‘Loaded for bear,’ with a ‘jammed rifle’

Jesus taught with parables in hopes of expediting the “dot connecting,” and so shall I with my column title. 

“Loaded for bear” is a mother who fastidiously and methodically researches her hypothesis via any and every medical internet avenue that is available—with successful results. The “jammed rifle” is the corporations/enforcers (doctors) who are so full of fear (of their corporate bosses), ego and pride that they will not partner with patients or their loved ones in an endeavor to prevent or solve a medical dilemma due to the fact that by doing so, thousands of dollars would be lost because said patient would either be cured or said patient would require considerably less care.

The formal “diagnosis” originated over 13 years ago; however, symptoms (heavy hints) prevailed many years prior. The diagnosis was LPHS (Loin Pain Hematuria Syndrome). This translates into severe flank pain with blood present in the urine, but this is a condition, not a treatable or curable disease.

Again, the problem with modern day (corporate) medicine is that they don’t go far enough back to figure out cause and effect. This patient also has constant and chronic kidney and bladder infections. This young lady had blood work done with each hospital visit. Aside from a high white count reflecting the infection, she always presented with very low sodium. As well, each time the patient was worked up, she was dehydrated even though she drank water, regularly. 

Enter: mother who miraculously remembered some of her college biology that taught her sodium helps to hold water in our bodies! Mom, then starts searching for “metabolic diseases that keep us from holding sodium.” The condition is termed hyponatremia, but the disease that causes this condition of not enough sodium in the body is called SIADH. As well, depending on additional symptoms, the cause could be hypothyroidism, Addison’s Disease, and sometimes kidney/liver or heart diseases.

By not catching this and utilizing a comparatively simple fix of having the patient receive a saline IV biweekly or monthly, instead, the patient was forced to undergo two pregnancies with hyperemesis (throwing up the entire nine months of pregnancy) because of not enough water in her system, naturally, to dilute the pregnancy hormone! Just from this her kidneys suffered irreparable damage. The scans showed her kidneys to look as though they were from a patient in their 80s with kidney disease!

Then, because of all this, her diagnosis of LPHS ultimately led her to having two kidney auto transplants. The purpose of this surgery is to relocate kidneys closer to the bladder and shorten the ureters after stripping the renal nerves from the ureters. Her second kidney surgery didn’t work because even after the patient told the surgeon she wanted the surgery done the same way as the first one (it was successful as the pain stopped), he decided to do a new experimental method, which did NOT work. She is still in excruciating pain, in the hospital monthly from pain and chronic urinary tract infections and, in the process, is becoming immune to antibiotics because she has come to rely on them.

This is a 51-year-old, beautiful girl inside and out who God gifted with a plethora of talents that I’m certain she would have used for His glory, only, but to be victimized at the hands of corporate medicine because they chose NOT to listen to someone who was willing to take the time out to research and do their work for them. We just needed them to give us a “say” and partner with us and utilize team mentality to win the game. They did not, thus the needless suffering and cessation of a life she has deserved. 

My job is to try to deliver answers to my audience for disease prevention and elevate the quality of life. In this segment, I’m supplicating to anyone and everyone for how to get doctors to listen to us! There will be no one any more determined than a parent or loved one of a patient seeking a solution, so since the medical professionals can’t research on behalf of their patients, at the very least, allow an outside idea to be part of the equation! I truly am hoping that the day will come when patients can have access to an attorney (part of their healthcare plan) to utilize and implement the knowledge that we all now have access to!

And, yes, this young lady is my daughter. Anyone with suggestions, please feel free to email me at jmgad7580@gmail.com