informed consent?

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angelove
angelove Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Caregivers #1
cancer in remission 5yrs and counting, thanking god every day. i recently had my beautiful baby girl in may of this year. i a deaf person and have been so since birth recently moved to southern state a year ago from MO. i've never had any problems with MO. when i went to my doctors office in MO there was always an interpreter for me, its the law. unfortunatly in the state in which i have moved i went thru 8 months of hell with this hospital begging for an interpreter the whole time, meanwhile my baby was growing inside me. months went by, exams went by, doctors talked to me as if i could here even asked my 5yr old to interpret to them, i cried my baby, i wanted to scream at them i had questions and tried my best to ask them, but my voice was never heard, they told me time and time again on paper well have you an interpreter next visit, i gave up hope, my fiance had to take time off from work inevetibly losing his job to be with me, i became very secluded, in the last few occasions i went to my checkups my fiance went with me, the doctors and nurses explained stuff to him as if i werent there, i hated myself for being deaf. He fought them telling them i need an interpreter to no avail, the day arrived i was in labor my fiance took me too the hospital the wisked me away from him i was 4cm dialated and having a ceserian? what? why? i had no major complications i could ask why. later to find out is was because woth my 2nd child i had a cesarian cross lateral, what about natural birth after cesarian its totally viable, i couldnt ask, i couldnt hear. my baby was born they took her away from me and didnt bring her to me till 23hrs later, i wanted to breast feed but could tell them. they didnt care my baby was born 4lbs 15oz and was 2 weeks early she weighed 4lbs 5oz when they brought her to me, i signed papers i never got any explanation of i was in labor, i was in pain time was important. what has happened to the medical care ethics in which we live? im now attending visits with a therepist, imagine being pregnant going to exams not being able to questions or here the results, imagine trying to read the doctors lips while he explains his medical blah blah, imagine having a surgery where the risk assesment is high of you dieing (because you have a metal plate in your head with wires attached to your brain which prevents normal electric paddles from bringing you back to life, but wait you couldnt explain that because you cant talk normal and noone understand what you say) not to mention wheres the consent you signed to have this operation? and why?

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  • SonSon
    SonSon Member Posts: 174
    #2
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    Attrocious
    That is horrible treatment -
    You can contact the hospital administrator to lodge a complaint. I wonder if you can contact the Better Business Bureau as well. Complain to the hospital first and let them know that you intend to report them to the Better Business Bureau.
    I don't know where exactly you live but I do know that there exists interpreter pools and various associations and advocacy agencies that assist in interpreter services.
    A thought that occurred to me while I was reading your post is possibly employing a laptop - and nowadays they have these small "netbooks" for about $200. If you are proficient and comfortable with typing on a word or notepad document you can drag that in with you and use it as your means of communication with a doctor - or other practitioner. The added benefit to doing this is that you can save that document as a record - so you can go back to it to refresh your memory or if they give you crack advice then you have it in black and white.
    I don't think they were mistreating you because you are deaf but they behaved that way because they simply do not have the sensitivity necessary or the patience to try to work through obstacles.
    Fatima
  • grandmafay
    grandmafay Member Posts: 1,633 Member
    #3
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    Civil Rights
    The United States has a law concerning the rights of Americans with disabilities. As an American with disabilities you have civil rights that may very well have been violated. Check your phone book for a listing. Often times it's listed under United States Government Disabilities or Civil Rights. I'm sorry that you did not get the help you needed. It must have been very frustrating as well as scary for you. Please follow up and find out exactly what your rights are. Also check with the local Cancer Society. As a cancer survivor who needs regular check ups, they might be able to assist you in getting help in medical situations. Fay

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