I visited the Opto Center about three years ago. Dr. L. is actually really great. I felt like I could ask just about anything, and he was always incredibly kind and patient with me. Plus, the whole exam felt very thorough. I’d definitely recommend him.
Just a heads-up for anyone looking into this... at Mayo Clinic, you can only get a Doppler done as a private patient, which means you have to pay the full amount out of pocket. That’s exactly what happened with us when we went for my mom. We ended up with an unused referral because, I guess, they don't even perform lower limb vascular Dopplers if you're just using a standard insurance referral. Just thought someone might need to know.
I mean, if you can, just run as many tests as possible to be absolutely sure everything is okay. When my mom was dealing with neurological issues involving her head a few years back, they didn't even suggest an MRI at first. It wasn't until I specifically asked the neurologist if we should schedule one for her six-month follow-up that she finally brought it up. It felt similar this year during her four-month check-up, too—they wouldn't even agree to order a Doppler ultrasound for her leg vessels over at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I had to practically beg for it, just so a senior internist could give me a straight answer, because otherwise, it wouldn't have changed anything for her. So, after that whole ordeal, we ended up taking my mom to Quest Diagnostics to get the Doppler done instead. And, of course, there was a valid reason to do it, because the radiologist there actually referred her to a surgeon afterward. Personally, I actually preferred doing the Doppler at Quest Diagnostics since it’s an independent clinic. I really have to give credit to the young, conscientious doctor working there.
That’s a real issue if it gets out of hand. I mean, he breaks so much stuff, right? You should probably explain to him that this kind of damage is a huge deal and that you shouldn't be held responsible for the costs. Maybe then he'll actually get it and stop acting like that.
My dad underwent shoulder surgery at Drašković Trauma Hospital about eight years ago, and honestly, they did an incredible job. Even with a total shoulder replacement, his range of motion is still great today. He needed the artificial joint because he had such a nasty fracture after a bad fall. The nurses were really sweet, too—they were right there whenever I called for help. And Dr. B was so kind; I felt like I could actually sit down and talk to him whenever we had questions.
I guess even zrixy-in's father ended up in a situation just like my mom's. They wouldn't even give him antibiotics; they just pushed everything off onto a primary care doctor instead. It’s just... it's hard, because he’s a seriously ill man who can’t even swallow, and it should be their job to help him while he's already being treated in the hospital. If you look at other forums—like where parents of little kids post—even there, they say the only place where staying by a sick child all day is strictly forbidden is Johns Hopkins Hospital. I spent so much time in that hospital, not for myself, but while Mom was being treated. People actually started recognizing me in the hallways; they'd ask me for directions to specific buildings. My observation is that, generally speaking, things just don't function at that hospital because there's zero real cooperation between departments. Apparently, it’s considered a nuisance if you try calling a doctor from another department to help a patient. Is it really normal that in a General Hospital, I'm running through the corridors chasing down doctors, practically begging and pleading for them to help my mom? And they won't, because it's Sunday and it's their day off, so we just have to wait until Monday, or so they told us. And once, an internist did respond before Mom even had a fever; he came into her room and noted she was cyanotic. But he didn't do anything about it. He didn't prescribe any therapy; he just... well, he just said it. That was the first sign that something was wrong, because she had never been cyanotic before. That was two days before the fever spiked, and that was a Friday, so it wasn't even his day off yet.
