Is legal action needed?

[Phil24]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

I'm writing in this forum for my mother's benefit. She has been handicapped since my brother and I were carried (the weight of our bodies broke her pubis symphysis). The first time it broke, they put in a plate to hold the pelvis together, when she was carrying me, it broke again and this time it shattered. This happened in 1985 and the condition progressed to where the two sides of the pelvis were being pressed together and grinding on bone. She went into surgergy in 2000 to smooth the bone. This caused some of her organs to lose placement and shift since there is nothing holding it. She attempted to get it fixed but the doctors would not see her, she went to a lawyer and he would not help with a lawsuit unless they attempted to fix it first. The doctors made her wait a few years living with her condition, until statute of limitations ran out, before telling her she may now need to have the bladder removed and given a colostomy bag. She's refused because the last surgery went so horribly and has since lived with her condition. I don't how she manages, but she does. She has a slew of other problems such as diabetes, neuropathy and pinched nerves. Her feet recently started forming bumps from (what I believe) to be tightened muscles. The doctors once again, by her account, only want her to go through surgery. Instead of fixing the problem they continually mask it with pain meds. She tells me that she constantly asks for real help but they refuse to listen to her. Today she told me her diabetes specialist asks her to come into the office on an empty stomach for blood tests(no eating after midnight), saying that she shouldn't rely on food to balance her sugar, which doesn't make any sense to me. I've got a bachelor's in kinesiology and am confident when I say that the surgery to smooth the bone on her pelvis was ridiculous. I try to give advice but theres really nothing I can think of for her to do. Are there any thoughts in this forum? Please help.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by Phil24

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

I'm writing in this forum for my mother's benefit. She has been handicapped since my brother and I were carried (the weight of our bodies broke her pubis symphysis). The first time it broke, they put in a plate to hold the pelvis together, when she was carrying me, it broke again and this time it shattered. This happened in 1985 and the condition progressed to where the two sides of the pelvis were being pressed together and grinding on bone. She went into surgergy in 2000 to smooth the bone. This caused some of her organs to lose placement and shift since there is nothing holding it. She attempted to get it fixed but the doctors would not see her, she went to a lawyer and he would not help with a lawsuit unless they attempted to fix it first. The doctors made her wait a few years living with her condition, until statute of limitations ran out, before telling her she may now need to have the bladder removed and given a colostomy bag. She's refused because the last surgery went so horribly and has since lived with her condition. I don't how she manages, but she does. She has a slew of other problems such as diabetes, neuropathy and pinched nerves. Her feet recently started forming bumps from (what I believe) to be tightened muscles. The doctors once again, by her account, only want her to go through surgery. Instead of fixing the problem they continually mask it with pain meds. She tells me that she constantly asks for real help but they refuse to listen to her. Today she told me her diabetes specialist asks her to come into the office on an empty stomach (no eating after midnight), saying that she shouldn't rely on food to balance her sugar, which doesn't make any sense to me. I've got a bachelor's in kinesiology and am confident when I say that the surgery to smooth the bone on her pelvis was ridiculous. I try to give advice but theres really nothing I can think of for her to do. Are there any thoughts in this forum? Please help.

**A: I am not sure if legal action is needed but consultation with an attorney is warranted.

[ecmst12]

The SOL expired a long time ago, so chances of legal recourse are approaching zero. Your mother has multiple confounding health problems which are affecting and exacerbating each other. Her second pregnancy was probably advised against, and she would have at least been warned about the risk of a second break. I'd even venture to say that something made her bones weak to begin with; the pelvis is a very strong bone and shouldn't just break from the weight of pregnancy. Did she attempt to deliver either/both babies vaginally? That would have surely been a HUGE mistake with the second pregnancy.

Diabetics (and everyone else actually) need to have blood tests done while fasting periodically, to assess their body's baseline. He may even want to do a glucose tolerance test to see how she is metabolizing sugar. This is a normal procedure and there is nothing fishy or questionable about it.

