In the Year 1992 we had taken my Mother to Hospital A for, Abdominal Pains, Breast pain ... Hospital A had at that time did Blood work up's, Ultra Sounds, CT of the Chest, etc., she was given Pepcid and then sent home.  Then scheduled for another appointment at that time. It was then requested by my mother Velma Williams if she could have all her health care needs synchronized all under one Physician. She returned for her visit. And there was nothing further done on this situation, on her return visit she was then sent to another Physician at Hospital B which is affiliated with Hospital A. The physician name was DR A..  all reports were sent over to him according to records. My mother was sent home without any knowledge of the tests results below, and basically put on Pepcid and that was that.

What we did not know at the time, was what the results were from her  test's that she had performed. We was under the impression that all the tests came out fine and it was just a case of stomach upset. we did not know these results until 1996 after my Mother Velma Williams death. After acquiring the Medical records upon my Mothers death I had found out that there was a low
density lesion was present in the right kidney whose appearance suggested that it represented a cyst.. also there was two very small parenchymal nodules were identified, these measured 2 to 3 MM in the size. One is located in the LUL on cut #4, and the other is in the LUL on cut #9. In the report it said these are two small to assess the presence of the calcium on CT.

Under Radiologist notes that was sent to DR A  it was stated that the chest Ct revealed only two small peripheral nodules on the opposite side of the breast (left) each being 2-3 MM in diameter. It was the feeling of the RADIOLOGIST that these were two small to persue further at this time.

Now during the next 2 years we had my Mother Velma WIlliams in and out of hospitals, for pain that she was experiencing as well as leg pain. She was taken to Hospital A which nothing was ever done to treat her for her ailments. So we decided to take her to Hospital  C that maybe they could help. At that times they had found that my Mother had Diabetes and she was put on  medicine to control her diabetes, also it was found that she was in need of Angioplasty on her legs, so this was completed with DR B on two separate surgery's. The first surgery went very well while the second surgery did not. During the second surgery there was alert sent to the Surgeon doing the Angioplasty, while in surgery saying that the blood test that was given prior to surgery had come back with a very high Glucose level which was 348. Comments on the surgery from my prospective I was with my Mother during her surgery waiting in the hall, I was concerned that this second procedure was taking so much longer that there first one that  Had asked the nurse 3 times to check in on my mother which was done, they had said that there were some small complications but everything now was going all right, during the first surgery they had allowed me to view the film of the artery's that was cleared out, but this surgery they did not, I had asked to see the films after the surgery but I was totally avoided and was never allowed to see the films. There also was a clean up lady that was called in during this surgery, there was blood everywhere spilled.  And again I was not aware of these results until getting Medical records after my Mothers Death. She had lost much amount of blood during surgery. And was in very bad pain after the Surgery which continued on until her death. From my understanding that they being Surgeons had bumped her with machine that goes over the top of the body to view procedure, when they moved this machine it moved her and the bed together, at the same time the glide wire was in her artery, basically the machine got hooked on hr belly and moved her and the table forward. After this surgery my mother was taken to emergency rooms for severe leg pain. many more medical notes on this. But much to long to go into any more detail ... leg pain continued and contributed to her death.

Boy there are so many issues here and so little amount of space to tell you about, from when I originally took my mother to the Hospital in 1992 until her Death in 1996 we were sent form Physician to Physician. And went to hospital to hospital trying to get treatment for my mother for chest pain as well as leg pain and to get help controlling her unstable diabetes.
I feel do to insurance my mother has which was Medicaid that we were pushed from Physician to Physician ...  In the year 1996 my mother was diagnosed with Lung cancer which was the same spots that was seen in x-rays in the 1992 the first time I had taken my mother to the hospital to which we were unaware of.

And of course nothing was ever done for this. OK now back to the physician she was assigned finally after 3 years of running to DR to dr. he had called me on the Phone to let me know of results of test that he had given my mother and it was found that my Mother had cancer....this is exactly what this Man said to me. I have some good news and some bad news for you about your mother and her tests results the bad news is that your mother has lung cancer. I thought I was going to lose it. this can't be.... I was stunned and just began sobbing I then said OK Doc what is the good news. he went on to say the good news is that it is a fast growing cancer and you mother will not last long.... I could not believe what I heard being good news. you talk about being devastated!!!

When diagnosed with the cancer at Hospital A in 1996 we was told that the cancer had not spread and was surgically operable. We were scheduled to see 3 Physicians in one day for what they were going to do about her cancer. When me and my father and mother went to see the Doctors which was scheduled all in the same day in the same room this is what happened. The first doctor come in her was the Surgeon has stated to us her cancer was in an operable area but
she would not be a good candidate for the procedure do to her ailments meaning diabetes and leg problems. and that he would not perform the surgery on her. Now then the second Doctor came in he was the Chemotherapy Doctor and told us that he did not believe the chemotherapy that they use to treat Lung cancer would help in my mothers case. With each Dr. that came in the room that day our heart felt like it was being stabbed each time ... the next Dr. entered the room which was the Radiologist came in and our last hope for cancer that had not yet spread ... he looked rather bummy and looked at us and said well he felt that radiation would not help her under the circumstances but if we decided to go that route I guesses we could try. And he also added that if we choose to that we should bring her back when she has the signs of cancer
meaning coughing up blood and not being able to breath mind you she had not of these signs yet.

