Thanksgiving

I didn't have a good day on Thanksgiving. I woke up shaking and in more pain than the day before. I laid in bed as my wife and daughter made Thanksgiving dinner. All I do and all I can do is replay this horrible tragedy in my mind. I was in that much pain. I used to think four years ago at some point my pain would decrease. I used to have hope. My only hope now is that some doctor somewhere will get this message. Some doctor will act with some compassion and show the same determination that I always had in my life to do my work. My only positive thought was that someone commented on my blog. 2 out of now 550 people commented. I wonder what is keeping people from commenting.

I also thought about what I was thankful for and cried most of the day thinking about how I got to this point. Some of my tears were because of the selfless acts of people I don't even know.  I made it down to the dinner table to eat Thanksgiving dinner, a dinner that people I don't even know donated to my family so we could celebrate the holiday. Decorations were hung up around the house from children at my daughter's school where she works. I am very thankful for all the support this school has given my family. My wife said the prayer and I thought about how this would be our last Thanksgiving in this house. My Thanksgiving ended after dinner as I was in too much pain and needed to go back to bed.

It is in times like this that we truly reflect on what it means to be thankful. My life at this point consists of drug trials and hospital visits. When I am awake I play with my dog and try to watch old shows I used to like. I watch people during this time of year run around spending money and fight with crowds to get the best deals. That seems to be what many people are thankful for during this time of year...the holiday sales. However, I am thankful for life. I am thankful that my family is by my side and they are fighting with me. I am thankful for people viewing this blog and hearing my story. Thank you.

November 24th Visit to Jefferson

I went down to Jefferson in my usual spot from 8:30 to 12:30 on Wednesday morning. I passed out about 40 copies of my doctor's notes with this blog address. A few people took pictures of me with my sign.  Every night I monitor the stats to check up on how many people view this each day. There have been 500 people so far. It seems there are more views when I am able to go down to Jefferson and pass out my doctor's notes. At this point, I am not sure how much I can go down to Jefferson anymore as I am in the hospital right now. This blog is my only hope at this point. Someone will pass this on to the right person. If there is anyone with any connections to the media that would be a great help. Please help me pass this along. Jefferson will hopefully soon get this blog.

9th and Walnut Nov 19

I was at Jefferson Hospital with my sign and letters Friday morning from 8:00 am. until 12:00. I passed out over 50 and spoke to many people who were very supportive. There was the usual crowd of Jefferson employees who were ignorant towards me. There were however, a few employees who took the letters and listened to what I had to tell them. They know the truth and soon many more people will.

Thanks for all your support and keep passing on this message.

hal's medical story

It was a rough weekend. I was in alot of pain and it was difficult to deal with. I did, however spend some of the weekend thinking about my situation and how I got where I am today. I also thought about all those wonderful people I met while sitting in front of Jefferson Hospital with that sign in front of me. During the months of June, July and August, I was fortunate to meet some terrific people who stopped to talk to me and listen to my story. Many people accepted the doctors office notes from May 4,2006 and after reading them where completely disgusted. They asked me how any doctor could stitch up a patient after observing spinal fluid leaking from their head. Unfortunately, it's a question I've been asking myself for four and a half years. Some answers came this summer when I was sitting in front of Jefferson Hospital. Along with the wonderful people I did meet, I also met the dark side of this whole tragedy. With few exceptions, the Jefferson Hospital employees, including doctors, nurses and clerical staff where ignorant and threatening. On two occasions, the security personnel attempted to arrest me while I was sitting in my chair. On both occasions, I called the Phila Police Dept and they responded by telling Jefferson security to leave me alone and that I had every right to be there. On one Saturday afternoon, Dr Andrews confronted me on the corner of Ninth and Walnut. He questioned why I was there and why I kept coming down to the hospital. He was upset that I was handing out his office notes from May 4, 2006.When I asked him how he could stitch a patient up and send him home after knowing spinal fluid had been leaking for 2 weeks and witnessing this in his office, he responded by saying that any problems I have are not a result of anything he did. He yelled at me for what I was doing and than left. On several other occasions, employees spit on the sign while walking by.

I also had the unfortunate opportunity to speak with Dr. Rosenwasser who is the chiarman of the neurosciences dept. I informed him of all the horrific things that occured to me during the spring and summer of 2006. I asked him if he had seen Dr. Andrew's office notes from May 4, 2006. He said that he read them and that he couldn't find fault in anything he did. When I asked Dr.Rosenwasser if he would treat his own mother the way I was treated he didn't respond. I also spoke to Thomas Lewis who is the CEO of Jefferson Hospital. His response was the same. They all support what this doctor did to me.