[ElvinMelvin]

The doctors once again, by her account, only want her to go through surgery. Instead of fixing the problem they continually mask it with pain meds.

Is there an option besides surgery? It sounds to me like there are two options: have surgery to correct the problem or live with the pain. She has refused the surgery so they are giving her meds to manage the pain. What's the problem?

She tells me that she constantly asks for real help but they refuse to listen to her.

Define "real help."

Today she told me her diabetes specialist asks her to come into the office on an empty stomach for blood tests(no eating after midnight), saying that she shouldn't rely on food to balance her sugar, which doesn't make any sense to me.

Fasting glucose is a standard test. Perhaps he was suggesting that dietary management may no longer be sufficient to control her plasma glucose and she now needs insulin or other glucose lowering meds.

I've got a bachelor's in kinesiology and am confident when I say that the surgery to smooth the bone on her pelvis was ridiculous.

How a bachelor's in kinesiology qualifies you to opine on an orthopedic surgery evades me. In any event, the surgery was in 2000. The hard deadline for filing a malpractice action in Illinois is four years from the occurrence, so I suspect there is nothing legal that can be done now.

JMHO

[lealea1005]

She attempted to get it fixed but the doctors would not see her, she went to a lawyer and he would not help with a lawsuit unless they attempted to fix it first. The doctors made her wait a few years living with her condition, until statute of limitations ran out, before telling her she may now need to have the bladder removed and given a colostomy bag.

She would not have a colostomy bag for bladder removal. A colostomy bag is applied when the colon is connected to the abdominal wall after surgery.

She has a slew of other problems such as diabetes, neuropathy and pinched nerves. Her feet recently started forming bumps from (what I believe) to be tightened muscles. The doctors once again, by her account, only want her to go through surgery.

Diabetics can have a multitude of foot problems. Your Mother already has diabetic neuropathy. Her condition may require surgery, which is the reason her Physician is recommending it.

Instead of fixing the problem they continually mask it with pain meds

.

She's refusing surgery to fix the problem. What would you have them do instead of offering pain relief?

She tells me that she constantly asks for real help but they refuse to listen to her. Today she told me her diabetes specialist asks her to come into the office on an empty stomach for blood tests(no eating after midnight), saying that she shouldn't rely on food to balance her sugar, which doesn't make any sense to me

.

I agree with the above posters. It is recommended that she be fasting to obtain the most accurate results for her blood work. There's nothing unusual about that. I also agree that she may be misundertand what the Physician was trying to tell her about diet, and may want her to start insulin injections.

I've got a bachelor's in kinesiology and am confident when I say that the surgery to smooth the bone on her pelvis was ridiculous. I try to give advice but theres really nothing I can think of for her to do. Are there any thoughts in this forum

I think it would be a great idea for you to accompany your Mother to her Doctor visits. That way you can get the information first hand and not have to rely on your Mother somewhat unreliable recollection.

[Phil24]

Originally Posted by ElvinMelvin

How a bachelor's in kinesiology qualifies you to opine on an orthopedic surgery evades me. In any event, the surgery was in 2000. The hard deadline for filing a malpractice action in Illinois is four years from the occurrence, so I suspect there is nothing legal that can be done now.

JMHO

I doesn't allow me to opine anything. I was more making the point that even with just a Bachelor's degree I would know better than to put her under the knife the way he did with his qualifications, but thanks anyway. You answered my question.
The pelvis holds a lot of muscles that can get damaged if not delt with properly, and thats exactly what happened. She even had another doctor admit to her that the previous surgeon should not have gone in the way he did, but he refused to help in court.
Removal of bladders still use external bags, I just called it the wrong thing, my mistake. For the record, she is already on insulin. At any rate, as you all said, SOL is long passed and nothing can be done. It's a good chance there are no other treatments for her other conditions. Thanks for the advice.