MUSC Health University Medical Center — Local services in Charleston

MUSC “DISAPPEARED” MY NURSE’S NOTES FROM MY FIRST NIGHT’S HOSPITAL STAY. That’s right. My nurse’s notes from my first night, the worst night, at MUSC, somehow were eliminated from my record.

I had neursurgery on my lower spine at MUSC on 12/21/2023. Afterwards I was placed on the 8th floor of this facility where there is a high turnover of nurses and a severe lack of professionals. This was the worst post surgical experience I have ever had, yet, after multiple complaints to MUSC, I received a letter from them stating that my hospital stay had gone well and nothing eventful had taken place. How dare you glibly write me off after the awful stay I had at your poorly run facility. The hospital records from MUSC reveal the deceit in your letter to me. Your telling me everything went well for me at MUSC does not make it so. It does not eliminate the following: 1. When being transferred into hospital room bed, post surgery, the bed partially collapsed jerking my newly installed spinal hardware to a wrenching stop, 2. Replacement bed had a bar running directly under my back which forced me to rest near the bottom and to the side of the mattress 3. Unrelenting high pain level post surgery for the entire first night after being promised this would not happen !!! My nurse fought all night for me to be given pain meds and her detailed notes are missing from my record. This was one of the most painful surgeries a person can undergo, and I was not given the relief I was told I would receive. 4 A Neurosurgery representative (you and I both know who you are) offered pain patches to place on my fresh incision and an NSAID to which I am deadly allergic (this was conveniently left out of my hospital record ) as a solution to minimizing my pain. This was nothing short of cruel. 5. Only one button on my controller worked. I could call front desk but couldn’t turn lights off or on (they remained on because that is how staff left them), couldn’t turn tv off or on (it remained off though my records state every few pages that I was watching or listening to tv) 5. I needed to urinate often. Every 30 minutes before I was discharged my record states. Help was not often available. I waited up to an hour and a half one time for someone to get me to the bath room. Soon I was unable to make it to the bathroom on my own before urinating. The aid started leaving chuck sheets at the end of the bed for me to take care of the mess myself. She left no gowns because she said they were out of clean ones 6. I lay in urine with a fresh incision and two puncture holes in my back for 3 nights 7. I was naked because I was not provided a gown and when people came to transport me to X-ray or when someone would arrive to take me to bathroom, remove stitches etc. I would be found naked 8. My record states a urine sample showed infection that needed further tests yet no one told me this nor offered treatment. After I returned home my urine became mostly blood. My primary physician treated me for a UTI caused by klebsiella, a bacterial infection that can be deadly and was caused by being catheterized for surgery. 9. More than once I was skipped for meals and after returning to room post surgery it took 4 hours and multiple requests for a glass of orange juice . 10. This hospital is filthy with mold growing around air vents and improper cleaning done by poorly trained personnel 11. My presurgery check up was coded as COSMETIC SURGERY. I called weekly to get this changed so insurance would cover the cost. It still took nearly 5 months for someone to push this miscoded charge through correctly

So send me another letter telling me what an uneventful and normal stay I had at MUSC. For MUSC it is normal, especially on 8th floor, for patient care to be abysmal. But don’t tell me that my stay went well. It did not. MUSC falls short by a long shot in every way except for the nurses giving 120% effort in an impossible environment to effectively treat patients. No one should have to endure ill treatment and lack of treatment after any surgery. Own up to...

