Monday, August 17, 2009

The tragedy that led to my fathers Death (A Memorial 17/08/09)

(THIS WAS A STORY I ORIGINALLY WROTE FOR A NEWSPAPER BUT JUST BEFORE PRINT THEY PULLED THE STORY UNDER THREATS FROM THE HOSPITAL'S LEGAL TEAM. THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. MY FATHER HAS SINCE DIED.)

AS ALOT OF US ARE AWARE THE NAMED TOWNSVILLE HOSPITAL HAS BEEN LEFT SADLY LACKING UNDER THE PRESSURE OF A LARGE COMMUNITY IN NEED, AND THE LACKLUSTER ATTEMPTS OF THE SAID GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE HEALTH CARE TO ITS CITIZENS.
AS A RESULT OF THIS SQUEEZE OF PRESSURE, ULTIMATELY MANY PARTS OF THE HOSPITALS SYSTEM START TO FAIL.
ONE SUCH EXAMPLE OF THIS IS MY FATHERS TREATMENT AT THE HANDS OF CERTAIN DOCTORS WITHIN THIS SYSTEM. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR ON MY FATHERS BEHALF THAT THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON ANY OF THE WONDERFUL NURSING STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS, AS HE HAS ALWAYS SPOKEN VERY HIGHLY ABOUT ALL OF THEM.

MY FATHERS CASE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF EVERYTHING NOT TO DO TO SOMEONE AFTER DIAGNOSING THEM WITH BLADDER CANCER. WAY BACK IN AUG 04, MY FATHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AN AGGRESSIVE FORM OF BLADDER CANCER AND THIS IS WHERE THE VERY TRAGIC STORY BEGINS.

THE DIAGNOSING DOCTOR FROM A PRIVATE PRACTISE ATTACHED TO THE CERTAIN HOSPITAL TOLD MY FATHER THAT IF IT HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED ONE MONTH LATER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO LATE TO ASSURE SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT. THEY TOLD HIM TO GO HOME AND THE DOCTOR WOULD SEND WORD TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEN THE HOSPITAL WOULD RING HIM WITH AN APPOINTMENT.
AFTER 2 WEEKS AND NO CALL FROM THE HOSPITAL, HE DECIDED TO DRIVE OUT TO THEM AND FOUND THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HIM. TO HIS HORROR HE ALSO FOUND OUT THE DOCTOR HAD NOT WRITTEN ANY LETTER, LET ALONE SENT IT. MY FATHER WENT BACK TO THE GP AND WAITED WHILE THEY WROTE A REFERRAL LETTER , THEN RUSHED UP TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUPPLIED IT TO THEM HIMSELF.
CHEMO AND RADIATION TREATMENT STARTED VERY LATE TO CATCH THE VITAL ONE MONTH PERIOD GIVEN. AFTER MORE THAN TEN MONTHS AND MANY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF HIS HEALTH, VERY LITTLE INFO WAS GIVEN ON HOW HIS TREATMENT WAS PROGRESSING. THIS SILENCE FORCED US TO ENACT THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION TO SEE FOR OURSELVES THE RESULTS.

AFTER MANY QUESTIONS, MY FATHER WAS ASSURED HIS TREATMENT WAS GOING WELL. THE TREATING DOCTORS TOLD HIM EVERYTHING WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THAT THE TREATMENTS HAD BURNT THE CANCER OUT AND IT WAS DEAD. ONE STAFF MEMBER EVEN RANG MY FATHER AT HIS HOME TO CONDESCENDINGLY ASSURE HIM OF THIS REALITY. AT NO STAGE DID ANY STAFF MEMBER OF THAT HOSPITAL EXPLAIN TO MY FATHER OR HIS FAMILY THE GRAVE REALITY OF HIS SITUATION, THAT TREATMENT HAD FAILED AND HE WAS FALTERING. THIS WAS NEGLIGENCE AND A TOTAL COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN ON THEIR BEHALF. INSTEAD THEY LET HIM GO HOME AFTER INADEQUATE TREATMENT TO WASTE AWAY IN ALOT OF PAIN AND HE WAS LEFT TO WONDER WHY HE WAS STILL FEELING SO UNWELL. OUR FAMILY WERE UNINFORMED AND JUST THOUGHT OUR FATHER WAS PANICKING WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO RAISE THE ALARM ABOUT HOW HE FELT AND IN RESPONSE WE TIED TO ALLAY HIS FEARS AS BEST WE COULD. TRAGICALLY FOR HIM AND ALL OF US, THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN WITH HIS LEFT LEG SWELLING WITH FLUID. THE SWELLING WAS CAUSED BY A LARGE TUMOUR CUTTING OF HIS VENUS RETURN, ALLOWED TO GROW THANKS TO THE HOSPITALS INCOMPETENCE. THIS ALL HAPPENED ON THE NIGHT BEFORE I WAS TO RELOCATE TO BRISBANE.