We then took my mom home we were all in deep depression all my Mothers hopes were gone they gave her nothing I mean nothing no hope not even down to a pill basically booted out the door. I then began my own research on cancer and had found there was many things that could have been done and should have been done but was not. I knew then that Hospital A  was not going to help and really felt no one was ever going to help us with my mother and that ended up being the truth all the way up to her death ... we were treated like we were nobody's and that her life didn't mean a hill of beans to them.. we felt because of the money she was not a rich woman nor were we rich but we love just like the rich and deserve to be treated like human being.

There was so much we went through, hours while my mother cried and screamed in bed with pain and agony, while all we was supplied with was morphine and pills. Not other help. carrying my mother from room to room and feeding her and watching the pain as well as the pain of my father as well having to suffer through it ... It took something from all of us and still does. Its' affected my life as well as my fathers life still. My father is still in a deep depression over watching the pain and suffering that my mother went through. Do you know how hard it is to watch someone suffer and you cannot help or get no help for it. I begged and I mean literally begged DR's in emergency rooms to help my mother...

They finally in the end accepted my Mother in the hospital at Hospital D in Indiana a week after she turned 65 and after her Medicare went in to affect as well as I was able to obtain additional insurance do to the fact you have 30 days period they can ask no medical questions and was able to obtain coinsurance for my mother ... seems funny after that less than a week later my mother was finally admitted into the hospital after all that time. Coincidence? I don't think so....

I will try to make this brief but we also went through hell at Hospital D until my mothers death, the Physician that had admitted my mother well lets say we did not see eye to eye right from the start the reason being is that we had told him all that had happened at Hospital A and told him that we felt my mother was being neglected from them, we went into great details with him about Hospital A... after he sat and listened to us patiently.. he then said well I must tell you the hospital that you are speaking of  is my associates and in fact some of the physicians that you have named I trained under them.. boy you talk about feeling being left out in the cold again .. all our heads my mothers fathers and mine just dropped we could not believe that.. here we go again ... here we had thought since we had insurance and was at another Hospital that something different was going to change.

Well anyhow my mother was admitted by ambulance into Hospital D by this Dr that of course did not like us nor did we like him.. but we had no other choice .. she was admitted do to her lungs was filling up with fluid. That evening the Dr that admitted my mother came in to drain the fluid from my mothers lungs, and held up the three tubes in the air, that he had kept to have analyzed to us and said well there is blood in this fluid so I can tell you this much that means your cancer has spread and that means you will not be able to have any kind of surgery.. again the pain this was for all of us was unbelievable, I must tell you they did analyze this blood and there was NO
cancer cells in blood which had meant the cancer still had not spread. He was wrong but by that times all my mothers hopes was down the drain, my mother was put under with medications to help control the pain from her legs, which was finally diagnosed that her leg pain was neuropathy. and again this is long story about how we found out about neuropathy.

My mother went into a coma from over medication in the hospital, and never really ever came back. In the end there was a chest tube put into her to relive the fluid building in her lungs mind you not from cancer from Pneumonia from not being able to move. It was requested that the chest tube stay in my Mother by us being her family to make her more comfortable. We never left my mothers side for the long 21 days she spent in the Hospital our family made schedules to be with her day and night beside her....

Then it was a Friday and they meaning the DR came into the room requesting that they remove the chest tube, which was basically keeping her alive because without that her lungs would have filled up and basically cause her death. we had disagreed that we would rather not have the chest tube removed as well as another physician that was assigned to her. He also felt there was no harm leaving it in to keep her more comfortable but it was the opinion of many staff members of Hospital D regardless what we thought that it be removed. So when my sister went down to have a 10 min brake they came in the room and removed the chest tube. Without out our knowledge!!!!

When my sister returned to the room it was gone ... needless to say my Mother was then going to die drowning in her own fluids... By Sunday the lungs was mostly all the way filled up and she was put on heavy does of liquid morphine to slow her breathing down so she would not suffer so much. we was given the button to push as much as we felt we wanted the Dr.. said if you see her
suffering push the button and this will slow down her breathing. So has we spent the 18 hours putting my mother to sleep like animal would be...
We again was given no choice if was either push the button or watch her suffer
more ...
With each push of that button we was taking my mothers life and way. And this is something our whole family will live with for the rest of our life's....

My mother died by Monday morning by sunrise. And the bed was now ready for a new person. the doctors came back to work after weekend and now they could start over again.
I can't even begin to tell you the pain and the nightmares that I have and all my family have had to live with. But I will tell you I won't give up until the truth about Medical issue is out there!! My mother was more than just a number....
Many Blessings,

Gisele Sochacki