Yes hi I’m here at the Musc I have a rare cancer called Adenoid cystic carcinoma Had surgery Monday, November 27 lost my left eye due to the cancer I was in ICU for two days my last night was horrible the nurse Haley did a awful job with taking care of me she was forgetful she can’t remember anything that I told her to do she couldn’t even remember getting my medicine she had asked me 3 to 4 times what was it that I wanted and all I wanted was some ice cream and a drink she was all over the place scatterbrained she was rushing doing things she didn’t take her time she was not attentive to my needs my left arm the doctor needed to take nerves tissue and skin graphs I had a vac drain tube and also another drain tube for the blood in the excess fluid to go into well she was cleaning the drain pipe and flushing the fluids down into the bowl and she was very rough she hurt my arm almost pulled out my cord from my arm and with her doing that the back of her hand hurt directly onto my incision where they did the skin graft and hurt me so bad and I have been in severe pain since from what she had done she is by far the worst nurse that I have ever experienced in my whole entire life the doctors their staff and all the other nurses were wonderful and they were great except the last night and I see you in my experience with that one nurse here it is Saturday, December 2, 2023 they move me into another room 778 my nurse Sophia she is also by far the worst horrible nurse that I have ever experienced in my life she left me here she never clean or attended to My eye she never put cream on it I am still waiting Sophia had left me in the room for hours never came back to even say hello even to see if I needed anything I had to walk out of my room to the nurses station I asked the young woman to get me a cuppa ice with a drink I never received it I asked Sophia for my medicine I never received it left me in the room in severe pain it’s 10:22 PM and I’m still waiting on someone to get the machine on my ear to hear the tissue flowing to make sure it’s still alive still waiting on that finally the head nurse came in she was really sweet she cleaned up my eye for me brought me a cup of ice and drink brought me a Band-Aid because Sophia never did these two nurses are by far the worst horrible nurses I have ever met in my life and I do not know why Musc is still having them work here I cannot believe that I had to Indore the experience that I endured while in your prayers you’re having cancer having my eye removed my left arm cut out and opened and I just can’t believe that these two females did what they did it was not attentive was not caring at all for others or their situation and when I try to talk to Sophia she looked with a nasty look like she was aggravated like she didn’t even wanna be bothered by me I mean this girl just left me in the room like I didn’t even matter and I’m very upset over it and I should not be treated like this at all I never asked for this it just happened and I’m so upset over these two females overall Dr. Newman Dr. Vandergrift are so great and wonderful and they did an awesome job and their team even though I have a long journey to go I’m willing to walk this path to do anything to save my life and I just wanna give the rest of the nurses in their teens and the doctors the greatest love and respect because these people do really care what size the other two I really don’t have anything to say about them to except one day you’re going to be in a situation and you reap what you sow on how you treat others God don’t like ugly and he sees all in just one day lady somebody’s going to treat you like you treated me and then you don’t know how it feels to be treated like you don’t matter like it didn’t matter if you were in pain if you were hurt...

Amidst my ongoing battle with cancer, I feel compelled to share my experience with neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Kalhorn and his team at MUSC, a teaching hospital. This decision, driven by the urgency of my situation and my commitment to patient advocacy, underscores the importance of addressing significant concerns I have regarding patient autonomy, informed decision-making, and the broader implications of medical education on patient care.

Throughout my treatment journey, I encountered a profound disregard for patient choice and informed consent. This was most evident in interactions with a group of residents who, under the supervision of Dr. Kalhorn, exerted undue pressure to conform to a specific treatment pathway. Despite expressing my preference for a less invasive option due to the associated risks, I was met with persistent coercion, culminating in a collective insistence on proceeding with an unnecessary and unwanted medical procedure.

The climax of this distressing experience was a stark ultimatum from the residents: to accept their preferred treatment "or hit the road." This direct quote not only highlights the coercive tactics employed but also a disturbing lack of empathy and respect for patient autonomy.

Dr. Kalhorn himself further exacerbated my concerns when he stated that the procedure for removing my Chordoma had not changed in the last 20 years and would not change in the next five, despite advancements in new technologies. This statement, coming from a practitioner at a teaching hospital, raised serious questions about the institution's commitment to staying current with medical advancements and its willingness to explore alternative, less invasive options.

Compounding these issues was the team's handling of my urgent medical condition. Despite the critical need for immediate intervention, their readiness to discharge me without the necessary surgery, simply because I did not acquiesce to their preferred approach, was negligent and indicative of a worrisome prioritization of protocol over patient well-being.

Moreover, the residents' demeanor when faced with questions revealed a culture not accustomed to, nor tolerant of, patient engagement. This, coupled with Dr. Kalhorn's dismissal of my treatment preferences, raises concerns about the educational environment at MUSC, where such attitudes towards patient care are modeled.

Conclusion:

This account is not merely a personal grievance; it is an urgent call for MUSC and Dr. Kalhorn's team to reflect on and reform their approach to patient care and the educational values imparted to emerging medical professionals. The essence of medical practice must always prioritize informed consent, patient autonomy, and the ethical duty to treat individuals with respect and dignity.

As I navigate my cancer treatment, sharing this experience serves a dual purpose: to advocate for necessary changes in how patient care is conceptualized and delivered at MUSC, and to empower patients everywhere to demand the care and respect they deserve. It is crucial, especially in a teaching hospital, to ensure that the next generation of healthcare providers understands the importance of empathy, communication, and patient-centered care.

P.S. MUSC has my contact information, so a standard response urging me to get in touch would be incongruous. I hope for a response that reflects the seriousness of these issues and the need for genuine change within the institution. Your reply will demonstrate your commitment to addressing...