This Makes Me Sick

What Want To Hear From YOU!

We got this blog started for the simple fact that things were making us sick.

And the best tales of sketchy lawyers, slack docs, lying patients and greedy insurance moguls have come from readers like you who stop by  ThisMakesMeSick.

Chime in, here!

In case you need some prodding, a greatest hits collection:

Stay in Hospital Takes Wicked Turn

Hospitals Shut Door On Doc's Charity Work

Grandma's Fears From the ICU

Double Dipping Medical Directors

Dr. Choi Had No Idea What He Was Doing
 

Dr. Sketchy McSketchson

Dr. King is turning into a great source of lawsuit madness. We talked about him keeping his past hidden and filing false applications over the last week.

Now comes some more news that you just can' t make up. Drum roll, please.

"The former Putnam General Hospital doctor at the center of more than 100 medical malpractice lawsuits testified Friday that he has no fixed address, has not worked since early November and lost his tax records when his accountant's office burned down.

Christopher Wallace Martin, the osteopath previously known as John A. King, also told Putnam County Circuit Judge Ed Eagloski that he has set up more than a dozen corporations, trusts and other legal entities since 1999. He then assigned them such assets as his Volvo autos and the $400,000 house he bought while at Putnam General."

Paging Dr. Sketchy McSketchson. There's more! Read [Herald Leader]

'Don't Worry, We Do Thousands of These"

Last week, we put the word out that we wanted to HEAR YOUR STORIES about WHAT MAKES YOU SICK.

Well, we have heard from you. Here is a sad installment from Dennis Kruse who told us what happened to his son while under the care of Dr. Choi.

Dr. Choi: "I had some problems with Marshall's intubation and he went without oxygen for at least 15 minutes."

Kent Choi, MD, was the doctor on duty in the ICU in  June of 2005 after our son, Marshall Kruse, had surgery. Approximately 18 hours after Marshall’s surgery while in the recovery unit at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Mr. Choi suggested to us that, as a precautionary measure, perhaps our son should be intubated.

We discussed this with our son as well as Dr. Choi, whose  exact words to us were "DON’T WORRY WE DO THOUSANDS OF THESE".  We were then asked to leave while Kent Choi Md. performed the intubation.

Forty minutes later..... while standing in the hall at the ICU reception desk with some family friends,  Kent Choi Md casually approached us and said "I had some problems with Marshall's intubation and he went without oxygen for at least 15 minutes."

As this news sank in to all of us, I asked him if he had killed my son's brain. He simply shrugged his shoulders and said "don’t know." He then turned around and walked off leaving us standing in the hallway. We then demanded  to see our son and  were told we couldn’t, as they were cleaning him up. A short time later when we finally got in to see Marshall; he was grimacing and fighting for his life, as he sank into a coma. 

Do you have a story to tell? EMAIL US

Step to the Mic

Since launching this forum back in 2005, we've written about a lot of WhatMakesUsSick. Docs getting squeezed by malpractice insurance premiums, here. Patients dealing with aloof, callous health care providers, here. Elected leaders getting busy, here. 

Now we want to hear from you.

We want docs to vent about defensive medicine and what it's like to practice now. Maybe your spouse or child had a ER nightmare. How about a truly frivolous malpractice lawsuit. Step up and tell your story. Changing the system begins with you.

Shout here