Friday January 26 – Patricia developed cold or flu like symptoms: soar throat, aching body, fortunately no fever was present
Weekend of January 27-28 – Rested those two days
Monday January 29 – The symptoms were still very strong
Tuesday January 30 – Since the symptoms wouldn’t go away, decided to visit the office of Dr. Eischel – was attended by FPPA Paula Price who diagnosed a viral infection and that Patricia should go home and rest. Prescribed ibuprofen 600mg.
Wednesday January 31 - The symptoms were still very strong
Thursday February 1 to Sunday February 4 – Situation slightly improved
Monday February 5 – At midday presented a fever; couldn’t take temperature though as Patricia was in her office and did not have a thermometer. The symptoms were: warm or even hot eyes, very tired in general, aching body, red eyes, plus when swallowing there was a click on the right ear. Could hear perfectly; no pain whatsoever in right ear. Made an appointment to visit FPPA Paula Price next day.
Tuesday February 6 (around 10am) - FPPA Paula Price saw Patricia and sent her for blood lab tests to get a better picture of what was going on, though mentioned that it might be only a very tough virus. Saw both ears and said both were full of wax so she ordered a lavash, a procedure that Patricia had gone through in the past in the same doctor’s office, with no problems whatsoever . The nurse proceeded to wash both ears and began with the right ear. After the first two or three seconds of the procedure a very sharp, unbearable pain in the right ear was felt by Patricia, she began to cry since the pain was just too much. The nurse said Patricia was very pale. Patricia began having problems with her balance (though she was seated) and was asked by the nurse to lie down while she called FPPA Paula Price. At the same time a weird noise, kind of static initiated in the right ear. When Paula showed up she decided to manually clean the ears. The right ear was very irritated and in lots of pain but Paula said everything was going to be fine.
Tuesday February 6 (around 4pm) -The pain in the right ear kept on increasing during the day so Patricia called Dr. Eischel’ office, left a vm with one of the people in the desk, was said Paula was going to get back to her. Patricia took two aspirins to mitigate the pain but the pain didn’t subside. Paula didn’t get back to her.
Wednesday February 7 (early morning) -Patricia called Dr. Eischel’ office again, talked to another person in the desk, told them she’d been waiting for Paula and hadn’t heard from her yet, told them about the symptoms. The pain in the right ear continue to increase.
Wednesday February 7 (around 2pm) -Paula finally called Patricia, who described the pain (plus al the noises and the fact that she could not hear now) in the right ear she was suffering. Paula asked her to come to the office whenever there was an opening available, which turned out to be next day @ 10:30am. At around 6pm same day Patricia noted there was discharge coming out of her right ear, this discharge was brownish. Patricia tried to get out this brownish liquid; once she couldn’t get more the pain began to slightly subside.
Thursday February 8 (10:30am) - Paula saw Patricia and diagnosed infection in the right ear, also mentioned there was a “hole” in the eardrum, a hole she hadn’t spotted on Tuesday 6 previous to the lavash. She diagnosed ibuprofen 800mg and amoxicillin (2 500mg capsules per day, during ten days). Told her the eardrum would be healing by itself. Asked her to get an appointment next week to follow up on this.
Wednesday February 14 (9am) -Paula saw Patricia and told her the hole in her eardrum was not healing so she decided to send her to a specialist. But before this she requested Dr. James Eischel’s opinion, he agreed to send me to a specialist.
Thursday February 15 -Appointment with Dr. Robert Wu, ear specialist.
The appointment was good, with a very professional and knowledgeable specialist -- he did a procedure in my right eardrum which consisted of applying a patch to the hole to help it grow - the problem was that except for the hole the rest of the membrane was pretty much healed so he had to scratch it again to sort of stimulate it -he said the window for a membrane to heal itself is between two to seven days after it has been broken and in my case yesterday was the 10th day. So, there's ONLY 20% chance this procedure will work!! Thus there is an 80% chance that I have to go thru real surgery!! And all this because of medical malpractice!
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Pues resulta que el timpano de mi oido derecho estaroto!!
El 6 de febrero fuí a consulta con el medicopues la infeccion en la garganta no cedía (normalmente solo me dura maximo siete dias, pero esta vez ya llevaba doce dias), me revisó los oidos y dijo que tenia que lavarlos. Cuando apenas habian empezado a lavar el oido derecho sentí un dolor de lo mas horrible que se puedenimaginar, inmediatamente empecé a llorar y dice la enfermera que me puse muy palida y que estaba a punto de desmayarme. Si hubiera estado parada me caigo pues inmediatamente perdí el balance.
En este momento fue cuando ellos me rompieron el tímpano al aplicar el agua con demasiada fuerza. La enfermera llamó al médico y este continuó con el proceso solo que en forma manual, es decir sin agua, solo con una especie de pinzas. Me dio pastillas para el dolor y me dijo que dentro de poco me iba a sentir mejor. Pero no fue asi, en las siguientes 48 horas desarrollé una infección en el mismo oído, regresé el jueves 8 de febrero, esta vez me recetó penicilina (primera vez en casi diez años que tomo penicilina) y me dijo que tenía un hoyo en el tímpano pero que se iba a cerrar pronto. Aquí debió haberme enviado con el especialista pero no lo hizo.
El miercoles 14 regresé a revisión y el hoyo famoso no habia cerrado nada, asi que esta vez si me enviaron con el especialista. Yo le dije que ellos mismos me habian roto el tímpano con la lavada pero ellos lo negaron, solo se disculparon de que yo he estado pasando por todo esto. Ayer jueves 15 finalmente fui con un especialista quien confirmó que el hoyo si fue hecho durante la lavada del oído. El procedió a ponerme un parche en el tíimpano para ayudar a que se recupere el mismo, pero me dijo que como ya han pasado muchos dias de la rotura inicial (diez dias del 6 al 15 de feb) solo hay un 20% de probabilidades que este procedimiento funcione.
Asi que tengo 80% de probabilidades de que si no funciona tenga que hacerme una operacion en el oido para restituir el timpano. En esta cirugia tomarian parte de mi piel y esta la injertarian en el timpano. Me dio veinte dias para que el parche haga su trabajo, pero si el 16 de marzo el hoyo no ha cerrado entonces voy a operación.
Hoy vine a trabajar normal pero no puedo hablar mucho pues la vibracion de mi voz afecta mi tímpano, el cual después de cuatro horas continuas de trabajo ya esta muy molesto asi que ya me voy a casa. Jason y yo estamos muy enojados con el medico que me hizo esto y vamos a ver si podemos aplicar una accion legal en su contra, sin embargo, el especialista nos dijo que esto sería muy difícil pues los abogados cobrarian mucho dinero y nosotros ganariamos muy poco.
De cualquier manera vamos a ver si por lo menos logramos que nos pidan una disculpa formal y por escrito y que paguen los gastos en los que tenga que incurrir si me operan. Bueno, pues yo pensaba celebrar mi cumpleaños bailando todos los dias (danza azteca, danza africana y un poco de salsa y merengue), pero el otorrino me dijo que por lo menos por diez dias debo dejar que mi oído descanse. Y no debo hablar mucho pues la vibracion de mi voz molesta a mi oído.
De cualquier manera lo que me reconforta es que el especialista dijo que no es daño irreversible, lo peor que puede pasar es que me tengan que operar pero después de eso voy a estar bien. Asi que mejor me alegro que no tengo algo mas serio y celebro mi cumpleaños meditando sobre la vida (en vez de bailar TODOS los dias - a lo mejor tomo Tai chi o meditacion, como ven? Algo tengo que hacer, no?).