Now, don't get me wrong, there are good doctors there too. This younger doctor who operated on my mom is actually good and kind, and he doesn't lie like those others on the vascular surgery unit. But even he doesn't always dare to take action when he should, mostly because he's afraid the others on his unit will throw him under the bus later. If someone already trusts their doctor at that hospital, then they'll keep trusting them regardless of what I write here. I just wrote this to warn people so they know where they're going, and they can decide for themselves if it's worth the risk. I've seen so many elderly people waiting there, thinking they've come to top-tier specialists for treatment. They have no idea what could happen to them. A few days before Mom went into a coma, there was an older lady—much older than my mom. Should I even mention that they only bothered to call a neurologist for her once her condition had become extremely critical? The nurses there sometimes administer medication on their own initiative, and the surgeons during rounds only look at the surgical wound; they only act if the wound gets infected. They don't pay attention to anything else. There were problems back in the second month when Mom was hospitalized for the amputation of her right lower leg. The nurses again gave the wrong IV on their own, though luckily they reacted in time, even though it was a weekend and it wasn't sepsis. I really thought things would change after that, maybe they'd received some guidance on how to proceed so they wouldn't be risking the lives of immobile patients through ignorance. I wanted to change hospitals, obviously, and wanted Mom to go to the Mayo Clinic instead because I have so much more faith in them. But there was a strike starting right then, and Dad decided we should stick with the doctors who had been treating her so far. Even though Mom wanted to switch hospitals, too. Back in the second month of this year, they were decent to her, even though I know she wasn't easy to deal with. But now, with the strike happening, the attitude has shifted for the worse; they won't talk to us at all, and there's no way you can ask them anything. They kept everything secret, basically. The only one who was decent was Mom's anesthesiologist; when he was on duty, he would actually give us information about her condition. That was also the day he helped her get a blood transfusion because she was anemic after the surgery. She lost so much blood after this last operation because she was bleeding so heavily. And that happened because, because of the strike, they were only doing emergency surgeries and rushed her procedure through that very day, even though, by all accounts, it should have been postponed at least one more day since Mom had been on heparin to prevent clotting right up until the surgery. The reason they gave me was simply that there wouldn't be a free operating room available.
I suppose you could take your hospital records straight to a pharmacy to get antibiotics—you’d either have to pay full price out of pocket or use your insurance. But then, the primary care doctor really needs to write up and send over that prescription immediately. I wonder, though... can Dad even swallow? My mom was just so incredibly weak from the fever that swallowing became such a struggle. Honestly, if they had just started her on IV antibiotics the moment her temperature spiked, she surely would have pulled through. But it was a Sunday, and I guess they didn't want to deal with the hassle, even though I was practically begging and pleading for them to do something. It hurts so much to think that I didn't insist on transferring her to the Mayo Clinic right away, but she still had those stitches in her leg from the wound, which had actually healed quite well. So, I thought maybe we could work around that, even though I know there isn't a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic to handle stitch removal—though they could have just stayed put regardless. The stitches wouldn't have hurt her. The urinary tract infection really should have been treated instantly, but instead, they just waited until sepsis set in before finally starting the IV antibiotics.
That’s exactly it. My mom went through something similar where they hesitated to start antibiotics, even though she was staying at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the vascular surgery ward the whole time—they were supposed to be looking after her. But then she ended up developing sepsis and septic shock, and *that* was the only time they finally gave her the antibiotics intravenously. It feels like they’re still just being completely irresponsible. I really think you should get your dad to the Mayo Clinic as soon as possible if his primary care doctor hasn't prescribed antibiotics yet. His immune system is already weak, and he could slide into sepsis really fast. From what I’ve read, pneumonia tends to lead to sepsis more often than a urinary tract infection does. Apparently, both times Mom had her chest X-rays done during her stay, everything looked fine, even though she was coughing quite a bit. I haven't actually seen the X-ray images or the official reports myself; I only read about them in the discharge papers. It felt like all those tests were just busywork. They weren't actually doing anything, and she wasn't even getting the right treatment. We have a great relationship with our family doctor, and even she couldn't believe how Mom was being treated there. She told me straight up that if they didn't know how to manage urosepsis, they should have transferred her to the Mayo Clinic immediately. Honestly, it blew my mind that a major clinical hospital wouldn't know how to handle urosepsis. But clearly, they just don't have a clue.
steeleagle152 I’m assuming you mean Johns Hopkins Hospital, since you mentioned he’s heading there for X-rays. Honestly? Don't expect much from them. If your dad starts running a fever, maybe try going to the Mayo Clinic instead. I guess... personally, after my mother's tragic passing, I wouldn't set foot in Johns Hopkins ever again. It feels like such a cursed place where they just carelessly let people die in absolute agony. And the staff... it's awful. They just hang out in their little offices or in the hallways, almost mocking a patient who is fighting so hard for their life in a room over on the vascular surgery ward. Even when he was moved to hematology, things weren't exactly better, though at least they were serious and didn't laugh. I'm still waiting to hear back from the Department of Health because I filed a formal complaint about everything.
