15 out of 15

This takes the cake.  I asked a woman at the bus stop if she knew what a medical DNRs was.  She said No.  But she kept repeating DNR and said she was a nurse 30 years ago and the term was not something she remembered.  She told me that she worked as a nurse in Toronto ORs and when she married well and moved to BC she didn't have to work any more.  It must be the best open well kept secret in BC.  Only those that need to know know. When did DNRs become common practice. The medical establishment knows how to spin death: DNRs/Advanced Directives as medical treatments not doctor assisted suicides.  When medical staff stands by watching someone die because they have a DNR then they are commiting a crime far worse than murder: genocide.Everyone of us are going to die, the medical establishment does not  have to rush it.

                                             Randy Michael Walker VGH August 2010

14 out of 14

My survey now includes 14 out of 14 bus users that did not know what a medical DNR is.  And those that have agreed to DNRs or Advanced Directives I am sure when questioned would not know what they were really agreeing to: a patriotic duty to end one's life sooner than necessary. After agreeing to a DNR are you sure you are going to get optimal care.  There is evidence/research to suggest otherwise. The question is does anyone trust the hospital system.  Even doctors don't trust their colleagues so where does that leave us. 

And another thing I have been wanting to do was to confess to my ignorance of the hospital system.  I blamed Tanu the Nurse Ratchet of GPC when she told me the first time she spoke to me that I could not talk to anyone unless that person talked to me first.  The protocol on how to approach the monarchy. But her telling me does not excuse her from not showing me a written policy.  When Randy was at St. Paul's in December I noticed that there were notices posted stating that visitors are not allowed to talk to others.  I wonder how long this policy would exist if it was posted on a huge bill board outside the entrance of St. Paul's -- next to the bill board asking for public $donations. 

I am still at odds as to why Dr. Patricia Daly hasn't decreed that masks should be put at the entrance of the hospitals especially during flu season.  It isn't staff you have to worry about spreading the flu, it is visitors, vendors and the like who might not even know they have the flu.  Even if you a flu shot, it is only 60% effective. 

The problem with VCH is that no one is in charge but then that is what democracy is all about: chaos and stupidity.

120,707
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Get DNRs: Save $.

Higher 30-Day Mortality for Surgery Patients With DNR

By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today

Published: April 20, 2011

Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

Action Points

• Explain that a study found a higher rate of surgical complications and death among patients with a "do not resuscitate" order within 30 days of the procedure compared with matched controls who were not DNR.
• Note that even surgery classified as nonemergent resulted in more deaths within 30 postoperative days among those with a DNR order; reasons for surgery were not captured in the database used.

Patients with "do not resuscitate" (DNR) orders are more likely to die within 30 days of surgery, independent of other factors, a new study has found.
Compared with non-DNR patients, more than twice as many DNR patients died within 30 days of surgery (8.4% versus 23.1%, P<0 .001=".001" and="and" at="at" colleagues="colleagues" em="em" in="in" md="md" online="online" reported="reported" roman="roman" sanziana="sanziana" university="university" yale="yale">Archives of Surgery
. As well, the DNR patients were more likely to die no matter what surgical procedure was performed (35.5% versus 17.8%, and 16.6% versus 5.5% for emergent and nonemergent procedures, respectively, P<0 .001=".001" all="all" for="for" p="p">.
 

Geoff Plant 9

I have been feeling totally demoralized over the incidents so far.  I cannot rest comfortably as I know now how fast Randy can end up in hospital.  I remember the YouTube video which explains how VCH deals with the public: delay; deny, divide, discredit and demoralize.  Each day this is still happening.  I am afraid even to speak to anyone any more. Not that I am afraid afraid but because it seems a waste of time.  Even the organizations which are out there after an initial consult abandon me. All the E/Ds know each other and purple dot those that need help much like how VCH purple dot troublemakers which VCH creates in the first place.  I am always told that I am not alone and what happened to me happens to others and then silence. 

Piecing together what happened with the DNR fiasco it is beyond comprehension. I lived with Randy for six years prior to his accident and  for 900 days since his accident I visited him in hospital and I was told I unduly influenced Randy to rescind the Do Not Rescue Order he alledgedly placed on himself so it was not removed.  Although on Friday before Christmas 2012 I was told that his coding was changed to FULL CODE I have yet to see any written proof of it.  It doesn't really matter in any event as a physician can change it the next day and there is no legal obligation for him to tell me or even tell Randy as it might upset us. So much for paternalism, truth and transparency in our health care system.

Geof Plant 8

My survey (location bus stop) is now up to 13 out of 13 who do not know what a medical DNR is. 

Geoff Plant 7

My at the bus stop survey has generated 12 out of 12 Nos to the question of whether that person was aware of a medical DNR Order.

I looked at the four levels of DNR intervention protocols and not even a lawyer could write how confusing they are.

I spoke to a young doctor yesterday and she said that health care is all about quality of life issues...sounds like Hilter and his solution to less than perfect people..

Randy is recovering nicely.  He is back to his demanding stubborn self again.
.

Geoff Plant 6

Yesterday was a very difficult day for me.  Randy was so so depressed.  He wanted to talk but couldn't.  He wanted the pm valve on his trach.  The valve that enables him to talk/whisper.  The valve that he had on at St. Paul's.  Since his return to GPC  he hasn't had it.  He then didn't want to return to GPC and each day I am forced to return him and he gets extremely angry with me.  I can hardly blame him.  There doesn't seem to be a solution.  I am so scared at times that he may commit suicide by refusing treatment.  VGH fully knows this and hides behind the tenet that a patient can refuse treatment.  They encourage suicide by doing nothing.