JUST LIKE A FOREBODING OF THINGS TO COME MY OWN LEG THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS SORE AND MY LEFT FOOT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK ON.
THE NEXT DAY AS I PREPARED TO DRIVE TO BRISBANE, I URGED HIM TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. YOU COULD SEE IN HIS EYES THAT HE KNEW THAT ALL MAYBE LOST AND HE SAID TO ME WHAT DOES IT MATTER NOW ANYWAY. IT WAS POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS FOR ME TO DO, TO LEAVE HIM STANDING THERE IN THE DRIVEWAY WHILE MY MOTHER AND I DROVE OFF TO MEET MY FURNITURE THAT WAS ARRIVING AT MY NEW HOME. I WANTED TO STAY WITH HIM AND I SAID I WOULD, BUT HE INSISTED THAT I WENT. TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE AND A LITTLE PIECE OF MY HEART BROKE AWAY THAT DAY. IT WAS THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO AND FOR SOME REASON THAT DAY I JUST KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOME HORRIBLE EXPERIENCES TO COME. I LEFT PROMISING MY FATHER THAT I WOULD COME STRAIGHT BACK TO HIM AFTER SETTING UP HOUSE AND LOOK AFTER HIM.

BY HIS OWN FORCED CALL HE WENT OFF TO HIS PRIVATE DOCTOR ON THE MONDAY TO INVESTIGATE WHAT I AM SURE IN HIS SOUL HE KNEW WAS WRONG. I WAITED BY THE PHONE IN BRISBANE FOR WORD OF HIS TEST RESULTS AND WHEN THE TESTS CAME BACK AND THE DISGUSTING REALITY CAME TO LIGHT AND THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN. HE WAS TOLD BY HIS TREATING HOSPITAL DOCTOR THAT IN FACT THEY HAD ALWAYS KNOWN IT WAS TOO LATE AND THAT IT HAD SPREAD TO HIS LYMPHATIC SYSTEM AND WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST TUMOURS THEY HAD SEEN.
THIS WAS THE FIRST HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS AND WAS TOLD TO GO HOME AND PREPARE TO DIE. THE SHOCK TO MY FATHER AND ALL OF HIS CHILDREN WAS UNBEARABLE AND WE WERE LEFT TO FEND FOR OURSELVES OVER THE WORST EASTER ON RECORD. THEY SENT HIM HOME AND SAID THEY WOULD MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE BUT AT NO TIME OFFERED ADVICE, COUNSELING OR EVEN PAIN MEDICATIONS. INSTEAD WE TRIED IN VAIN TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THIS SITUATION ALONE AND DEAL WITH IT AS BEST WE COULD.

I LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH THE HEALTH RIGHTS COMMISSION AND IT WAS ACCEPTED AND REGISTERED FOR INVESTIGATION. FOUR MONTHS LATER AND AFTER A FEW SHORT STAYS IN HOSPITAL WHERE THEY COULD NOT WAIT TO FIND EXCUSES FOR FREEING UP HIS BED AND SENDING HIM HOME. AFTER WHICH HE LAID IN A BED IN THAT HOSPITAL UNABLE TO BE LOOKED AFTER AT HOME.
I HAD MOVED FROM BRISBANE TO LOOK AFTER HIM BUT HIS ILLNESS RAPIDLY PROGRESSED AND HIS LEVEL OF CARE BECAME TOO MUCH FOR ME TO PROVIDE. I CANNOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE HORRIBLE EXPERIENCES THAT CARING FOR A LOVED ONE WITH THAT DISEASE CAN PRODUCE. IT WAS A VERY CONFRONTING AND TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE TO TRY AND DEAL WITH, BUT I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEART BEAT FOR HIM AND ANYONE THAT I LOVED.

