That's some shit right there

[Matt]

http://www.wftv.com/news/6253589/detail.html

That is just...bizarre.

Oh, and does she seem really more blase' about this than you'd expect?

[Magi]

That is some seriously fucked up shit right there. You can bet that if that was my wife, I would be going postal.

As far as her reaction, don't forget that you're reading what the writer and editor of that article want you to read. She could have been seething mad and in tears, but the writer/editor could have chosen not to express that.

In any case I would expect her to be.

[LotusHead]

One of my friends actually got a Flesh Eating Bacteria, and I was in a position to take care of him for a while.

It's in the environment.  You can just get unlucky and get it (usually, there has to be some way for it to get to you).  In my friend's case, it was a sore on his leg from his boots, and it started with Flu-like symptoms.  Like, I don't got to go to the doctor, it's just the flu.

Granted, he wasn't giving birth.

His was "Strep-A" which kinda starts like strep throat, then things go bad.  Like organ shutdown. (this is Toxic Shock Syndrome).

Doctors out here aren't used to having patients with Toxic Shock Syndrom, or flesh-eating bacterias in general, but they are given free reign to do what they can.  His was a "30% mortality rate, 50% you lose a limb rate"  He got off with losing about a cubic centimeter out of his calf/ankle area.  He got lucky.

I don't know how broad those stats are, and surely losing FOUR LIMBS is crazy, but the timing all seems wierd.

Docs! Please! Tell her what happened! I'm sure it's all documented, unless you got some crazy amputating doctor running loose!

[The Atog Lord]

I'd bet a Beta Mox that the hospital did something Really Really Awful and doesn't want to admit it.

[LotusHead]

I'd bet a Beta Mox that the hospital did something Really Really Awful and doesn't want to admit it.

I second that, but that shit is really scary!

Just fess up hospital dudes!  Shit happens (at least Flesh Eating Bactiria (stuff), but 4 limbs? while pregnant?

Keep an eye on this!

[Bardo]

Oh, and does she seem really more blase' about this than you'd expect?

Yeah, not to be callous about this. But the tone of the photo seems to say: "Sure, they just cut off all of my limbs. I wonder how many calories are in that donut."

But truly, this is a terrible story.

[forests failed you]

I can't even imagine the frustration and saddness that she and her family must be feeling.  One day she is going to the hospital expecting to come home with a new child, and the next she has seemingly randomly lost all of her limbs.  The shock alone...  How terrible. 

And then on top of that to be told "We cannot tell you why this happened," seems completely absurd, and in many ways terrifying; that that kind of information could be kept from patients.  I hope they fight it, and I hope they win and find out exactly what happened, and punish any inappropriate conduct.

My sympathies to that poor woman and her family.  That is just awful.

[Mr. Nightmare]

And then on top of that to be told "We cannot tell you why this happened," seems completely absurd, and in many ways terrifying; that that kind of information could be kept from patients.  I hope they fight it, and I hope they win and find out exactly what happened, and punish any inappropriate conduct.

As much as I hope this deed does not go unpunished, it won't grow this woman's arms back.  Her kids are really the worst victims here, as they have no concept of what is going on.  All they know is, Mommy is different now, and they'll probably have an extremely difficult childhood ahead of them.  Awful situation all around.

Pre-edit:  This is my first post as a Full Member.  W00t.

[Bardo]

Still, when you go into a hospital to have a child and come out of the hospital as a torso, the "what the fuck just happened in there?!" itch has to be truly agonizing.

And congrats on the promotion.

[Anusien]

Welcome to The Mana Drain, where men are men, women are French, and Full Members blow their loads on quadruple amputees!

By the way, I hope the lawsuit goes through.  I can understand wanting to avoid starting a panic/epidemic and not releasing the information publically, but there's no reason NOT TO TELL THE WOMAN WHY HER ARMS ARE GONE!

And oh man, can you imagine the shit the kid is going to get in school?  "Ampy's so fat he ate his mom's arms."  or "Stumpy's so fat his mom can't pick him up."

Alternate Caption: "Woman wants limbs after hospital amputates her answers."

...
And I'm going to hell.

[Kasuras]

She doesn't have any legs either, Anusien.

I would further like to reply with: what the fuck? I never imagined it possible, but apparently it's nowadays possible to wake up in a hospital without your limbs. Oh, and:

Look son, no hands!

...

I'll be joining Anusien in hell.

[Bardo]

there's no reason NOT TO TELL THE WOMAN WHY HER ARMS ARE GONE!

No doubt, for liability reasons. From the hospital's point of view, it's probably best to have the facts borne out of the discovery phase of litigation, than some letter from a hospital administrator saying "Sorry we chopped off your arms and legs. Enjoy these five free meals at our salad bar."

With something as fucked up as this, legal no doubt has their hands on it, where it's prudent to be tight-lipped. And remember, explanation isn't just justification.

[Jacob Orlove]

Right. They pretty much can't say anything without damaging their legal prospects--note that when they say "you'll have to sue to get this information" you can read that as "we won't give you the info until you pry it from our cold, dead hands" but a more likely meaning is "we can't talk about this until it goes to court".

[Mith]

Don't blame the hospital, blame the amazingly ridiculous laws behind the patient privacy act. Infections run rampant throught hospitals...something that can't be helped no matter how hard we try. The hospital is doing the legally correct thing here.

[Bardo]

Don't blame the hospital, blame the amazingly ridiculous laws behind the patient privacy act.

