with confidence. 'I've done this 300 times and never had a problem', 'My patients all say it was so easy and painless'. There must be a class in medical school where they learn how to do this. How to talk patients into signing up for procedures that they would never subject themselves to if they knew the TRUTH.
I don't do well with 'procedures', or the 'Versed thing'. I am wide awake and alert and concious and REMEMBER everything. A very good doctor at Piedmont Hospital discovered this in 1994. She immediately stopped the 'procedure', and called in Anesthesia to sedate me. Now, in 2007 I've had numerous other 'procedures' at Piedmont. Before each one, I tell the doc. that the 'Versed thing' doesn't work for me. They pull my chart and see what has worked before, and they call in the Anesthesiologist. It works great that way.
Crawford Long is different. One year ago, while hospitalized, I required a 'procedure'. It was one that I was very familiar with - I'd had it at Piedmont many times. When I asked about sedation, they said they would be using Versed. I explained that Versed does not work for me and refused the procedure. Then they kept sending in nurses, assistants, and finally the doctor (Dr. Fox - that should have tipped me off), all trying to convince me that Versed would work this time. We even agreed on a hand signal I could use in case I was awake when I was not supposed to be - a signal the doctor promised he would watch for and STOP the procedure if he saw it. I was hoodwinked.
In the procedure room, I was wide awake. The doctor started shoving the apparatus down my throat. I started gagging and gave the hand signal. He ignored me and kept pushing the thing down my throat. Then I started clawing and grabbing at him and the machinery. He just pushed harder. I was gagging and crying and clawing and fighting him the whole time. HE LIED TO ME. He ignored me and just crammed the equipment down and some one (I couldn't see) kept grabbing my arms to restrain me. I felt like a rape victim.
Soon I was left alone in the room sobbing. I never saw the doctor again. He didn't check on me, tell me the results, or (God forbid) apologize for ASSAULTING me. I took pictures of the bruises they made on my arms from the struggle, and have thought from time to time about legal action. The simple truth is I don't have the strength or energy for legal action. But, if there was anything I could do to prevent others from this experience, I would do it.
Now it's time for another procedure. They want to poke around in my heart and lungs and measure the pressures in there. A Cardiologist from Crawford Long called me to explain the procedure. When I asked about sedation, he said 'THERE WILL BE NO SEDATION'. So I refused the procedure. I think he was so arrogant that he couldn't believe I would do that. But I did. I've had it with arrogant doctors who just want to meet their numbers, make their money, and refuse to treat each patient as a real PERSON, who just might know more about their body and their reaction to 'procedures' and drugs than the pompus doctors do. I find it absolutely appalling that a doctor would allow a patient to delay a needed procedure, just because they won't do it THE DOCTOR'S WAY. So basically this doctor is saying his ego is more important than my health. I think I'm the lucky one because that's not the kind of doctor I need.
Meanwhile, my PCP is getting me scheduled to see a Cardiologist at Piedmont. Maybe I'll just go back to Piedmont for all of my care, since they have a good track record for treating me in a HUMANE manner and modifying the 'standard procedure' as necessary for me, a very NON-STANDARD patient.
I don't do well with 'procedures', or the 'Versed thing'. I am wide awake and alert and concious and REMEMBER everything. A very good doctor at Piedmont Hospital discovered this in 1994. She immediately stopped the 'procedure', and called in Anesthesia to sedate me. Now, in 2007 I've had numerous other 'procedures' at Piedmont. Before each one, I tell the doc. that the 'Versed thing' doesn't work for me. They pull my chart and see what has worked before, and they call in the Anesthesiologist. It works great that way.
Crawford Long is different. One year ago, while hospitalized, I required a 'procedure'. It was one that I was very familiar with - I'd had it at Piedmont many times. When I asked about sedation, they said they would be using Versed. I explained that Versed does not work for me and refused the procedure. Then they kept sending in nurses, assistants, and finally the doctor (Dr. Fox - that should have tipped me off), all trying to convince me that Versed would work this time. We even agreed on a hand signal I could use in case I was awake when I was not supposed to be - a signal the doctor promised he would watch for and STOP the procedure if he saw it. I was hoodwinked.
In the procedure room, I was wide awake. The doctor started shoving the apparatus down my throat. I started gagging and gave the hand signal. He ignored me and kept pushing the thing down my throat. Then I started clawing and grabbing at him and the machinery. He just pushed harder. I was gagging and crying and clawing and fighting him the whole time. HE LIED TO ME. He ignored me and just crammed the equipment down and some one (I couldn't see) kept grabbing my arms to restrain me. I felt like a rape victim.
Soon I was left alone in the room sobbing. I never saw the doctor again. He didn't check on me, tell me the results, or (God forbid) apologize for ASSAULTING me. I took pictures of the bruises they made on my arms from the struggle, and have thought from time to time about legal action. The simple truth is I don't have the strength or energy for legal action. But, if there was anything I could do to prevent others from this experience, I would do it.
Now it's time for another procedure. They want to poke around in my heart and lungs and measure the pressures in there. A Cardiologist from Crawford Long called me to explain the procedure. When I asked about sedation, he said 'THERE WILL BE NO SEDATION'. So I refused the procedure. I think he was so arrogant that he couldn't believe I would do that. But I did. I've had it with arrogant doctors who just want to meet their numbers, make their money, and refuse to treat each patient as a real PERSON, who just might know more about their body and their reaction to 'procedures' and drugs than the pompus doctors do. I find it absolutely appalling that a doctor would allow a patient to delay a needed procedure, just because they won't do it THE DOCTOR'S WAY. So basically this doctor is saying his ego is more important than my health. I think I'm the lucky one because that's not the kind of doctor I need.
Meanwhile, my PCP is getting me scheduled to see a Cardiologist at Piedmont. Maybe I'll just go back to Piedmont for all of my care, since they have a good track record for treating me in a HUMANE manner and modifying the 'standard procedure' as necessary for me, a very NON-STANDARD patient.
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