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Glenn Beck’s Hospital Experience Is a Dire Warning, Not a Joke
Livonia, MI
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Lynn M. Foley is a senior partner in the Law Offices of Cochran, Foley & Associates, of Livonia, Michigan
The dire consequences of political commentator Glenn Beck's surgery to remove eight hemorrhoids included suicidal thoughts as well as a bad trip he believes were induced by pain medication.
The nationally syndicated radio talk show host, who appears regularly as a commentator on CNN, referred to the experience as "one of the darkest moments" of his life because of drug-induced visions and thoughts of suicide.
Beck, against medical advice, left the outpatient surgery facility with pain medication prescribed by the doctor. At home Beck was in such excruciating pain that he entered the emergency room for treatment. After being ignored for a long period of time, Beck finally was given drugs for pain by his doctors.
"By Saturday night, if they would have come into the room with a handgun and said, 'okay we can give you some more medication or we can give you this handgun, and you can go ahead and blow your brains out' I would have honestly taken a handgun at that point and ended it," Beck said in a glennbeck.com video from his hospital bed.
After taking pain medication that Beck said was 80 times stronger than morphine he became convinced life was not worth living and was plagued by haunting visions. The cocktail of pain medications included morphine, Percocet, Toradol, a synthetic morphine, and Fentanyl.
"While Internet users and political pundits have had a field day with Mr. Beck's episode, the fact is that this scary administration of pain medication is a common occurrence in America where electronic sharing of patient information among doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare workers is far from a reality," says Lynn M. Foley, a senior partner in Cochran, Foley & Associates, PC, Livonia, Michigan.
"Most personal physicians as responsible professionals do a decent job of tracking medications and prescribing effective pain management medication as needed," added Foley. "But when you enter the emergency room, you are in a no-man's land where serious mistakes happen because personal medical data is not readily available"
Foley stressed that if Beck had committed suicide that it was very possible a wrongful death or medical malpractice lawsuit could have been filed by his wife. "This should serve as a warning to physicians that medical mistakes and poor judgment can have serious consequences," says Foley. "In this case, the courts have not been asked to decide whether this nightmare was caused by malpractice, a serious mistake, or a bad decision by an attending physician. And so we may never know the precise cause"
More than 700,000 Americans die each year because of medical mistakes. Most medical malpractice mistakes are covered up by doctors and hospitals and so the victim is best served by the assistance of an attorney who can uncover the truth.
Foley is not only an experience medical malpractice attorney but a Registered Nurse with knowledge and insight of the operating room as well as the courtroom.
In recent years Cochran, Foley has won a $15.8 million verdict, largest in Michigan for 2006, for a medical error to a baby causing Cerebral Palsy, recovered $1.2 million on behalf of a baby born with Spinal Bifida, and recovered $900,000 for the parents of a baby born with Down Syndrome.
"Don't be misled by critics who assail Glenn Beck as a publicity hound because he has gone public about his hospital experience," concludes Foley. "Instead, accept the description of his experience as a warning that sound medical practice should not be taken for granted"
About Lynn M. Foley
Lynn M. Foley is a senior partner in the Law Offices of Cochran, Foley & Associates, of Livonia, Michigan, which is dedicated to representing individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic losses as a result of injuries, disabilities and death. Foley, also trained as a Registered Nurse, specializes in medical malpractice cases. For more information call: 866-642-4529 or visit www.cochranfoley.com.
Media Contact: Westwind Communications, litigation public relations at: www.westwindcos.com.
The nationally syndicated radio talk show host, who appears regularly as a commentator on CNN, referred to the experience as "one of the darkest moments" of his life because of drug-induced visions and thoughts of suicide.
Beck, against medical advice, left the outpatient surgery facility with pain medication prescribed by the doctor. At home Beck was in such excruciating pain that he entered the emergency room for treatment. After being ignored for a long period of time, Beck finally was given drugs for pain by his doctors.
"By Saturday night, if they would have come into the room with a handgun and said, 'okay we can give you some more medication or we can give you this handgun, and you can go ahead and blow your brains out' I would have honestly taken a handgun at that point and ended it," Beck said in a glennbeck.com video from his hospital bed.
After taking pain medication that Beck said was 80 times stronger than morphine he became convinced life was not worth living and was plagued by haunting visions. The cocktail of pain medications included morphine, Percocet, Toradol, a synthetic morphine, and Fentanyl.
"While Internet users and political pundits have had a field day with Mr. Beck's episode, the fact is that this scary administration of pain medication is a common occurrence in America where electronic sharing of patient information among doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare workers is far from a reality," says Lynn M. Foley, a senior partner in Cochran, Foley & Associates, PC, Livonia, Michigan.
"Most personal physicians as responsible professionals do a decent job of tracking medications and prescribing effective pain management medication as needed," added Foley. "But when you enter the emergency room, you are in a no-man's land where serious mistakes happen because personal medical data is not readily available"
Foley stressed that if Beck had committed suicide that it was very possible a wrongful death or medical malpractice lawsuit could have been filed by his wife. "This should serve as a warning to physicians that medical mistakes and poor judgment can have serious consequences," says Foley. "In this case, the courts have not been asked to decide whether this nightmare was caused by malpractice, a serious mistake, or a bad decision by an attending physician. And so we may never know the precise cause"
More than 700,000 Americans die each year because of medical mistakes. Most medical malpractice mistakes are covered up by doctors and hospitals and so the victim is best served by the assistance of an attorney who can uncover the truth.
Foley is not only an experience medical malpractice attorney but a Registered Nurse with knowledge and insight of the operating room as well as the courtroom.
In recent years Cochran, Foley has won a $15.8 million verdict, largest in Michigan for 2006, for a medical error to a baby causing Cerebral Palsy, recovered $1.2 million on behalf of a baby born with Spinal Bifida, and recovered $900,000 for the parents of a baby born with Down Syndrome.
"Don't be misled by critics who assail Glenn Beck as a publicity hound because he has gone public about his hospital experience," concludes Foley. "Instead, accept the description of his experience as a warning that sound medical practice should not be taken for granted"
About Lynn M. Foley
Lynn M. Foley is a senior partner in the Law Offices of Cochran, Foley & Associates, of Livonia, Michigan, which is dedicated to representing individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic losses as a result of injuries, disabilities and death. Foley, also trained as a Registered Nurse, specializes in medical malpractice cases. For more information call: 866-642-4529 or visit www.cochranfoley.com.
Media Contact: Westwind Communications, litigation public relations at: www.westwindcos.com.
Scott Lorenz
President
Westwind Communications
Plymouth, MI
734-667-2090
734-455-7090
