Melinda - speaking of lawsuits

You know me, I research everything. SO, I researched my surgery procedure and I researched the surgeon, had him checked out in his county for lawsuits.

I would expect most surgeons to have something filed against them, so I wasn't too concerned when some things showed up. A couple lawsuits and all were either dismissed or the judge/jury found in favor of my doctor. All is good! But there is one case still pending.

I happened to obtain a copy of the Complaint filed and read it. This was the gist:

A woman went to the surgeon complaining of back pain, nerve pain in legs, loss of bowel and bladder control. The diagnosis - lumbar stenosis. When it's that bad, surgery is usually the only option (from what I have read). The surgeon suggested surgery and the woman agreed and scheduled it. A week before the surgery, she decided that she didn't want it, and called the office to cancel. She claims that she was told it was too late to cancel. She claims that she was told to show up the day of the surgery and the doctor would speak to her and answer any questions she had. So what does she do? She shows up at the hospital on surgery day and meets with the doctor. She tells them again that she didn't want surgery. At one point, a nurse "compelled" her to sign the surgical consent. She did, and the next thing she knew, she was being forced to have surgery that she did not want.

As a result, she lost work wages from having to recover and she claims the surgery didn't work to solve the symptoms (that is one of the known risks). Her husband is also suing for loss of consortium.

I couldn't believe what I was reading! FORCED to have surgery? It's not like getting on a roller coaster and you're stuck til the ride is over. Stand up, walk out. That simple. Until a person is knocked out, they always have that option. Give me a break!

Lucky her husband isn't forcing consortium.

Edit: I apologize for making a rape joke, rape isn't funny. But I don't want to delete the comment because other than that I think it's a funny comment.

Edit again: ok I'll delete it if anyone is really upset or angry about it.

Oh my word Sandi that is just unreal - she was forced to have surgery - she actually showed up at the hospital after changing her mind?! I am picturing someone tip-toeing up behind her with a rag soaked in ether and covering her nose & mouth then carrying her off to the surgery suite while the surgeon is standing there with scalpel in hand and a glint in his eye.

I want to be on the jury for this trial and her husband's! I would award each of them a dunce cap!

[you are right - when that bad surgery is the option - my neurosurgeon would ask me about bladder & bowel control]

Erica - I didn't think of rape when I first read your comment.

Melinda - I would love to follow this case and see where it goes. I'll try. The thing is, I asked an acquantance to get the info for me and it cost him work time and money, so it is an imposition to ask for more. Maybe I can pay him for more later.

Sandi, is it publicly available info? You could ask a librarian at the public library to get you info. They do way more for you for free than you could imagine.
Erica

No. It has to be searched on a pay web site.

That's too bad; it would have been interesting to follow the case. She might win, but him? If he wins, that would be a waste of court's time.

Sandi if you know about when it may go to trial or names involved you could keep an eye on the courts docket and maybe see when it was going to come up [recently I was on a jury for 8 week days - the homeschooling mother who brought her 10-12 year old son onto the court room to teach him about the judicial system should have done that & she would have seen she didn't want her young son listening to what prostitutes were saying about their pimp & way of life - after hearing a sexually explicit term the 2nd time they left].

Wonder if those will be 2 different trials - if gets that far. His seems ridiculous - maybe a judge would throw it out. If goes to a jury he wouldn't want me sitting - neither would she if her defense was she was forced to have this surgery.

Erica you did not offend

No, I don't think it would be two different trials and I don't think either will win. I'm surprised she even found an attorney to take that case. I'm going to read it again later.

Sandi, oftentimes libraries subscribe to pay databases and can get that info for you. It's worth a call to the reference desk. Or an email - my library also has email reference. So easy. I'm a big promoter of libraries!
Melinda - but did I amuse?
Erica

Erica - I thought libraries were obsolete. I know they exist and have books, but why?

Oh my Sandi.

I guess twenty years ago I thought that too, and that they still had card catalogs. But then I partnered up with a librarian and my eyes were opened.

For research and reference, libraries have vast resources, and they pay for many of those databases that we'd have to subscribe to individually - so you can even sometimes access them from the library webpage. Also librarians will do this research for you, for free, it's their job. And nowadays you can even do email or online chat reference, or call on the phone.

I also get free Kindle books from the library (on loan, they disappear after three weeks) and CDs and DVDs.

My s.o. among other things manages a service called 'at-home', available at many libraries, where patrons who for many reasons cannot get to the library can have library materials delivered to them, both through the mail and by volunteers. They also have a special reference line for these at-home patrons (recently he had a patron call and ask him whether a specific otc herbal product would make her hair fall out!)

Over the last few years I've emailed a number of reference questions - including 'what is the mailing address for this person' and 'where in the US are the largest population of Somali immigrants and please provide a contact name and number for those municipalities'. I've had them research legal cases for me too. I've asked them to get me full copies of articles I could only get citations to, and mail me the article. All this is free.

You're just messing with me, right?
Erica

No....not messing wth you. I haven't needed a library since I got my computer. I haven't been in one for years. I can usually find anything and everything on the Internet (research)or Amazon (tangibles).