How my son lost his life and now I am losing mine |
My son was 21 years old. He was amazing. His name is Henry Mackaman. Give it a google. Musician, poet, playwrite. A double major in 3 years- almost. He died in Madison Wisconsin from meningitis. He went to the ER at Meriter hospital on 4-6-13. He had a 104 fever neck and body aches. They did a chest x-ray although he did not complain of a cough and his lungs sounded clear bilaterally. They thought he had the flu, but did not give him Tamiflu or a list of symptoms to look for in case things got worse. I talked to him on Sunday and he said his fever was down to 99 and he felt better. He was going to do laundry and visit his sick girlfriend. I told him to go to bed. What he didn't tell me was that he had vomited, had a rash, and felt he had a claw in the back of his neck. I am a pharmacist. I suppose he didn't want to worry me. On Monday morning at 4:15 am or so an ER doc called to tell me Henry was having a stroke. I said- NO- did he go to your ER Saturday night? After a frantic call to Henry's dad ,I got authorization to give him TPA. An anti stroke med. At that time the ER doc said we think he is having a cluster migraine. I said admit him, admit him. I am coming. I asked to speak to my son. Henry said he was sorry to worry me and just had a REALLY bad headache. I told him I love you and I am coming. Hang on. By the time my I got to the hospital my son had a seizure and never regained consciousness. I took one look at him and turned to my father and said -He's not in there. The ICU doc pronounced him brain dead on April 10. They harvested his sweet body for organ donation on April 11. He saved a few lives in his death. So now I am grieving the loss of my son and his missed diagnosis. There is no legal recourse in the state of Wisconsin in the death of an adult child. Funny, they put him in the pediatric unit. He will always be my baby. I have filed a complaint with whatever department in Wisconsin against both ER docs. And now, I have to fight my insurance company. I live in MN and have BC-BS of MN. Poor Henry. He died in Wisconsin. I suppose I should have said stumble over the border sweetie- with your slurred speech and right sided paralysis. Because not only are you going to die, but I am too. Yesterday I got an EOB-explanation of benefits-- for an MR-I for an out of network provider. The total was 6890.00. Wow! Dying is expensive. Cremation, funeral home, church, food, flowers. I was not prepared for this. But I accepted it. I have a surviving son who is younger and also amazing. I need to fight to live for him. If not for him, I would be standing on a bridge. Right now. |