| There are two hospital systems in greater Cleveland, | | | | rheumatologist , the surgeon's pinning lasted less than |
| Ohio. Cleveland Clinic is known as one of the best | | | | 24hours, for the eight weeks I was in the wheelchair |
| hospitals around the world. They control two thirds | | | | I was in constant pain. I had to wait eight hours for |
| of the medical community in Cleveland. University | | | | an antibiotic and all my heart valves leak from the |
| Hospitals controls the balance, minus one or two | | | | Behcets. |
| independent hospitals. If being a billable number is | | | | Before I found this attorney I called a phone book |
| your idea of patient care, the Clinic is for you. Our | | | | full of lawyers and every one of them said " if we |
| story is of course, OUR story, and so are the | | | | didn't have the tort reform law in Ohio I'd take it in a |
| impressions provided here. As they say everywhere, | | | | minute. It's just too expensive to take on a case like |
| "results may vary." In 2000 I lost 40 % of my body | | | | this because you literally have to prove it before you |
| weight and I had to beg my insurance company to | | | | walk into the courtroom, The most you can get is |
| let be be admitted to the Clinic. I was thrown out of | | | | $250,000.00 and by the time we do our research and |
| the hospital four days later and was called a red | | | | get all the records and get the experts you might |
| herring. The neurologist said "when a woman comes | | | | wind up with $5000.00." The first time I heard this I |
| in with that many symptoms, it's almost always | | | | thought this guy was just lazy, but when I heard it |
| psychological in nature. I saw the psychiatrist and the | | | | over fifty times I couldn't believe that no one cared |
| psychologist and they both advised me to get to a | | | | about the pain and suffering I went through and boy |
| good medical doctor fast. | | | | was I depressed. |
| After months of research with my husband, my eye | | | | Finally I found the lawyers that yes. We got my files |
| doctor said "What do they think it is this week"? | | | | for them so that was free. He kept telling me we'll |
| Based on what we found, I said Behcets Disease. | | | | just have to see how things go, but I expect they'll |
| He sat back and said "I know who to send you to." I | | | | settle eventually. |
| went to see a friend of his, a rheumatologist , and I | | | | In December I felt pain in my hip so I called the |
| was officially diagnosed in August of 2000. | | | | doctor. He was out of town but another one who |
| Then I found this great rheumatologist closer to | | | | was covering for him scheduled a hip aspiration. It |
| home and he was terrific. Then I found out how | | | | was positive and that Sunday I had surgery again. My |
| ridiculous the tort reform bill in Ohio is. | | | | regular doctor came back and I told him I was having |
| I was riding my horse and some kid cantered up | | | | a reaction to the antibiotic, he said no there was no |
| behind my horse, scared him to the point where he | | | | rash. I had been so sick the day before the second |
| felt he had to fight. He bucked as high as he could | | | | surgery when they gave me a shot of morphine the |
| and I was launched over him and landed on the | | | | pain shot through my abdomen to my back and |
| ground with such a thud it could be heard in the | | | | didn't let up for hours. |
| lounge where my husband was. I don't remember | | | | On Wednesday, despite how ill I was the night |
| any of this I just remember seeing the barn owner | | | | before I had another hip surgery. I argued with the |
| carrying me out and going to the hospital. I broke | | | | resident that it was safer for me to go home to |
| eight ribs, my scapula. clavicle, and hip. The card I | | | | recover than to stay in the Hospital which is true. We |
| carry for my Behcets says before surgery you must | | | | went home and my husband dutifully called the |
| call the patient's rheumatologist. Even when my | | | | lawyer to tell him what had happened. He said " I |
| husband got him on the phone they refused to | | | | don't know if we will be able to go ahead with the |
| speak to him. I also had a pneumo and hemo thorax | | | | lawsuit. I went home with a pic line so I could have |
| so I had to have a spinal for the hip surgery. The | | | | IVS daily. They sent me home on the medication |
| attending called in a surgeon from another Clinic | | | | had, had so much trouble with at the hospital. On |
| hospital who was apprised of my condition. He | | | | New Years Day I ran a 107.5 fever and back to the |
| decided to go with the pinning method despite my | | | | hospital I went. My Infectious Disease doctor got me |
| having osteopenia. Twenty four hours later the pins | | | | out of there in four days because it was a drug |
| had pushed through the bone out to the skin and the | | | | fever and I went home on another antibiotic. |
| bone telescoped down onto itself. | | | | After all this and after all the pain, the surgeries, the |
| I was in a wheelchair when I went to see the | | | | therapy to recover and having a permanent parrot |
| surgeon four weeks later, the intern came in and his | | | | perch that's what I affectionately call my right |
| jaw dropped and became pale when he saw the | | | | scapula because no one operated on it, we got a call |
| films. The surgeon came in and he said next time if | | | | from the lawyer. |
| the therapy doesn't add the 2 inches to that leg you'll | | | | He said because of tort reform and your underlying |
| just where a lift in your shoe. | | | | condition we cant afford to take the case. He gave |
| Fortunately for me I found another surgeon who put | | | | my husband the name of another attorney and |
| a replacement hip in and I am able to walk and even | | | | before he could begin the story he said we don't do |
| ride my horse again. | | | | those kind of cases anymore in Ohio because of tort |
| I found an attorney after a long search who would | | | | reform. One of the attorneys said if I hadn't gotten |
| possibly take my case. We thought we had a good | | | | my leg fixed we might have a case. Another one said |
| case, The hospital refused to talk to my | | | | if i died they would take the case. |