He Stitched Me Up In His Office While Viewing Spinal Fluid Running Down My Neck and Knowing It Had Been Leaking For Two Weeks. He Stitched Me Up And Sent Me Home To Die. What Else Did He Think Would Happen. Less Than 40 Hours later That is What Nearly Happened. The Medical Reports Speak For Themselves. Treated For Bacterial Meningitis That Should Have Killed Me If Not For My Wife's Quick Action At Home.

So instead of dying on May 6, 2006, I have been left with permanent brain damage and severe disabeling injuries that leave me unable to work or do the things that I used to do. I've lost nearly 40 pounds in the last five months. My body shakes uncontrollably at times and I am on narcotic pain medication that hardly seems worth it.

A more depressing part is that the hospital has a Patients Bill Of Rights. If you go on there website you will see the hypocrisy that has become my story. I would ask anyone who reads this to call, Email and write the CEO Thomas Lewis or Lorraine King, the president of the medical staff and ask them how they can justify the near murder of one of their patients.

Hals medical story

I had a very bad day on Thursday and didn't get out of bed much. The head pain was extremely bad and the medicine didn't help much. Friday was much better. I rested alot and wasn't as dependent on the medicine. I took our dog outside and he was able to get some fresh air. I don't get out much and I look forward to when my wife is home so she can take me out.

Keep on reading and forwarding this blog and comment when you can. THANKS

Hals medical story

It was a difficult day for most of the morning. I couldn't stop shaking. I'm not sure the medicine is strong enough, but I will check with my doctor. The afternoon was better but I was very tired. I hope more people join in this blog. I am open for any advice. If anyone has any contacts with the media this would be really helpful. Again Thanks.

11/10/10

I appreciate every ones help and responses and if you can keep forwarding this link to all those you know you will help my family's cause greatly. Thanks again. My head pain is still serious and debilitating. It has caused uncontrollable shaking at times. I am getting through the days on different drugs for the pain with the hope that something will work. Thanks for caring, Hal, Jayne and the girls

Information on bacterial meningitis



Visit this link for information about symptoms of meningitis. See the long term effects of what Dr. Andrews did to me.

Hal Backer's Medical Tragedy at Jefferson Hospital

My medical conditions began in 2006. I had terrible pain in my face which I came to find out was a disorder called Trigeminal Neuralgia. After numerous years and unsuccessful attempts at treating this disorder with drugs, I consulted with many neurologists, including Dr. David Andrews at Jefferson Hospital for neurosciences in Philadelphia. Dr. Andrews completed an evaluation and determined that I was a good candidate for a surgery called microvascular decompression. He operated on or about April 17^th, 2006 and as a result did in fact cure that particular disease.

However, while home recovering for two weeks,I was unaware that I was leaking spinal fluid from the surgical site. I went back for my two week follow-up with Dr. Andrews and made him aware that my neck always seemed wet and my pillow was damp when I woke up not knowing if the wetness was from my mouth. When Dr. Andrews examined the site of the wound he said it wasn’t sweat but a CSF leak, or a cerebral spinal fluid leak. His doctor’s notes read;

“Mr. Backer returns for his postoperative check. He is pain-free. The caudal portion of the wound reveals a small what appears to be a CSF leak. This was sterilely prepped and resutured in the office. I will see him back in one week’s time for a wound check”. –May 4, 2006

Following that office visit on Thursday, my head pain was worse than ever which the doctor had attributed to the post-op surgery and would get better at any time. On Saturday morning, May 6^th, 2006 (less than 40 hours after my visit with Dr. Andrews), I collapsed in my bedroom with excruciating and unrelenting head pain. The pain was so bad I couldn’t walk or talk. Only screams came out from the top of my lungs as if I was being murdered. Fortunately my wife was home and rushed to my side; however, I was unable to communicate. I couldn’t express my pain and her adrenaline took over and she helped me down the stairs and rushed me to a local hospital. When we arrived at the hospital she was unable to tell the attending doctors what was wrong with me, but spoke of my medical concerns with the CSF leak over the last few days. The doctors assumed that I had contracted bacterial meningitis and as such began treating me for it with antibiotics. After reducing some of the pain, they completed a spinal tap. This revealed the extremely elevated white cell count, confirming the meningitis.

There was no doubt at that point from the doctors or anyone else who attended to me that morning that I would have died had my wife not been home to get me to the hospital.

I spent the next week in the hospital receiving numerous drugs for bacterial meningitis and then was sent home with a pick line and a 2 week supply of more antibiotics. We were told by the attending doctors at the hospital that if there were any future complications that we were to go back to Jefferson to see Dr. Andrews and not to return to there hospital for treatment.

It was at that moment when we realized that something had gone terribly wrong at Jefferson.

