Another loss;
Today I received a call from a friend in prison. He was mourning a loss of friend that had passed away four days ago. I never use anyone’s names, so in this story my friend will be J and his friend will be CJ. So here’s CJ’s story.
CJ’s Story:
CJ said one day to J that his stomach hurt. J told to him to go to medical. CJ went to medical they sent him back to the yard. Over the next days, CJ started having bowel movements with blood. He told J about it and how much his stomach was hurting.J told him to go to medical. Again he went to medical. He would go to medical and the medical would send him back to the yard. The third time going to medical they sent him back with Miralax. Finally the last time, medical sent to the hospital. The doctors at the the hospital said if he had waited one more day he would have died. CJ’s intestines ruptured and needed a colostomy bag. A few days later he was sent back to the prison. By the time that he had arrived to the hospital, he had toxins in his body from his ruptured intestines. He had his colostomy bag for about a month.
Mom’s love:
His mom was emailing J asking if he was back at the prison. Asking if CJ was ok. And said she sent him money and told J to make sure he eats fish, oatmeal and only healthy foods while he is healing and trying to get better. Of course J did what he could. He said CJ was a good friend. CJ had all these self books that he would let J read and helped him out with food when he could. So he returned the favor by talking to his mom and keeping her updated on her son’s condition. A mom’s love is a powerful thing even when you can’t be together. His mom had started looking for an attorney because she knew something wasn’t right with her son and the care he wasn’t getting in prison.
Back to the hospital:
Time to take the colostomy bag out. CJ went back to the hospital but he would never leave. He died on the operating table during his removal of his colostomy surgery. The doctors tried to CPR but could not bring him. J and some others were “rolling up” his property when a CO walked by and asked why they were doing that. J said he died in surgery today. The CO said “oh ok when you’re done bring it up to the property room and we will get it sent out to his family”. CJ was a 40 year old man that didn’t need to die from something that could have been prevented the first time he went to medical and said he had stomach pains with blood in his bowel movements.
Who do you see when you go to medical?
These are serious medical mistakes. Where is the break down? Are there not properly trained medical staff? Are the staff told that all inmates are trying to use medical to get out of prison by having medical issues? Even if that were true, they are still going to be incarcerated after they have surgery or whatever procedure they need. Is there a doctor on the prison at all times? If not maybe there should be. You never know what can happen or when you will need a doctor. Do you see a nurse or a medical assistant when you go to medical? These are important questions and makes a big difference because level of education, level of treatment and diagnoses.
Lawsuits
At some point the prison system and the state has to get tired of paying out hundred of thousands of dollars or more for these deaths. These deaths aren’t from inmates fighting or old age. These are serious medical mistakes. I know if were incarcerated I wouldn’t want a surgery of any kind unless my life depended on it. The prison wouldn’t provide the proper after care that is required for surgeries. Without these three; medication management, ice machine and therapy three times a week, you will be in another surgery for the same thing in the future. Just think how much money all states would have if they didn’t have all these lawsuits. Maybe prisons could really do more for the inmates if they had that money.
To this family: My deepest sympathies.
I love reading everyone’s comments. Thank you for being so supportive. Please let me know what you think or if you have a story of your own that you want me to tell. I would love to tell your story.