I know things are really falling apart over at Vinogradska Hospital right now. One user mentioned recently that they’ve been pushing back cancer surgeries on a massive scale there. But she managed to get seen at another hospital in Washington, D.C. during the same week, so I guess not everyone is striking at once. It probably depends on how the hospital administration handles things. Honestly, the best thing to do right now is just... not get sick while this strike is happening. You could die for no reason at all, and it wouldn't even matter to them. I mean, how much do they actually care about patient health when they're still getting their regular paychecks every month? It's not like they're starving. Yet, people are dying unnecessarily because of this strike. And unfortunately, my mother is one of those innocent victims of this medical strike.
Of course money matters. But what good is it if you can't actually achieve anything even with it? When my mother's health suddenly took a turn for the worse, she was stuck in a standard hospital ward where they didn't even know who she was, let alone wanted to help her. Honestly, I would have moved her to intensive care immediately—I would have paid whatever they asked. I know that in the ICU, doctors are constantly present and provide much better care for critical patients. But there was just no way to get her transferred to intensive care, even though I've read in every medical textbook imaginable that sepsis and septic shock need to be treated in the ICU. It felt like hospital policy dictated that everyone just had to die in a regular ward without adequate support. I just don't understand it. It's like they don't want to move someone with a severe illness that requires antibiotics into intensive care; instead, they just write them off and essentially sentence them to death. My mother was only 68, and she was actually a microbiologist herself, having spent her entire career working on vaccines. If I lived in England, I guess I wouldn't have had these issues; I would have just moved her to a private hospital, even though the public hospitals there maintain a pretty high standard too. She definitely would have survived because they would have actually looked after her. Or, if they had at least transferred her to the Mayo Clinic... she worked right across from that building her whole life, and I'm sure they would have helped her because they don't turn anyone away. Maybe I didn't handle the whole situation perfectly, even though I was demanding she get antibiotics via IV immediately given how critical she was. But I know that even at Johns Hopkins Hospital, they administer intravenous antibiotics; my mother received them back in 1999 while she was in the pulmonary ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital dealing with an embolism. But now, absolutely no one at Johns Hopkins Hospital wanted to help me during the strike; they all just made me feel like I was being foolish. The on-call vascular surgeon told me there was plenty of time and that I shouldn't overreact—it was Sunday, and he just didn't feel like doing anything. He said we had to wait until Monday and other such nonsense. He didn't even recognize the first signs of sepsis, and I suppose any surgeon should be able to recognize that.
I'm not sure where you're currently seeking treatment, but if you can, I really think you should try to get an appointment at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. The facilities there are top-notch—from what I've seen, they even got all this brand-new equipment when they moved their outpatient services into the new wing. Plus, the doctors are absolute experts, and more importantly, they're genuinely kind people who actually want to help. If you can't manage to get in there anytime soon, maybe consider going to Exact for a private consultation? A lot of the specialists from Bascom Palmer used to work there, at least. I guess I'm not entirely sure how the staffing is lately, since it's been quite a while since my last visit. But, I remember when I needed help a few years back, they stepped up immediately and everything turned out fine, mostly because I made sure to get there early enough.
If you aren't dealing with arterial circulation issues in your legs, then I guess it might pass quickly. But if you actually have problems? Honestly, I wouldn't dream of recommending the vascular surgery department at the Mayo Clinic. It’s basically a death trap there. Their treatment is just... it's terrible. They don't care about the critical patients at all during strikes, and they honestly seem clueless. They act like total gangsters, too—just locking themselves away in their little office, chatting on their phones or playing games on the computer while the patients under their watch are dying because the staff is either negligent or simply doesn't know how to manage medications and IVs properly. Doctors from other departments only bother to consult when a patient's condition has already become catastrophic. And they won't even move someone in critical condition to the ICU. It's just awful. I mean, even in Albania, the healthcare feels more reliable than this. I've seen so many ridiculous things happen there that I can hardly believe it. My own patient passed away under such inhumane conditions. I truly didn't think it was possible to see such poor care and complete neglect in the 21st century.