We were told by numerous doctors and nurses that a patient who has an open wound to his brain and spine for 2 weeks should have been admitted back to Jefferson after the initial doctor’s visit with Dr. Andrews. The doctors own office notes indicate a presence of an active cerebral spinal fluid leak and all he did was put a single stitch in my head and send me home, SEALING MY FATE!

Based on these medical records alone, prosecutors over the years have declared that had I died that morning in my bedroom, Dr. David Andrews would have been charged with negligent homicide.

As a result of this tragedy, I was admitted 7 more times to Jefferson Hospital. I had water on the brain, or hydrocephalus, for nearly a month that went untreated. They surgically implanted a shunt in my brain to relieve the pressure. Even after the shunt was put in, I continued to have severe and unrelenting head pain or global headaches. I was in and out of the hospital a number of times describing the excruciating pain and all Dr. Andrews continued to do was adjust the shunt. None of these hospitalizations and adjustments seemed to make any difference in the level of pain I was experiencing. At one point I saw him in his office with my wife at my side and I was holding my head in unbearable pain.

I screamed at Dr. Andrews, “I can’t take the pain anymore. You have done everything but kill me! Please do something!”

Dr. Andrews looked at me in a state of confusion. He responded, “You don’t have a fever and you don’t appear to have an infection where the shunt was put in so I don’t really know what to do for you!”

At that point seeing the anger and pain in mine and my wife’s faces, he said he could tap the shunt and take a fluid sample and, he did just that. He gave me a prescription to get blood work done. The next morning I went to Quest in Abington at approximately 6:30am. While I was in the chair having my blood drawn, my phone rang twice. I didn’t answer either call and left the facility and went to McDonalds to get some coffee and something to eat. When I retrieved the messages and the first one was from Dr. Andrews. The only message was that it was urgent and that I needed to call him right away. Following that call the Dr. Andrew’s nurse called. Her message stated that it was urgent that I get to the hospital for emergency surgery to remove the shunt because it was infected. By the time I had returned home, there were 4 or 5 more messages all pleading with me to call the hospital right away to come have the operation. I called the hospital and spoke to the doctor’s nurse who explained the severity of the operation. She asked if I had eaten anything yet and I said, “Yes.” She said that it didn’t matter and asked how soon I could be down to Jefferson. I told her it would take me about 2 hours to get myself there at which point she said that the admitting staff would be notified that I was coming and they would have a bed ready for me. I would go in for surgery shortly after arriving.

I arrived at the hospital with my oldest daughter and wife. My daughter walked me down the street off of

9^th street

while my wife parked the car. I sat in a chair in front of one of the receptionists and was so sick and dizzy with pain that I rolled off the chair and onto the floor. The two women registering patients had no idea who I was or why I was there. I lay on the floor in a fetal position, screaming and holding my head, while my daughter and wife started arguing with the staff for assistance. Numerous calls were made upstairs to locate Dr. Andrews and/or someone from his staff. Finally, an intern came down and she and my wife argued back and forth while I lay on the floor in excruciating pain. She told my wife they had no bed upstairs to put me in and would not give me any pain medication because I was not assigned a bed. After more hollering and screaming, the doctor finally wrote my wife a prescription for pain medication. While I lay there screaming, she had to walk around the building to the pharmacy and fill a prescription for pain medication. Shortly after this, the nurse came down with a wheel chair and within forty-five minutes got me into surgery. I ended up lying on the hospital floor for nearly forty-five minutes with no medication and no hospital help after I was specifically told to come down immediately for emergency surgery and the staff would know of my arrival.

After my last surgery in late July of 2006, I was released from Jefferson Hospital and never went back again. In the months following this horror, I attempted to see several neurologists concerning my relentless head pain. After reviewing my medical files and listening to my story, each neurologist said they were sorry about what happened to me and indicated that there was nothing they felt like they could do for me. As time went on, the pain never got better and since got progressively worse. There have been numerous hospitalizations, more than a dozen MRI’s/cat-scans of the brain, blood tests, consultations and various drug trials to treat migraine headaches. I have taken at one time or another various narcotics for pain all of which fall short.

It’s been four and a half years since this tragedy and I can no longer work as a self-employed contractor. My arms and legs are constantly shaking, I have lost my short term memory and in just the last 6 months from April until November I have lost 40 pounds. Besides not having a way to make a living anymore, we now have to sell our home.

I don’t know how much time I have left, but this story needs to be told so that other patients of Jefferson Hospital don’t fall victim to the careless, reckless, and callous acts perpetrated by Dr. Andrews, his staff and the administration who supports him. If anyone should doubt any of these facts they only need to call me, email me, and write me and I will present my complete medical history not only from Jefferson Hospital, but from Abington and my own family doctor.

FACTS DON’T LIE!

Written by Hal Backer

267-312-6602

hbacker@comcast.net