Lately, I question everything I do because I forget. You see, in 2012, I suffered severe head trauma that doctors missed. Since then, I had several hypertensive crises and mini-strokes with residual weakness. The first stroke, two months after the head injury was because doctors continued the meds that raised my blood pressure and caused the head injury.
In 2017, a neurologist finally diagnosed my symptoms as classic head trauma. Before that, I carried a diagnosis of “abnormal behavior,” PTSD and HTN. Little mention of the hypertensive crisis or stroke which I think my PCP at that time did not believe was real. I had to change doctors to get the care I needed. In July, I will meet with a brain trauma specialist who I hope will help me.
What was it like to live with undiagnosed brain injury? Painful, very traumatic and destructive to my life and relationships. In the early days after the head injury, I woke up and often forgot to get out of bed. Or I would get out of bed and sit in a chair by the window for hours without moving. I would forget to wash my face, bath, get dressed and even eat. Activities of daily living (ADLs) were challenging, and I was alone without help. Took me 3-5 times as long to do simple tasks.
I also dreaded going out in public because I didn’t want anyone to know I was different. Living in my head and overwhelming fatigue made me an invalid.
I knew something was wrong but couldn’t figure it out. Deep down I suspected brain injury but didn’t want it known. I feared it would be the end of my career and it was.
This post has no title because I’m not sure where it’s going. Maybe it’s an explanation for why I haven’t followed through on many stories or why I have imprisoned myself. Or perhaps it’s the beginning of my recovery.
Be patient as this story slowly unfolds. Last year, I was in an extremely dark place when I found a flashlight.
Americans Want To Know About Hillary Clinton’s Health
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has what is known as ‘Decision Fatigue’, to the point of requiring the medication Provigil.
I had decision fatigue caused from chronic insomnia. It got so bad I left the practice of medicine, with me too being on Provigil to keep me awake. I took it with an amphetamine-based medication, as pep pills, to function.
The problem with this medication was the pills had side effects, and when the side effects were worse than the problem, I had to stop the pep pills or risk death. Stopping was no easy matter, as my fatigue became worse on stopping the medication.
If Hillary Clinton has decision fatigue, that is symptomatic of an underlying illness for which the fatigue prevents her from functioning.
Provigil is indicated when fatigue interferes with daily functioning. At one point I could not drive, because I was falling asleep at the wheel, and this was on my pep pills. I was on both Provigil and Vyvanse when I had a syncopal episode (fainting) resulting in open multiple fractures of my face and head injury. The medications elevated my blood pressure.
I made the initial decision to leave medical practice and was never able to return because of decision fatigue.
You see, I put my patients’ health and my oath to do no harm before my need to make an income or to continue with my dream job. So shouldn’t Hillary put this country and Americans before her need for power and money?
If Hillary will be too tired to make decisions, who will make them for her? Should that person seek office? Decision fatigue affects more than one’s ability to make decisions, it also affects functional capacity, especially executive function.
Also, what medication side effects can we expect from Provigil? Is she on other pep pills? And what is the underlying illness causing Hillary’s decision fatigue?
Americans, and indeed other nationalities, need to be reassured that the person elected to the highest position is physically and mentally fit to make sound decisions.
This is my story; my story about how discrimination—age, race, ethnicity, gender, perceived alcoholism, and perceived mental disorder—resulted in poor care. In other words, discrimination causes poor care. Discrimination caused poor healthcare at Tufts Medical Center. This is the story of my battle with Tufts Medical Center, David vs Goliath.
The rebuttal letter from Tuft’s powerful law firm, the Littler document, signed by Tufts Medical Center under risk of perjury, is re-imaged below. This document paints a very ugly picture of me. I appear to be a violent, black, crazy female, yelling racial profanities at everyone. Tufts Medical Center’s defense attempted to label me a drunken, black, female racist (blame the victim, make the victim look guilty).
The top part of the Littler document states an exemption from public disclosure, but I did not sign a form agreeing to such terms. Also, this letter was not hand delivered to me; I did not receive it from Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) until around June 2013.
The letter paints me as a racist and a loud-mouthed, intoxicated, crazy ghetto girl. MCAD bought Tufts Medical Center’s story immediately–why? MCAD did not bother to check Tufts Medical Center’s unsubstantiated claims or consider the inconsistencies and illogical story that Tufts Medical Center offered. Why? Isn’t that their job?