THANKS TO THAT HOSPITALS LACK OF DUTY OF CARE IN RELATION TO PROVIDING THE BASIC HEALTH INFORMATION HE IS ENTITLED TO, WE HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO PLAN HIS EVER DWINDLING FUTURE. WE WERE LEFT TO MAKE A TRULY HORRIBLE DECISION TO PLACE HIM IN A NURSING HOME THAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE CONSTANT MEDICAL CARE HE REQUIRES. YET ANOTHER THING TO ADD TO HIS BADLY MANAGED TRAUMA AND DISEASE. THE SYSTEM IS SO STRESSED THAT THE ASSESSMENT TEAM CANNOT TELL US WHEN HE WILL BE EVEN ASSESSED TO GO INTO A HOME, (SOMETHING NEEDED BEFORE BEING PLACED IN A HOME EVEN THOUGH HE IS THE HIGHEST CATEGORY, NUMBER ONE.)
OWING TO A LACK OF FUNDS AND A LONG WAITING LIST HE NOW WAITS FOR A FATE HE TRIED TO AVOID BY ALL WAYS KEEPING A VIGILANT EYE ON HIS HEALTH. I DID NOT WANT HIM TO GO INTO A NURSING HOME TO BE POSSIBLY NEGLECTED AGAIN. STAFFING LEVELS AT THESE HOMES ARE UNDER PRESSURE AND PROPER CARE IS VERY DIFFICULT. I WOULD LIKE THE GOVERNMENT TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY HE IS FORCED TO GO INTO A NURSING HOME WHEN HE HAS SUCH A SHORT TIME TO LIVE. OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN THROUGH HELL AND I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS A FAIR OUTCOME FOR MY VERY ILL FATHER.

I WILL NOT HAVE HIM TUCKED UNDER THE CARPET SO THOSE IN CHARGE CAN CONTINUE THIS COVER UP. THEY HELD THE TRUTH OF HIS ILLNESS FROM HIM AND LET HIM WASTE AWAY IN PAIN WITH NO COUNSELING FOR HIM OR US TO PROCESS THE SHOCK. THEY TOLD US HE WAS CURED AND WOULD BE OK, BUT KNEW THAT HE WAS NOT. ALL THIS JUST TO SAVE MONEY ON TREATMENTS AND RESOURCES FOR A HEALTH SYSTEM THAT HAS A POLICY OF SELECTIVE HEALTH CARE FAVOURING THE YOUNG. IF WE WERE EVER TO HAVE A MAJOR DISASTER WE WOULD BE ALL LOST AND THE CURRENT 6 TO 8 HR WAITING TIMES TO SEE A DOCTOR AT ANY EMERGENCY ROOM IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD LOOK VERY FAVOURABLE INDEED.
THE HOSPITAL SHIP IS LEAKING AND WILL ULTIMATELY SINK IF IT'S ALLOWED TO CONTINUE BEING RUN AS LOOSELY UNDERFUNDED AND UNDERSTAFFED AS HAS BEEN THE CASE SO FAR. GOD HELP US IF THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS AND A VIRAL OUTBREAK OR TERRORIST ATTACK TAKES PLACE. AND PLEASE TAKE MY FATHERS ADVICE AND ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION.

AT THIS STAGE THERE IS NO PALLIATIVE CARE IN THE NORTH FOR
PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS, THE CLOSEST PLACEMENT IS IN BRISBANE.
SADLY ONLY WEEKS AFTER WRITING THIS LETTER MY FATHER PASSED AWAY, HE DIED ON THE 17TH AUGUST 2006. I STILL WANTED TO TELL HIS STORY AND A YEAR HAS NEARLY PASSED SINCE WE BURIED HIM AND I JUST HAD TO PUBLISH THIS TO FINALLY LET THE STORY BE READ. I WILL MISS HIM UNTIL THE DAY I PASS AWAY AND HOPE TO ONE DAY SEE HIM AGAIN. THE PAIN IS GETTING EASIER TO LIVE WITH AND I GET THROUGH MOST DAYS WITHOUT GETTING EMOTIONAL. HIS FUNERAL WAS BEAUTIFUL AND I HAD SPENT THE FOUR MONTHS THAT I LOOKED AFTER HIM RECORDING HIS VOICE. THE TAPES ARE OF HIM TALKING TO ME AND SINGING AS HE LOVED TO DO AS WELL AS HIS NATURAL TALENT OF PLAYING THE HARMONICA THAT I NOW HAVE ON MY BOOK SHELF IN FRONT OF HIS PHOTO. (HE HAD AN AMAZING VOICE SIMILAR TO ELVIS AND THE WEIRD THING IS THAT HE DIED THE DAY AFTER ELVIS DID. AS HIS COFFIN WAS GOING DOWN INTO HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE BESIDE HIS VERY CHERISHED MOTHER, THE CD I MADE UP FOR THE DAY PLAYED. HE PLAYED MOON RIVER ON THE HARMONICA AND SANG THE MOST HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL VERSION OF GALL WAY BAY I HAVE EVER HEARD. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS VERY ILL DURING THESE RECORDINGS HIS VOICE WAS STILL AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER, IF NOT JUST A LITTLE WEAKER BECAUSE OF HIS ILLNESS. I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW MY SOUL PINED FOR THE LIVE VERSION OF THAT SWEET VOICE I HAD LISTENED TO ONLY DAYS EARLIER.

I LOVE YOU DAD AND HOPE YOU ARE OK, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.

Robyn Whittaker. 2006, updated version 2007. Latest publication on 17/08/09.