Yes, it's that "ridiculous" law that cut off her arms and legs. It's the damn law-makers fault!

Infections run rampant throught hospitals...something that can't be helped no matter how hard we try.

True enough, but there's something about this particular case that silently screams something terrible has gone awry; i.e., malpractice TO THE EXTREME.

[Mith]

As a policy, hospitals and physicians tend to be very stratight-forward regarding complications. Truth be told, eveything eventually comes out once the charts are reviewed...so there's no point in lying. Furthermore, studies have shown that legal ramifications are greatly lessened from better doctor-patient communication. Having performed amputations for inefections similar to what this lady had, I can honestly say that she received the correct treatment. Now as to why she got the infection can be speculated on numerous points, many of which CANNOT BE DISCUSSED without violating the rights of OTHER PAITENTS.

As such, it would be in the hospital's best interest to be legally forced to talk as opposed to spilling the beans on their own volition.

It's very easy to see a picture of a sick person and let emotion allow you to assume the worst. Before you go around yelling "lawsuit!", you need to see the full picture and understand all the facts. The patient caught an infection as a compliction, and it was treated. That the treatment included amputations is besides the point...she'd have died without them. It's not malpractice for a patient to catch an infection from another patient unless proper contact-precautions are not followed. I'd be very surprised if any true wrong-doing was commited.

Sorry, but as a surgeon myself...I take it personally when the mob starts yelling for a hanging.

[Limbo]

It's very easy to see a picture of a sick person and let emotion allow you to assume the worst. Before you go around yelling "lawsuit!", you need to see the full picture and understand all the facts.

To add even more strength to your words, I'd like to add this link. In the case of the quoted website, it is just a "hoax" instead of something serious like the discussed woman, but fact (of life) is that a lot of people start shouting / behaving like lunatics even though they haven't even the faintest idea of what is going on. Especially with the "press" smelling a  story in it...

[The Atog Lord]

Having performed amputations for inefections similar to what this lady had, I can honestly say that she received the correct treatment.

Assuming that she was in fact infected as the hospital said.

That the treatment included amputations is besides the point...she'd have died without them.

Again, assuming that the hospital's claim of infection is true. And yet, had she given birth at home or at another hospital, she'd likely still have her limbs. It was her going to that particular hospital that caused her such grief.

[Bardo]

The patient caught an infection as a compliction, and it was treated. That the treatment included amputations is besides the point...she'd have died without them. It's not malpractice for a patient to catch an infection from another patient unless proper contact-precautions are not followed.

That the treatment included amputations is besides the point...she'd have died without them.

How do you know this without being there or reading the chart? As my father runs a law firm who specializes in representing doctors at board reviews and for malpractice cases, well, I don't think you need me to tell to tell you that doctors occasionally fuck up and make huge mistakes that lead to permanent life-altering changes for their patients. Doctors have insurance for a reason, after all.

Re: crying "lawsuit," since the hospital has told the amputee that the only way she'd find out what happened to her is to file a suit, I don't see what the problem is.

I'd be very surprised if any true wrong-doing was commited.

Why?

[Mith]

A "flesh-eating" staph infection is something picked up while a patient is in the hospital. It can be transmitted from visitors, nurses, doctors...basically anyone who touched an infected patient and then touched the woman. There is no "wrong doing" here...no wrong medication or treatment can give a patient this infection.
It's horrible that she caught it...but that's random chance. A hospital can only control the transmission of disease to a certain extent. For a lawsuit, proof of malpractice needs to be found. No possible action on the hospital's part aside from rubbing an infected patient on the woman could give her the infection.

We have insurance for when we make bad decisions, give the wrong medication, or mess up an operation...none of those things could have caused her to pick up an infection.

[Matt]

Is it not malpractice to, say, fail to clean yourself properly? Your post implies that it isn't.

[kirdape3]

They have to be able to prove that it's actually misconduct, though.  Good luck on that.

[Bram]

This is totally nightmarish. It's just mindboggling. On another level, I wonder why a link to such a horrible, horrible article recieves so many replies. And while we're on that subject, I wonder why *I* feel compelled to reply and express my sympathy. I think the answer might be found here.

Sorry, but as a surgeon myself...I take it personally when the mob starts yelling for a hanging.

Bah, how unsporting of you to deny the crowd its innate desire to single out and blame one specific party, so that it doesn't have to go out of its way to think about the complexity and contingencies of reality.

Oh, and:

And I'm going to hell.

I'll be the judge of that.

[BigMac]

I'll be the judge of that.

Now there is something scary. Bram as judge and jury all in one...

If the woman gets the info i hope it was worth the loss of her limbs. If now i hope they sew for every dime the hospital has and hope that the hospital is closed down for malpractice. This truelly is mindblowing.

[forests failed you]

And then on top of that to be told "We cannot tell you why this happened," seems completely absurd, and in many ways terrifying; that that kind of information could be kept from patients.  I hope they fight it, and I hope they win and find out exactly what happened, and punish any inappropriate conduct.

As much as I hope this deed does not go unpunished, it won't grow this woman's arms back.  Her kids are really the worst victims here, as they have no concept of what is going on.  All they know is, Mommy is different now, and they'll probably have an extremely difficult childhood ahead of them.  Awful situation all around.

Pre-edit:  This is my first post as a Full Member.  W00t.

Actually, the woman with no limbs is the 'real' victim here.