Idaho State House of Representatives State Affairs Committee on behalf of Brenna.
Ladies and Gentleman of the Committee,
Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of Senate Bill
1348.
My name is Pamela Dowd, Boise, Idaho. I want to talk about two
hospitals with two different attitudes.
I speak today on behalf of my only child, my daughter, Brenna
Dowd. She was 27 years old when she suffered a medically unexplained hypoxic
brain injury following a retina repair surgery.
On May 26, 2010 at 3 AM, my daughter and I held our last normal
conversation. Six hours later, she was breathing but unresponsive.
She was transported to a regional hospital. Over an hour passed
before the ER doctor came to give me an update. I wanted Brenna to know her
mother was present. He said it would do no good. I wanted to be at her side.
The request was denied.
When she was transferred from ER to CCU, I saw abject terror on
her face. The negative talk scared her. While physicians felt she “couldn’t
understand”, she did. During the following days, I was repeatedly approached to
end her life, starve her to death.
She was not brain dead. Her EEG was “pretty good” and her brain stem was
healthy. One neurologist said it was too early to differentiate between damage
and swelling.
I researched treatment and rehabilitation. The response of the
CCU doctor in charge was: “No matter what you suggest, I will not change my way
of treating her." The CCU doctor refused to contact Brenna’s own
physicians. She refused to do anything to reduce swelling in the brain because,
in her opinion, Brenna did not have the right
kind of injury to cause swelling in the brain. This statement was in direct
contradiction to the second neurologist. Pressure to end my daughter’s life
continued.
Then, without my
permission and against
my direct request not to do so, my daughter was suddenly dumped
into a Medicare rated one star nursing home, miles from home.
After rescuing Brenna from this nursing home, she spent time in
another hospital. There I discovered she had teeth broken at the gum line. I
begged for a dentist for her. I was totally ignored and Brenna was allowed to
suffer. 4 ½ months before she had to have all her teeth removed, 5 teeth
broken, the rest were splintered.
For 15 ½ months I begged to take my daughter home and was denied
at every turn. Then, at last it was possible. Eight precious days.
On September 26, 2011, Brenna suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
This time, Brenna was transferred to the hospital of my choice.
This time the experience was different. A hospital chaplain came to be with me.
When she began to talk to me in what I called “hospice jargon”, I asked her not
to use that terminology. She respected my request and stayed by my side most of
the next few days.
I was allowed total access to my daughter in ER. No one
suggested that I leave.
In ICU, Brenna was placed in a medically induced coma with Theurapeutic
Hypothermia. This therapy reduces swelling in the brain and protects the
brain from secondary injury. When she began having seizures, the doctor ordered
more testing.
At all times, my daughter was treated with respect and dignity
and my concerns addressed. I requested that any discussion of the results of
her tests be kept out of her room. That request was honored.
When all tests results were in, I knew that this time, my
daughter was not going to recover. There would be no rehabilitation.
I asked to take her home. The staff worked to make it possible.
On October 1, 2011, my daughter came home. We settled her
comfortably in her bed and removed her life support. I cuddled my daughter in
my arms one last time and this time, I let her go.
The difference in the two hospitals is simple: In the first
hospital, they treated a living patient as if she should die. In the second
hospital, they treated a dying patient with hope as if she would live.
Today is the 26th, six months since Brenna’s SCA.
On Brenna’s behalf, I urge you to give this bill serious
consideration and pass it from Committee.
Thank you.
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