I think you did the right thing by getting second and third opinions from different doctors. I don't have any personal experience when it comes to chemotherapy, but I'll be sure to check back here—someone in this group will surely have some insight.
steeleagle152 The only thing I can really help you with is finding a private OB-GYN. I haven't actually gone myself, but a close friend of mine has. She saw this wonderful doctor, Dr. Danak Mirić Tešanić, who recently opened a private practice over on Tomašić Street in Chicago. She’s incredibly experienced—actually, she managed to catch a pregnancy complication for my friend that another private doctor had completely missed, even though that doctor kept insisting everything was perfectly fine. My only heads-up is that the exams are pretty pricey. I think she mentioned $200 for a full checkup including a Pap smear and an ultrasound. Honestly, she seems like a great, highly skilled, and kind physician. Just a heads-up though, they don't take credit cards, so you'll need to have cash ready.
I just finished reading a medical journal article written by doctors from the CDC in Washington, D.C. It really puts things into perspective. My mom’s experience with urosepsis—which she actually recovered from—really highlights how critical timing is. You have to act fast and start antibiotics immediately, even before the culture results come back. Once the sensitivity report arrives, then you can adjust the treatment if needed. According to the data, only about 18% of patients progress to septic shock, which is unfortunately fatal. I honestly think the staff over at Baltimore could learn a thing or two from these more experienced specialists. Instead, they just keep insisting they did everything possible for my mom, when in reality, they didn't do much at all. It’s almost bold of them to say that. The sepsis actually developed while she was under their care, and it just wasn't treated quickly enough.
I’ve been reading this thread, and honestly, it just gets harder to stomach every single day. I feel like I’ve already processed all of this through reading medical journals and professional articles. I really should have insisted on having Mom transferred to the Mayo Clinic. It feels like they at Baltimore don't even know how to handle sepsis properly. Maybe if she had been in the ICU, they might have stood a chance. They didn't even tell us there wasn't enough room, which was their excuse for not transferring her, even though I asked twice. Once septic shock sets in, there's just... there's almost no hope for recovery. That’s how it was for my mom. But for a major hospital like the Cleveland Clinic to miss the initial signs of sepsis? They were so obvious. I tried to warn them, I really did, but they just brushed me off because it happened to be a Sunday. It felt like they didn't even want her to make it, and they certainly didn't show any remorse about what happened—which shouldn't have happened in the first place. I truly don't understand how people can act like this when their entire profession is built on helping anyone who reaches out for help. I mean, I wonder... would they react this way if it were one of their own family members? If they actually had the will to react in time, provide the right IV antibiotic therapy, or move the patient to intensive care.
Just try everything you can. I miss my mom so incredibly much. Please, cherish your mom while you can. To me, she’s honestly the most important thing in the entire world. Wishing you all the best with the ongoing treatment.
I honestly don't even know what to tell you. Maybe... I don't know, maybe it might be worth getting one more opinion from that doctor your friend mentioned? Just so you don't end up feeling like you missed a chance later on. How is your mom doing now? Is she able to talk or eat at all?
Honestly, I think you should just go ahead and ask that doctor your friend recommended for advice. You really don't have anything to lose here, and maybe it could actually help your mom. I remember seeing him on TV once; I think they mentioned he's basically the top oncology specialist in Miami. How old is your mom now?
Back in the spring of 2001, I had a minor procedure at Dubrava, and the anesthesiologist there was just so kind during our pre-op consultation. She actually took the time to go through all my medical records in detail.
It was such a different experience compared to what I went through over at Vineyard later that same year. During a winter surgery there, I didn't even get a chance to talk to the anesthesiologist beforehand. In fact, the doctor was incredibly rude—he actually snapped at me once we were already in the operating room, questioning why I was even asking for general anesthesia for a tonsillectomy. I was only 23 at the time. Later that year, when I had another short procedure at Dubrava, nobody gave me any trouble about the anesthesia at all. The level of care and the human connection at Dubrava felt completely different, and honestly, much better.
Not exactly the answer I was looking for. I get it, people tend to protect their own when things go sideways. But honestly, I thought I’d at least get a response via DM. It doesn't really matter now, though—I actually saw a similar case discussed on another forum, and the diagnosis was identical. In that situation, they tried everything possible, though it was a younger woman who arrived already septic. She ended up in the ICU and had to undergo dialysis. Of course, she wasn't at a place like the Mayo Clinic, where they might just wash their hands of the whole mess and wait for the worst to happen just to clear a bed. Maybe that sounds harsh, but that's just how it feels. Anyway, I'm waiting to hear back from the Department since I filed a formal report. Truth and justice always prevail in the end.
Could someone please recommend a solid private ENT specialist? I need help with my ear, assuming I can't get it sorted out with a simple ear cleaning at my GP's office. Just one request—please, anything but a clinic in the Brooklyn neighborhood.