Mount Vernon, OH
I believe had he left the hospital when he "felt better", he would still be alive today.
I regret ever taking my husband to the hospital.
The ER
“ I received the first physician call Thursday morning that he had been intubated and placed on a ventilator.”
My husband had not been feeling well for several days. We tried supplements, high vit D doses, H2O2 nebulization. His saturations dropped into the 80's and we decided to go to the local ER, thinking he could get a breathing treatment and be released. I was told to go home and quarantine as I had been exposed. The ER nurse informed me he had no pneumonia. I was notified the following day that he would be admitted. Three days later I still had not been informed by a physician what was happening. My husband stated he felt better, but our conversations were always cut short by "someone or something" that interrupted our calls.
I went to the ER on Saturday, and I was unable to contact him by phone the following Wednesday. Only response was "you know how men are." I received the first physician call Thursday morning that he had been intubated and placed on a ventilator. When I stated that he did not want that and as his health care power of attorney I had never been consulted, the doctor stated he could not breathe. I asked at that point if he was on Remdesivir and it was confirmed that he was. I asked for that to be removed and the hospitalist stated he would do so. I was informed by the ICU nurse that he was having some crepitus, and being a nurse I asked that he not have a chest tube placed. I was informed the next day that a chest tube was inserted. Again I was never consulted.
No Informed Consent
I finally was able to meet with the pulmonologist who stated that his recovery would be very long. I had requested that should he have a cardiac arrest that no resuscitation be done due to previous heart surgery. I was contacted by the ICU nurse after my husband was on the ventilator for one week stating that he was having some sort of "unknown event" and they wanted to confirm no reintubation, as advised by the pulmonologist. I stated that since he was already on a ventilator it was a moot point and only in cardiac arrest should there be no resuscitation. At that time I was informed that the previous evening my husband had been extubated. Again I was never informed or involved in making decisions for his health care. Knowing the seriousness of his condition I went along with the pulmonologist recommendation for no reintubation. He was placed in palliative care and died 2 days later.
He Should Be Here
“My husband told me he was asked to get the covid vaccine, which he declined.”
There are more details, but I did write a letter to the administrator of the hospital reiterating my experience and the complete lack of consideration expressed toward me as my husband's healthcare power of attorney and the medical negligence shown in this case. I regret ever taking my husband to the hospital, and though I knew some of the repercussions of the hospital protocol, I am shocked at how little regard was shown to family and the complete lack of communication from physicians regarding his progress. I do know my husband told me he was asked to get the covid vaccine, which he declined. It was following that interaction that his condition went from "feeling much better" to being placed on a ventilator. I believe had he left the hospital when he "felt better", he would still be alive today.
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