Recovery
Tue, 28 March 2006, 10:50 am by jadeiteI’m so angry with this NUH doctor. Absolutely livid.
Aunty Ling brought Dillon to NUH last week, because he’d been complaining of something like paralysis or numbness in his leg. Of course, because of Russell (who passed away in 2002 of a brain tumor) Aunty Ling recognized the symptoms immediately and took him to NUH for a checkup and tests. And then what did the doctor do and say?
He told her that it was psychological, that Dill was faking it, that he was just playing the fool. Aunty Ling didn’t trust this, cuz when Russ had first shown symptoms she’d thought it was psychological too, and had almost scheduled him to see a psychiatrist when the polyclinic referred him to the hospital and they finally found out it was a tumor. So she persisted, and told the doctor about Russ, and he actually got annoyed and insisted that there was nothing wrong with Dill. In the end to placate her, he took a blood test and said the results would be out in two weeks.
Aunty Ling couldn’t wait that long. Right after paying the bill at NUH they took a cab straight to KK Hospital (where Russ had been treated) and brought him straight to the A&E. They saw Dill, did some tests, and with the results, told her “this can be nothing good”. Within a few hours they’d admitted him to hospital and scheduled him for an operation the very next day, because they said it absolutely couldn’t wait any longer - every day delayed would push down the chances of his survival and recovery.
How is it that KK is able to diagnose so quickly and efficiently and that NUH doctor treated them with such flippancy?? There’s a life of a child at stake here! If it were the flu or some mild illness I wouldn’t be so upset but this is a life-or-death situation!!
Anyhow, Dill’s had the operation and now we’re all waiting the results of the biopsy. He’s in recovery, has just been shifted to the general ward so he’s doing well. Apparently the tumor was in the spine, not on it (which is supposed to be a good thing) and was a nerve gone bad. Now we’re all wondering if it’s possibly genetic because how coincidental can it be that both brothers could get it and around the same age too?
Sigh. Praying really hard for his recovery and that all results will be good ones.
Don’t ever bring your children to NUH if you value their lives because evidently there are doctors there who don’t appear to value them. Ugh.
He will recover. *with conviction*
Btw, you may want to feedback NUH about the amazing doctor to feedback@nuh.com.sg
Or even write to the Straits Times–to increase other people’s awareness. (Sorry, dunno the email address. But you could try their newsline at 1-800-828-2828.)
I don’t think it’s my place to complain to NUH/SPH but I’ll ask her to do consider doing so. Think she’s got more to worry about at the moment though :)
Meanwhile, maybe I should shamelessly tomorrow myself and hope that works :D
Er. There’s a difference between expressing your frustration in your blog and publishing it in tomorrow.sg
In particular, those parts of your article where you shift the focus from the amazing doctor to the institution itself. *wince*
Perhaps you may want to relook at it again before launching it in tomorrow.sg for wider scope of readers.
No lah, I don’t want to be tomorrowed, was just kidding… because i don’t like flood of ppl who are not connected to me in any way coming to my blog…
NUH hired the doctor, and the doctor is representative of the institution.
Hunger make me incoherent. :(
What I was trying to say is that the readers of your blog might be more understanding about your frustration. Whereas once it’s published in tomorrow.sg, the mob there might just plainly perceive your article as an act of defamation, which they might have a point because the actual issue is the amazing doctor, not NUH itself. Unless you want to argue that there’s something very much wrong about the way NUH recruit that doctor. A problem that can happen in all types of organization anyway.
Still it’s very good & commendable to let people aware about the problem. If it’s rightly conveyed.
I actually used to do some work at the NUH paediatrics dept and I know that the doctors who work there are responsible and very caring. It is likely that Dillon was examined by somebody like myself - who is an A&E SHO with little experience. Please encourage Dillon’s mother to inform the NUH A&E department - all doctors need feedback, especially with an important missed diagnosis like this. By writing to the NUH complaints, Dillon’s mother may be able to effect a change in current practice which will lead to better treatment of patients in the future.