A perfect storm....that's what I call the situation of Lisa Strong of Davie, FL.
Several years ago, with a history of kidney stones, Lisa went to the E.R. due to discomfort and fever she associated with her last bouts with kidney stones. Proactive? Absolutely...and quite necessary since kidney stones and kidney infections can (if left untreated) lead to death.
When she arrived at the E.R., Lisa explained this is probably a kidney stone...but this is where the water gets murky. Did she emphatically state this point? Was her 106 spiking fever causing any type of hallucinations? Did the doc on hand not hear Lisa's statement?
No one knows for sure, but it's well documented that Lisa's proclaimation of her history with kidney stones was not written down. This led to a misdiagnosis...a misdiagnosis that ended in a horrible way.
It seems the doctor, working on limited information, diagnosed a completely unrelated gall bladder issue. The result? Infection set in and, ultimately, all four of Lisa's limbs were amputated.
Folks, can you even imagine? I cannot. To lose one's limbs is one thing. To lose it due to a misdiagnosis is another. But to have been proactive in taking care of oneself and THEN to have a doc's mistake cost one their appendages? Unthinkable.
What does this teach us? Communication, communication, communication. Check, then double check and triple check. And listen to the patient!
Miscommunication will happen. After all, every interpersonal relationship will, at some point, lose the message sent somewhere between the speaker's mouth and the listener's ears. Yet, when something is as potentially deadly as the situation in which Lisa Strong found herself, there is no excuse for not checking, double checking and triple checking.
Learn more about Lisa at:
www.LisaStrong.org
Best of luck, Lisa...and if your situation teaches other health care pros to be more diligent in their diagnosis, I hope that will, in some small way, create something good and meaningful out of a senseless situation.
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