"Health care or who cares"

This is the unabridged version of Joe blow and how attitude, professionalism, compassion, expressed from health care workers do more for a patient than medicine and treatment, in my opinion.

Seriously assaulted, I was admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital. RDH, for those that know, I believe rdh stands for ‘if in pain get on a plane’, I minimalised it to ‘fly or die’.

After being ambushed and savagely attacked, I was admitted with a severed tendon, a shattered mandible (lower jaw), four teeth shattered gash in back of head requiring 74 stitches.

Ok I’m in hospital, lucky I’m alive. Let the games begin, I felt basically stuffed in a cupboard, I was not ever informed of what was happening, rolled into surgery, oral max surgeons put a plate in front of me, broken mandible secured with screws, mri showed shattered joints left and right.

Next day, visited by team of surgeons and informed of removal of teeth and plate in face, ok story's coming together. I was informed I was assaulted, I remembered car driving though fence and then hearing a sound that was my head being struck by a weapon, then hell on earth erupted.

I was discharged with severed tendon, informed don't take brace off, couple days later took brace off to shower, collapsed in shower and was re-admitted to rdh, informed I required orthopedic surgery but need to stay until wound heals over.

Surgery took place, later informed incorrect internal stitches used and did not dissolve as should have after visiting rdh three times a week for approx 6 months. A friend and a registered nurse said come see me, sitting on kitchen bench they inserted long nose pliers into fully infected Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wound and pulled sutures out and said knew it.

I went back to rdh, hunted down a head of infectious diseases and made them look at my wound. They immediately picked up the phone and informed orthopedic register my knee is fully infected and requires surgery. A couple of days later, my knee was fixed, section of tendon removed due to flesh eating bacteria.

Repeated visits to rdh, complaining about my mouth not opening, long waits and no prognosis. I believe they knew I required mandible joint replacement yet informed me it would get better, informed by victims of crime report from specialist reports mouth will go back to normal, I received second compensation from victims of crime.

After an appointment with a doctor, I recall they said get to another hospital in Perth which you can read about here. 

Ok let’s go through a few things I left out about rdh that I need to tell, that day I was given someone else's chart and told to wait after a few hours, I quizzed nurse and they asked me why do I have a someone else’s chart?

Yes fully infected with MRSA then admitted to infectious ward. I believe 3 of the 11 staff who entered my room adhered to protocol ie gloves, gown. I would make fuss if I felt they did not do what was required.

After initial diagnosis first week of being admitted, late one night I recall my toes were blue and I rung the bell and doctor came and I believe accused me of being on drugs not administered by hospital.

Sitting in a waiting room, I focused on a flyer on wall ‘Wound Awareness Week’ if your wound is not healing, inform doctors. I advised them I believe I meet requirements (ie not healing, discharging white fluid). I recall I was given the strongest antibiotic known to man in a tube, the MRSA infection was locked deep within the incorrect stitches within my knee. OK that didn't work so they gave me the second strongest drug, informed to take with food, no results, as I believe it has to be taken on empty stomach, that's when I went to infectious doctor.

Local medical center refused me care, I recall saying I was bad customer. I felt it was horrible, as was across the road, then I had to drive across town.

I recall I was given wrong prescription twice, two parking fines for not advertising handicap permit, then arguments with hospital security over fines whilst wearing leg brace, brace went from hip to toes.

Now to finish on a high, as I was traveling back to Darwin from Perth, I was laying under a mango orchard in Broome when I answered a phone call and was told it’s Royal Darwin Hospital. I was petrified, I recall the registrar informed me that I was still on the procedural wait list and potentially shouldn't be too long, confused I asked what procedure? Ready for it, my circumcision, bewildered yet not surprised I asked how long have I been waiting? I believe the nurse said about over a year. Ok I said, um I think they may be mistaken yet informed the nurse I’m not surprised, I recall they reiterated I have a very common name, I rebutted with um I don’t that was stupid, in my opinion.

Thanks but no thanks.