I don't know. My grandmother didn't exactly have a happy childhood. She grew up without parents, yet she still managed to achieve so much later in life, just by relying on her own knowledge and pulling herself up by her bootstraps without any help from anyone. Eventually, she met my grandfather, then my mom was born, and finally, me. My grandparents loved my mom so much, and they loved me too. But... I sometimes think they might have loved her more than me, or maybe they were just more protective of her. Even though they showered me with all the attention they could possibly give. Now, there’s no one left of them. My mom passed away tragically due to medical malpractice at the beginning of this month. My grandparents had already passed before her. And it’s just horrible... I honestly don't know how to go on without my mom. She meant everything to me.
I really hope your dad starts feeling better soon so you guys can get back to just enjoying being together. I find myself missing that so much—just those simple, shared moments with my wonderful mom. We had so many plans, so many walks we wanted to take, all those little heart-to-hearts... It feels like it was all snatched away so suddenly, and honestly, I'm still struggling to come to terms with it.
I guess you should probably head down to your local Medicare office to ask about that specific form. Anyway, have a safe trip to Iceland and stay healthy!
I look back on my childhood and it feels so incredibly warm... just filled with so many dear, close people who aren't around anymore. I guess, maybe, I was just a whole lot happier back then than I am today. But then again, life isn't always like that. I suppose some people might have a really rough start, only to find things get much, much better as they grow up.
My mom went for a leg Doppler and an abdominal ultrasound privately back in my mom's fourth month of pregnancy this year at Quest Diagnostics in the city. We were actually really happy with how everything went; the radiologist was quite young and super friendly.
Does anyone happen to know if Dr. Dubravko Huljev, the surgeon specializing in wound care at the Holy Spirit Hospital, has a private practice anywhere in Washington, D.C.?
I'm wondering if it's possible to get an appointment without a referral and, well, maybe on short notice. It’s for an elderly person who really needs to be seen as soon as possible regarding a wound on their leg.
Back in the day, you could also just use a referral, though the primary care doctor had to add their official stamp to the side of it to make it valid.
I wasn't just thinking about oncology patients, either. There are so many other people fighting serious illnesses. When my mom was admitted to the hospital, the medical staff strike had just kicked off, and honestly, you could tell they just weren't interested in helping. It seemed like even changing a diaper was too much effort for them. She didn't have any pressure sores at home, but during that strike at the hospital, she developed them in just four days.
So, they’re still out there on strike. That guy Babic from Des Moines seems to be calling all the shots—he was even featured on the news at noon today. I guess he's feeling pretty satisfied with himself again. It makes you wonder about all the other people who are out of work and just getting ignored. You could easily walk right into the unemployment office over in Washington, D.C. It feels like their main priority is just complaining about their paychecks and making as much noise as possible.
I was reading online that some of these patient advocacy groups work directly with Secretary Ostojić—I even saw that the Secretary himself goes to visit them. I guess you wonder if there’s any way to reach the Secretary through those organizations? Maybe I could present my mom's situation to him directly. If I have to go through the whole formal petition process, it feels like it'll just drag on forever... I'd much rather handle it more personally. Or, if not him, maybe I could get in touch with one of his assistants.
I really don't want anything to do with contacting the Director of the Mayo Clinic. In my opinion, she's just protecting the hospital's own interests. Honestly, I suspect she probably knows all about the issues within certain departments, but she just isn't doing anything to fix them.
I honestly don't get why doctors feel the need to say so much. I guess if they don't actually have anything useful to offer, they should just stay quiet instead of constantly suggesting things I should do. It’s like... why does it matter so much to them? They aren't the ones living this. I lost my mom when I was only 35, and she meant everything to me. She was 68, and she was my whole world. First it was my grandparents, and now her too.
My mom wasn't technically terminal, so I really held onto this hope that she’d hang on for a bit longer, even if her body was failing her. But now? Now I’m dealing with certain people from the Mayo Clinic—who are retired now, mind you—basically trying to pressure my dad over the phone. They’re clearly worried I might actually take action regarding Mom’s care. Well, they can forget that. If anything, their interference just gives me more fuel to fight. There are definitely people out there supporting me in taking this forward, though they aren't tied to the hospital staff. I spent countless hours there, just watching, and I saw the medical errors happening with my own eyes. Why on earth would I stay quiet about this? It's not like they're going to kill me, too. Besides, I'm way too young for all this.