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The Littler document states I was “shouting.” How could I shout with comminuted fractures on both sides of my jaw, and a dislocation on one side plus a gaping wound?
Also, note I am described as uncooperative, unruly and belligerent. If so, why was the same emergency department staff able to, without sedation:
-Start a hep lock,
– Draw at least 5-6 tubes of blood including a type & cross-match for urgent surgery
– Send a unsedated patient for imaging studies to the Radiology department
How was Radiology able to perform a Head CT, a CT of C-Spine and facial films without sedation? These studies require patients to remain still, or else the scans cannot be done, sometimes despite sedation. In addition, the radiology technician is usually alone yet did not call for help from this alleged unruly belligerent patient. Odd, don’t you think?
Radiology did not observe or document uncooperative behaviors or profanities or racial name-calling, and the technician documented the times of X-ray which helped my recollection.
Why would Tufts Medical Center do this ? I do not know, but I suspect stress brought out the Tufts Medical Center Emergency Department staff and doctor’s hidden biases. From there, a racist street bully mentality prevailed, and I was a victim. None of the unruly behavior or “shouting” stated in the Littler documented ever occurred.
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The Littler document also contradicts itself and uses racially codified words and statements to mischaracterize and degrade my reputation within the community.
In addition, Tufts Medial Center violated my privacy and confidentiality, and likely forged my signature on the Consent for Treatment in the ED. Tufts Medical Center also sent me an altered medical record (thin chart) after my signed request for the release of my medical record. After repeated requests, I finally received the second, thicker medical record in December 2013. Redacting my medical record is unethical. As for the rest, we shall see how blind the eyes of justice are in MA. Additionally, the two charts are totally different.
Numerous unsubstantiated contradictions and racially codified statements are made by Tufts Medical Center. As you will see, the Littler document contradicts itself. For example, the Tylenol story: first the letter states that the ED staff told me to take nothing by mouth, and then that the ED gave me oral Tylenol. This contradicts the chart where there is no documentation of Tylenol being given orally or rectally. (I was never given Tylenol or anything by mouth the entire 15-17 hours in the ED.)
Two Different Charts; same person, same request form. Why? How did this happen?
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I presented with severe head/facial injuries along with an altered mental status, loss of consciousness, and new onset severe hypertension. What diagnoses immediately come to mind?
Syncope or seizures could be the reason for my fall, but the Tufts Medical Center ED doctor assumed I was intoxicated. Why? I was not unruly or uncooperative as stated. The ED staff was unruly and uncooperative.
Why did Dr. Shroff not examine me? He barely even touched me. I fell flat on my face without breaking my fall, and he made a huge and incorrect assumption without any backup or a blood alcohol level test. He did not even examine me—no EKG and no neurological exam.
Intoxication is defined as having a blood alcohol level of 0.8, at which point one’s decision-making capacity is impaired. Why was there no blood alcohol test? Why was that diagnosis made without proper and necessary documentation? I think Dr. Shroff intentionally labeled me an alcoholic to discredit any complaints.
The standard of medical care requires an alcohol level extraordinarily higher than 0.8 for the type of injuries I incurred. Furthermore, Dr. Sunil Shroff proved that my decision-making capacity was not impaired when he allowed me to sign out Against Medical Advice (AMA); yet he charted that I was “mildly intoxicated.” Should mildly intoxicated people drive? Intoxication means impaired decision-making capacity.
I never said I was an alcoholic. Why did the staff make that assumption? From the moment I arrived at Tufts Medical Center, ED staff mischaracterized and labeled me as the loud-mouth, drunk black female, shouting racial profanities. They would not provide me with relief, despite my patience and immense pain. I was spitting up blood, crying—my tears mixed with blood—and I could not open my mouth, yet they made fun and yelled at me. Three staff, including the nurse, Stacia Khorey, made fun of my mannerisms and the way I talked. Why were they so unprofessional and cruel?
They ignored my request for pain medication. I was so desperate for pain relief, I asked for Tylenol.
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Sadly, this assumption became the reason given for my fall. No one cared. They made assumptions that I was a stereotypical drunk black ghetto female. In the medical profession, such assumptions have cost millions of lives.
