Dear Congressman Donnelley, First of all, let me extend our congratulations to you on your victory. I’m sure that you don’t remember me, but you may remember some of our children from Marian. All 5 graduated between ‘99’ and ’04.’ So, that was a blessing. Awesome school! But those were very difficult years for me, also. So let me get to the point. You see, I was suffering from severe depression, at which Madison Center later dx. as bipolar and then plastered a BPD label on me. There were 5 hospitalizations, numerous suicide attempts and self harm acts (which is totally against all that I believe), bankruptcy and a near state mandate, which was converted at the last minute to IOT (thankfully) and our children, along with my husband and mother; other family members and friends went through sheer hell. No wonder none of my children were able to focus so that they could receive scholarships. Chris told me recently that it was ‘so hard for them to come home from school every day; not knowing if they would find me crying, screaming, throwing things or hear that I was back in a hospital. They also feared that they would find me dead.’ That was a heavy burden! I feel horrible as I used to get so impatient with them for not doing better and using all of their potential. Now, the ones that are in school, are working full time, also, which is hard and our oldest son is married, has children, has been in the Navy over 7 yrs. and going to school. Then on Nov. 24, 2004, I was rushed to the hospital, (the day before Thanksgiving), after a seizure. At that time, a meningioma, which was larger than a golf ball and a little smaller than a tennis ball was found on my left frontal lobe. Surgery was performed that Sat. afternoon. Not only did they remove the tumor but the demon that was causing me all of my mental pain. People did mention that they wondered if it was the tumor that caused the depression, but it wasn’t really until mid January or so, that it was really confirmed that I did not carry the weight of the world on my shoulders and my thought-to-be, lifetime companions of Gloom and Doom WERE gone. You see, I was on such a high after my surgery as none of the anticipated risks came about and was just so thankful. Then I did develop a sinus infection, had to have oral surgery in Dec., and an IVP in Dec. and a cystoscopy in Jan. as they were looking for possible bladder cancer, which thankfully was not found, so there was a lot on my mind at that time. Anyway, the last couple of years have been very discouraging as far as our judicial system is concerned. Attorneys empathize with me and tell me that I have a case, but no one wants it unless I have thousands of thousands of dollars, which I don’t have. (Madison Center was able to bleed us financially dry with therapsy 3x per week at times, psyche visits, hospitalizations and at times I was prescribed up to 4-5 different pills a day at a time! Let’s not forget the time off of work, etc., either). Then, others say it would be a ‘conflict of interest’ I believe, they call it, as they have represented them before. I had filed complaints with the state about them even before the tumor was dx., but our Attorney General’s office chose to believe them as they professed my complaints as ‘symptomatic of my illness,’ and ‘not uncommon for people with my condition,’ etc., etc.. In short, they were able to lie and convince all of the agencies, including JCAHO, that I was just a ‘nut case,’ and to ignore me and I would go away. Originally, I did have a couple of attorneys years back tell me that if the AG’s office ruled in my favor, to let them know. Well they didn’t. Twice. I read the rebuttal from ’03,’ on the complaints that I had filed, but for some reason, after the tumor was found and I had the case reopened, which they struck down, Madison Center had no idea where that rebuttal was nor will they give the AG’s office permission to send it to me. The ONLY thing that I received from them was, and if this IS what they used, was a copy (which I already had) of their rebuttal to JCAHO over 4 years ago!!!! If the AG’s office actually based their decision on this, then we certainly need replacements there. If not, then Madison Center is lying again …. But not a first for them…. Not only that, but I find it hard to believe that the AG’s office could just ‘lose’ tape recordings, (I had sent a couple and asked that they be returned), which I had to do secretly to PROVE that the dictation did not even come close to the actual discussions. I also had one, that when I confronted Dr. Zwerneman about ‘lying’ to me, my family, advocacy agencies AND my family physician; he said, after initially denying it and I told him that I had proof, that “…..even if I did, I will not discuss it any further… You are having one great big adult temper tantrum and I am not going to listen to it. I can’t believe how bad your behavior is.’ I DID scream some profanities at him; (which of course was in my dictation), ran out of his office and came home. I was hysterical and my husband was so furious that they would allow me to leave in that condition, drive home and to put myself as well as others at risk. Mike tried to call many times, but no one returned his calls. That is the standard of care there. So, the AG’s office either lost them or tossed them but claims that the year that it took to decide, was agreed that there was no malpractice. To make matters worse, recently I asked to obtain MORE records; the beginning; my first psche visit and the ones through 1999. What I was able to find, was that in my records- that the AG’s office said they had gone through, my family doctor had suggested a CT scan of my head clear back in April of 1999 and Dr. Zwerneman just wrote, ‘No CT scan at this time.. Follow up with usual appt.’ Do you mean to tell me that they didn’t see that at the AG’s office either? I have that in my hands. Evidently Madison Center must have over looked it, as if they had seen that, they would have tossed that, too. Did the AG;s Office not read the chart data and letters and board hearings as well as my family doctors letters and see how the psychiatrist was lying and that the dictation was not even accurate??? The psychiatrist had written to my family doctor, who had tried to advocate for me, and told him, ‘if you have any suggestions, let me know.” Why??? He didn’t take them anyways? In fact, he didn’t even send medication revisions most of the time. He was dishonest with him so how could he expect them to work together??? And this is the acceptable standard of care of our mental health system??? This is ‘good enough..’ just as long as we have one available? Believe me, NO mental health facilities are better than one that operates theirs ignoring all moral, legal and ethical standards and rules. Outside of maybe 5-10% of the patients that improve there, the only OTHERS that improve, are the ones that finally divorce themselves from them. A known fact which has been shared with me: IF a patient is abused or witnesses abuse, they are afraid to report it as they will be kept there longer, and family will be told that they are ‘more ill than we thought.’ Staff members accuse them of hallucinating, yet most are not. Regardless, I am extremely concerned and am disgusted. But, Madison Center is not the only asylum that feeds their greedy bellies at the expense of human beings that are in pain. There are others as well and we are coming together on this.
Maria was treated for bipolar and her problem was
‘allergies.’ That is it. Her doctor states that it is a miracle that she is alive.
Jeff had a successful career as an atty in a law firm in LA. Then he began breakdowns and rages. His wife divorced him; taking their children and the firm let him go. He was in treatment in New Jersey and Florida and did not improve. Upon waking one morning, he had severe pain in his shoulder and went to the doctor. His shoulder was fx. He asked Jeff how that happen and he did not know, so the doctor did an MRI as he told him that he had to have had a seizure not to know how an injury like that took place. Well, it also confirmed a tumor about the size of a grapefruit on his brain. I had a spinal tap about a year and a half ago and the doctor told me that they had a friend that was treated for schizophrenia for years (even hospitalized) and the problem was her thyroid. When the thyroid was treated, the symptoms of schizophrenia ended. Our daughter was talking to a customer at a restaurant that she had worked for,who’s wife had died recently during a seizure. She had been treated for mental illness, but the autopsy showed a brain tumor. She was only in her mid to late 20’s. I was sharing my story with a friend who has a business here in town. While talking, one of her employees spoke up and said, “I have nothing nice to say about Madison Center. The only memories that I have of my mother growing up were trips to Madison Center or Westville. After all those years, we found out that she was never mentally ill to begin with.’ How many more stories do we need????? If you remember, back in 2003, Madison Center refused a woman who was brought there from the Hope Rescue Mission after they witnessed that for 3 days, she did not eat, sleep; was hallucinating and seeing demons. Madison Center STILL refused to commit her for her safety. Anyway, by the time HRM’s driver was able to return to get her, Madison Center did not know where she was initially; that is, until an employee found that she had gone into the bathroom and taken a garbage bag and hung herself. Needless to say, they were let off of the hook as they said that she had ‘told’ them that she was not suicidal or had any intent to harm herself. Just the fact that she had not eaten or slept in 3 days and was hallucinating and seeing demons should have put up a ‘red flag’ when she denied feeling that way. I think most of us would feel suicidal too, even if we didn’t have mental illness. But, they were let go; a young woman is dead and her little child left orphaned at the HRM, thanks to Madison Center’s- ‘We help people.’ Oh, and if that be the case, why did they insist that I commit myself, even when I was NOT suicidal or they would commit me involuntarily????? (I couldn’t stop crying and that was it). Oh… that is right. I had TWO insurance policies; this poor woman was homeless and had no money. Another friend of mine had a family doctor who was treating her male friend for some depression with Wellbutrin. As it turned out, it caused him headaches, so instead of weaning him off, he told him to ‘just stop taking it.’ Well, 13 days later, he overdosed and wound up in Madison Center, even though in 70 yrs. he had never done anything like this in his life and ordinarily wouldn’t. They told him that it was the STATE LAW that whenever and for whatever reason he did attempt suicide, that he had to be evaluated there for 72 hrs. at least. (He wound up in treatment after he finally got out for over a year and did worse than he ever had. When he told Dr. Chowhan that he wanted to allow his family doctor to prescribe his meds, she actually told him that ‘no one else could prescribe them but her..’ (His family doctor is now treating him…hmmmm). I find that strange because just a couple of weeks ago, a friend of a friend of mine had a son that attempted suicide and was in one of the South Bend hospitals for a few days. The psychiatrist from Madison Center said that ‘if this happens again, he would be placed in Madison Center,” and was sent home.’ Oh, that is right. This family had NO money nor insurance, but my friends friend has quite a bit and was well insured. Now, due to his inpatient in Madison Center, even though it was NOT his fault, his insurance shot up… and he has experienced other problems due to this dx. which should never have been given to him. Very sad.. The original doctor, when he confronted him about it, just told him that he was closing his practice and did…. I filed a complaint with the AG’s Office, too, about some billing fraud, including fraud with the insurance companies. Well, the state did nothing and Madison Center convinced the ins. companies that I had so many charts that they were sure there might be an occasional error here and there; which they did not believe to be intentional. Shot down again.. And yet, not to long afterwards, the state did think to investigate some 500 Medicaid claims and found errors in 298 of them…. They say that THOSE were not deliberate either and the state is suing them for $7 million… ($11- the $4 million that they claim the state owes them). My point is that I had also reported some Medicaid fraud that I knew of, too, and I am sure that it may have sparked the idea to check them out. And yet, for the fraud that occurred in MY billing and with MY insurance companies, it meant nothing. God forbid if it is the states money… Mr. Donnelley…. I have felt the pain that the people who are treated at Madison Center and other facilities, feel each day and let me assure you- there is no physical pain that comes close. Patients who are in pain need someone who genuinely cares about them and is able to help them and not greedy dictators who are rubbing salt into their wounds each day. I am so thankful that mine is not permanent, but there is one thing that I don’t understand. Billions of dollars poured into research and to this day there is no test; no x-ray, CT scan or blood test to prove ANY mental disease whatsoever. In fact, statistics state that about 75%+ of patients being treated for mental illness, actually have a physiological problem???? So, how is it that psychiatrists can say ‘there is not yet a cure’ when they don’t really know what they are treating? How can they say that ‘we have come a long way,’ when we still do not know any more than we did 50 yrs. ago? Patients are diagnosed by guesswork and believe me; there are MEDICAL conditions that mimic other medical conditions, too… So, wouldn’t you think that if NONE of the medications were helping or that the patients condition continued to get worse as you fed them more medications, that perhaps it is time to find out if there IS something else causing this behavior??? I would think so. We expect this from the medical field and the psychiatrists’ demands should be the same. The difference is that the errors can be seen in most medical cases and usually responsibility is taken. In the mental health field, except in the case of death; it is your word against theirs and ‘they’ are supposed to be the experts, so they are usually cleared of their wrongdoings; even when they are deliberate. I apologize for this journal and there is more that I could have added about them. One thing for sure is that if our legal system was as tough on human beings as they were on pet owners, there would be BIG trouble in these asylums. I love animals, but do feel that abuse of human beings should take at least ‘SOME’ priority over pets.. I also know that if I ever begin to experience severe depression when there are no situations or reasons for it, I will run to my neurosurgeons office and NOT the psychiatrists office. Please do all that you can to make sure that others do not have to go through what so many of us have needlessly had to go through. Please do all that you can to make sure that those who participate in psyche abuse are held accountable, so that justice can be given to those who have had to live this nightmare. Please know that there is NO other business which is as capable of getting by with abuse, fraud and many other criminal activities as the mental health field and it is time for our government to step in. I do realize that EVERY physician will make an error in judgment from time to time; all of us make mistakes. In those cases, I do NOT believe in lawsuits regardless of the outcome. I cannot expect perfection from others when I am incapable of giving it myself. But, it is NOT a mistake when records are rewritten or destroyed; deliberate lies are spoken and exaggeration of ones behavior is used to tear down the patient to cover ones behind… This is NOT just malpractice…. this IS CRIMINAL activity. I also think that the statute of limitation should exceed 2 yrs. in cases involving mental health issues. After all, they only have their psychiatric ‘bible’ of guesswork to play god with… and yet when I read the DSM, I really did not accurately meet all of the criteria that one is supposedly supposed to have for the labels that I was branded with. Isn’t it something that I have not had to seek mental help from anyone since I left there??? Isn’t it something that when I finally stopped taking all of the medications they were giving me (ON MY OWN- as I was threatened with hospitalization for non compliance if I didn’t take them), I did NOT have any more hospitalizations???? I had mentioned that I was still severely depressed, but did not feel suicidal when I didn’t take them and he was really upset with me). So, for over 2 yrs. I had to pretend like I was complying; take the prescriptions and just not fill them, or fill them occasionally (in case they checked) and not take them. Very sad, isn’t it? Thank you so much for your time.
Mrs. Kathrine NisleyMy Space link
