Okay, here is the deal...

My husband was shot in the stomach in September of '03...He has a bullet lodged in his back they refused to remove because it was too close to a nerve. He got 27 stitches and was going back and forth from the hospital to the doctor for treatment. In November of '03 he was stabbed...in the exact location of his not yet healed wound from the gunshot...The wound was reopened due to the new injury and he was rushed to the hospital, again. He was given more stitches and released.

Fast forward to now...Why is it that my husband has been incarcerated since February of '04 and his stomach is not yet healed? Why is it that he has puss and whatever else coming out of his stomach from an obvious infection and the only thing they seem to want to give him are bandaids? Why is it every time I call to speak to the warden I get a voicemail and never a call back?

He calls me on Saturday and tells me that they still are not treating him. That they even refused to let him get bandaids for the wound...AND still made him work (IN THE KITCHEN!) Is this not hazardous? Why in the world would they want him working in the kitchen with an obvious infection that is leaking to get into the food they serve to other inmates? He said that of all his 5 white t-shirts, each of them is stained from where the shirt is rubbing against the open wound. So on Saturday I called and spoke to the Lieutenant on duty. I was assured that he would get proper treatment that day before her shift ended at 5pm...it was at noon that I spoke with her. My husband calls me back at 6pm and tells me that no one has come to see him AT ALL. By this time I am pissed. I wait until Monday and I call back up to Wheeler to try his counselor, no call back from my message...so what do I do next? I call to the Dept of Corrections Healthcare Concerns office and speak to Annette Anderson who is the coordinator there. By 1pm today, my husband has been treated and calls me telling me that I am now known as the pit bull at Wheeler, that he is proud of me for handling my business with those fools.

Why do I have to go through this crap? Why cant these people just do their damn jobs? It amazes me that they even had the nerve to try to give me attitude when I am calling to inquire about the well-being of MY husband...yes, he does have family that give a damn about him on the outside and I will be damned if I am going to let you treat him like crap.

The diagnosis? Yes, it was infected and had to be drained and restitched. He was given a stronger antibiotic and the Dr. at Wheeler called me to let me know that it had been done. Talk about working under pressure.

Im sorry that it had to come to that, but there is no way in the world I was going to let that crap slide. He has to eventually come home to me and I want him to have every faculty he had BEFORE he left! LOL

Thats my vent for the day.

Patrice

Girl, sometimes you have to do what must be done. I'm glad you handled your business and he was treated before any further complications.

He is a lucky man to have you by his side. How awful to go all this time with an infection that could have easily turned to a staph infection, and that does not heal well at all!!! If anyone there refers to you as a pit bull, I would tell them "It is Ms. Pit Bull To You". My husband often says one of the things I do best is B****, and the second best thing I do is put it in writing! Congratulations to you for finally making those fools see the light. Wonder how they would have felt if the infection did turn into staph infection and they had to explain why so many inmates had contracted it, and how they had gotten it? That would have been an awful lot of paperwork for them, or a big trash can to cover the real reason. You did a great job!

I am proud of you for standing up for your man. As I think everyone knows I am a nurse---we take oaths to take care of people. Who do people/nurses/co's-whoever go to work know something is wrong and not try and fix it. In a sense I work with inmates , probably 85 pecent of my patients have been or on there way to prison but I have never denied them treatment of any kind. They still call me every name under the sun. When J cant get an answer from the DOC he says "you call, I know you can get an answer"--cause he knows I want stop til I do.

Get off my soap box--Patrice you are a wonderful woman and wife!!!

One

Now they are really pissing me off! It seems that my tirade in regards to my husband is now making the CO's harrass him due to being embarrassed by me! My husband called me last night at 9pm and told me that he got a DR because he arrived late to the count? He said he was taking a dump, heard them call for count, rushed to finish, tried to explain to the CO, but was still written up....that he was told, "Maybe you will think next time you call home crying like a baby"

So they want to play hardball? I got a trick for them. And I am starting to make my phone calls now.

I will keep you posted. There are a few things I dont play around with...My money, my child and my man...you mess with any of the three and you have a SERIOUS problem on your hands...I am just getting started with these fools.

Patrice

Good luck, hun.
I had several occasions where my fiance was ill while he was in and the health care was a joke. he had to self medicate with the few things he could get through comissary and be sure he kept himself hyrdated and rested as much as possible. When he finally was sick enough on the GDC terms to see a doctor, he had blood in his urine and kept passing out. They didn't consider his complaints or my phone calls a problem until then. I made many calls and he also started to have problems with the guards. It's a vicious cycle.
Be strong! Don't give up but be careful not to make the wrong person mad, you don't want to make things worse for him.

Great job there girl; keep us posted on the status.

I can't say I'm surprised, you have to stay on them, mines in the Fed, and it's no better. He's been sick since last february. I've called the warden and written the region, finally they scheduled him with an outside doctor, but then they cancelled it saying that due to the budget cuts all consults are on hold until further notice. It makes you crazy, I know!, One thing I've found is that if you can get the support from his family, use it. Have his moms, pops, anyone write and threaten to sue. Sometimes they get more respect than girlfriends or wives. The flip side of this, which is also scary is they have their ways of messing with you, if they feel hassled. Write everything and be insistant and respectful, send it certified so they have to sign for it. Anything they tell you on the phone they can deny, I ask for all responses in writing, so I can document, and I send everything with a note that says; "copy retained for counsel" Good luck girl!

As I was raeding your first post I was wondering if he had been retaliated against yet and then I read your second post! I went through this last year. I got a simialr rep. to the point they were all pisking on us at visitation, saying "excuse me, I don't want to bother y'all's visit b/c I don't want your wife mad..." blah, blah, I just started docementing etc. and fortunately we never had a problem after that, but this is common. The attorney also went up there about his care and they knew we weren't playi9ng, So just stay on top of it and get that [paper trail going..........

I want you on my side next time I have to deal with someone...give you five dollars? I am proud that you are standing up for him and not letting them treat him like dirt, way too go girl! I am gunna be keeping my eyes on this one because I want to know exactly how things turn out.

*high five*

I know that right Patrice! Girl dont let then get on your man like that cause that is straight crap!