Bad News

Rassie was supposed to go in for weekly labs today and his first two outpatient appointments for his leukemia.  He didn't make it. I had to call and cancel.  It explains everything below.

Let me start off by saying the bad news is not about Rassie's CML. 

This past Saturday night / Sunday morning Rassie had an accident on the oil rig.  He injured his lower back.  From what he has told me, it was between 2 and 2:30 am.  He slipped on wet oil based mud and his feet came out from under him but he never actually hit the ground because the other guys threw his tongs and there was slack in the cable and it came back and slapped him in the back picking him back up onto his feet before he could fall all the way.  I know you guys have no idea what I am talking about and don't worry I don't really know what exactly everything is but I do understand that this is a very strong cable and slapping someone in the back can cause major injury.  So let me finish.  Rassie was in a lot of pain and told his driller who then told him to go down and tell the pusher (the boss).  So Rassie (with his back injury) had to walk down a steep flight of steps to the pushers shack.  Here he was not feeling so well and needed to sit down so he took a seat on the step outside the pusher's shack (trailer/office) After about 30 minutes of agonizing pain he realized he could not stand up.  He was left sitting in the misty/rainy weather until almost 4:30.  That's TWO hours.  Finally the pusher had 2 members of the crew come down and help Rassie into the change house where they set him in a metal chair.  He sat there until about 5:30-6 am when the safety guy made it out to the rig.  The safety guy just kind of picked Rassie up over his shoulders and drug him to the truck and then drove him to the hospital. 

I would like to stop for a minute and get out all of my frustrations.  If someone has a back injury DO NOT LET THEM WALK.  ESPECIALLY DOWN STAIRS!!!! They should have called for help right then and there.  And their 2nd mistake.  They waited FOUR HOURS until they took him to the emergency room that was I think 45 minutes away.

So they get him to North Texas Medical Center.  They do a CT Scan that shows negative. But Rassie is in a lot of pain and unable to move his right leg without the pain in his back becoming excruciating.  Not to mention he can't feel his right leg all that well.  They want to do an MRI but decide they need to send him to a trauma hospital.  Rassie requested Scott & White. They told him no and sent him to John Peter Smith Hospital in Ft. Worth.  NEVER USE THIS HOSPITAL. 

We have had nothing but trouble since Rassie got transferred to JPS.  They wouldn't contact Scott & White to get him back on his leukemia meds which I couldn't find at his job so he couldn't take them.  Finally after a day one nurse called and got the confirmation and dosage.  The first doctor in the ER told me it would not hurt Rassie to be off his meds for a day or two that they were only worried about his back injury. I was steamed!  Somewhere between ER and the Observation floor they lost the workman's comp insurance papers.  After waiting 24 hours the MRI had NOT been done because they only have one MRI machine and they do out patients before trauma patients.  Doesn't that seem odd to  you?  We spent all day today requesting to be transferred to Scott & White 1) for faster, better care 2) to be closer to home.  
The doctor refused to transfer. Want to know his reason? Because too much time would be lost and Scott & White would have to start all over.  Get this! They have had patients ordered for an MRI stat waiting for 2 days! And they are worried about another hospital having to start the process over when they haven't even started the process here other than pushing the pain meds to keep him passed out.  Every time we asked to speak to someone they would give him pain meds to knock him out.  We asked for a patient advocate and all she did was take the doctors side and then we caught them both in lies. 

We are stuck at a county hospital with a workers comp claim and in my opinino they won't transfer him because they know they will get paid no matter what for this patient.  Anyways! That's  my rant. I will let you know more when I can.  For now I am home with the kids because I couldn't get a babysitter past tonight.  So Rassie is 2 hours away, laid up in a hospital bed all alone and its killing me.

Please Please Please say a Prayer for Rassie and our family.  We are facing a lot right now.  Not sure when this storm will pass but I know we could use the prayers.