Alcohol abuse is now part of my record. I now have a false “history of alcohol abuse.” Isn’t that amazing? My husband was an alcoholic who committed suicide, so this label was painful, and it will be part of Tufts records. By the way, this history can be used against me later.
The above is an introduction. Many of you may not appreciate the subtleties of this real-life example of how discrimination manifests. Discrimination causes poor care; discrimination is a primary and understated reason for health disparities among the races.
I was not called nigger, but more harm was done in the 15-17 hours of unsupervised abuse and mistreatment than I ever experienced in my life. This will be a difficult story to rehash, but I will have to.
Part 2 – A Look at the Littler document in time…I would like an audience first…I am going to call the attorney general’s office in MA or go to the police station. Tufts Medical Center forged my signature on the Consent to Treat in their ED. Of course, there are no laws stating this is illegal in MA, but maybe the rest of the country and world should know about the practices at Tufts Medical Center and the legal policies in the State of MA.
Update: Called attorney general’s office–waste of time. Spoke with an attorney regarding the police report, which was also a waste.
Come warm weather, if we are still at battle, I will be at your front doors with pictures and flyers.
{ By the way, my idea to Tweet a story was flawed. }
Below are the stated providers — in the ED at Tufts Medical Center. They are part of the Culture of Corruption and Cruelty that has taken control of medicine. WATCH OUT!!!
Sunil Shroff, MD ss27
Stacia Khorey, RN sk12
Zeng, Mabel mz 1
Marian Lemieux RN ml
Lynda Fitzgerald lf4
Tania Chacon tc8
Kelly Haynes, RN, JD Risk manager I accuse of perjury
Law Firm for Tufts Medical Center: Littler Mendelson, P.C.
Not worth it! The values and attitudes dominating the football culture devalue the health of our children. Misguided values of obedience, fear of coaches’ ire, and locker room justice create a culture that conflicts with the future health of our children. A culture that views high school boys as gladiators, playing hard, playing through pain and injury to please the team or rather the coaches. That is what MEN do, or so our boys are being led to believe.
The above beliefs and attitudes are deleterious to the future success of our boys. After my husband passed, sports were lifelines for both my sons. At that time, it was fun. Now it is not. The competitive nature and emphasis on winning exploit the developing brains of boys, whose identities and happiness are intricately tied to sports. My son works harder at sports than academics to please the coaches, and forget me. Unfortunately, many coaches do not appreciate nor reciprocate in ways that foster healthy habits or raise the academic bar; they choose instead to exploit young developing minds.
Impressionable players blindly accept the coaches’ every word, making football culture ripe for abuse. Opportunities to make positive differences are wasted by coaches whom our children idolize. Unfortunately, coaches do not value the admiration and respect given to them by our children. Their goals and intents conflict with the health of our children.
Players are humiliated publicly and repeatedly by coaches. Players not only imitate these public tantrums of their coaches, but also internalize beliefs and values that are detrimental to the health, success, and happiness of their developing brains. Clearly, academics takes a backseat to sports as well as health. Players conceal injury, and playing while injured only leads to more injury. If players do not comply with these unspoken rules, they pay a heavy price, with their dreams falling prey to the whims of coaches.
Empty promises in dark alleys are made. Developing brains are manipulated and shoved down paths fraught with injuries, risks, and few benefits. The ultimate promise and support of attending a good college evaporates or, in our case, becomes a sickening roller-coaster ride. I learned not to rely on coaches. My son is an excellent athlete who followed some bad advice, leaving him ill-prepared to gain admission to competitive schools. From where I sit, little was done to prepare a star player. Shame! Another rejection came in today from the University of Pennsylvania.
It is disappointing, yet it is also an invaluable lesson, I hope. Had my son taken his schoolwork more seriously—not listened to other players or relied on his coaches—he may have gotten into the school of his choice. High school coaches blaming college coaches is not a solution and will not get my son into college. Neither is waiting for offers after three rejections. Why put my son’s future at risk? This is worrisome. My son’s attitude is that he has no choice. Whoever gave him that impression?
In conclusion, do not depend on coaches to assist your child unless your child is the coaches’ pet. Many coaches like teachers lower the academic bar for athletes—this comes back to bite our children when applying to colleges. The culture and environment of high school football are dangerously exploitive in devaluing our children and academics, and fostering unhealthy habits that undermine their future.
Many players suck up their injuries, playing hard with pain, mistreatment and fatigue…
