Sunday, February 22, 2009

A Letter about Karla

The following is part of a letter I sent to our attorney.

I will answer your questions the best I can. You asked when Karla was placed in solitary confinement. On the 14th of Jan, Karla stated (in her journal she sent us)that she was placed in solitary confinement the week before, because of her MRSA. I am guessing that she was placed in solitary either on the 8th or 9th of Jan., because on the 8th in her journal she stated that she was giving samples of her green sputum to the medical staff. I am assuming it would have been shortly after that. In her journal she stated that she received radiation treatment on the following days and she listed the number of treatment it was: 1/5, 1/6,1/7,1/8,1/9,1/12, and 1/14 which she listed as her 10th treatment, 1/23 listed as her 18th treatment, and 1/30 as her 22nd treatment. She specifically said she missed treatment on 1/28 and 1/31. I know there are some treatment numbers missing in the list, but she did not record them in her journal.
Julie spoke with Karla today(the 22nd of Feb.) and she said that she has missed 2 more days of treatment in a row and is having a bad turn due to this. It was requested by her radiologist (Dr. Lynasa) on Jan 18th, that Karla see a neurologist. She has not yet seen a radiologist. She is to see the neurologist to address her nerve pain, dizzy spells and spasms. Karla was prescribed Gabapentin for nerve pain when she was in Arizona, which gave her great relief, but was taken off of this when she arrived at Carswell. Her dizzy spells which trigger her spasms are becoming constant and severe. She has begun biting her tongue during these spasms, which is very troublesome. With these she experiences headaches, burning pain in her head, eyes and chest and arms. Karla was on steroids to help reduce swelling, but they abruptly took her off of it. Dr. Lynasa was very upset when he learned this, as the steroids are very important for Karla and also a person should be weaned off of steroids and never abruptly taken off.
We have requested Karla's medical information from Dr. Lynasa's office (the radiologist), but they would not release any information to us, saying that we would have to go through the prison. The prison of course is giving us the usual song and dance and we have obtained nothing from them. We would like Senator Crapo to request the release of Karla's medical charts on the behalf of us and Karla. Is this something he could do or put pressure on them for? Karla told Julie that she signed a "cop-out" form stating that she wasn't receiving adequate care at the facility and wanted to see an outside doctor. Karla was told by Dr. Lorenzi(her BOP doctor) that assistant warden Stone told Dr. Lorenzi to "take care of it". So to take care of it Dr. Lorenzi yelled at Karla for 15 minutes accusing her of trying to make the Dr. lose her job.
Karla was informed that she would be released in August because of good behavior, but she was also told that she will only be able to leave if she does so by walking out on her own. Karla was told that if radiation doesn't take care of the tumor she would also need Chemo. She was informed by the medical staff at Carswell that there a lot of people ahead of her in line for Chemo and that it would be quite awhile before she gets chemo(if this is community standard care, what's with the long waiting list for Chemo?). Karla was also told that if the radiation doesn't work that she will quickly go backward with out chemo, as the tumor grows and invades the surrounding tissue.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Another journal from Karla

We received the following journal, kept by Karla, in the mail. We have been told by the BOP that she is not having spasms or seizures. Please note the number of times she talks about having spasms below. We were told by Karla, that the guards do not like taking her to radiation treatment, because they are afraid of her spasms. In the journal she speaks of waiting to see the neurologist. She is still waiting to this date to see the neurologist.

1-5-09 3rd treatment
1-6-09 4th treatment
1-7-09 5th treatment. I saw Dr. Lynasa today. He is submitting some medicine for my spasm or neck, not sure what. I was in so much pain I couldn’t concentrate.
I asked the nurse about not getting my Decatron at 5:00 a.m. She said she gave it to me. Well, by11:00 a.m. my spasm was so bad that my whole body spasmed, not just my left side, but both sides. I told Nurse Downey. Dr. Lorenzy tries to ignore me unless they have to talk to me. I feel like they only do when they have to.
1-8-09 Blood pressure 78/43
1-8-09 6th treatment. Coughed all night. Hacked up green stuff for 3 nights now. I told Nurse Downey that I thought I might be getting pneumonia…hard to breath. I have been giving samples of my hacking up green stuff . Dr. Lorenzi checked my lungs and said that I have to have antibiotics, Zpac. Two days now and no antibiotic, yet, maybe tonight.
1-9-09 7th treatment. I got my antibiotics. Feeling better.
1-10-09 The spasms come on like usual. First, the dizziness real bad. Then the real bad spasms. They started at 5 p.m. It is now 8:30 p.m. and they are still going strong.
Later: Still hurts the left side of my face with burning in the left side of my head, shoulder, hand, arm and back of my neck. Changed medication time on my steroid today. Not wanting to give it to me now, when I should be getting it at 9:30 and 5:00 am.
1-11-09 I spasm all day and stayed dizzy the whole time.
1-12-09 9th treatment. Spasm all day long. Mostly when I eat and cough(when I cough up the green stuff.)
1-13-09 Woke-up, no spasm until 8 a.m. Real bad dizzy and REAL Bad spasm. Took percocet.
1-14-09 Went to treatment today (Wednesday). I saw Dr. Lynasa. He said I needed the Neurologist for my spasms and medication. I told Dr. Lorenzy and she said she talked to Dr. Lynasa, also, today and I should get medication and the doctor of Neurology, YEA! My MRSA(antibiotic resistant staph) that I got last week ended(put) me in isolation. Its so cold in here. The air is always blowing real cold air. They changed my pain med today with out telling me again. I’m in pain now and I found out about it now, NOT RIGHT! The Doctor changed it again with out telling me again.
Later: Its been 1 ½ hours since I asked for medication and they didn’t tell me until I have my last time. She should have told me.
1-17-09 Last week I was taken down to 2 Oxci every 12 hours, pain or not. Same with Dexamiathine. NOT telling me why, just did it. Percocet e very 6 hours. My pain is still intense. I have to lay really still and not move so all day I stay in bed. The 15th they put me into isolation room. They ignore me. I can push the button and they don’t even answer until 15 min. later.
1-18-09 Spasms, maybe 10-15 times a day and all night.
1-19-09 Same as yesterday: bad spasm day and night.
1-20-09 I ask for more triazadone
1-21-09 They didn’t up it yet. Still up at 3:30 a.m. Feeling dizzy. I ask for I.B. profen and mectazine, because I have to wait 6 hours now for percocet. I buzzed at 3:30 p.m. No response. I called again at 4:15. Real bad head ache now and really dizzy. I waited until 5:00 p.m. and buzzed again. They turn my buzzer off. By this time my regular meds come at 6:00 p.m. Now I want my percocet.
1-23-09 18th treatment. I might see the neurologist and oncologist next week. I just told Julie that my Nurse is insensitive about me and my medication. Well, 4:00p.m. was my time to get it. Now, it is almost 6:00 p.m. I have real pain now. I can’t hardly see at times.
1-24-09 I had a spasm just now. It was so bad that my whole body hurts.
9:26 p.m. : I just asked for IB profen. I took my percocet at 4:30 a.m. this morning. The pain that the spasm gave me was so bad that my face went side ways and my side of my heart and left arm hurt and burn. My face stuck like that for a few minutes. It scared me. I did that only once and didn’t last that long. I told Nurse Corbett and she said “Yes, Fuller. There’s nothing I can do.” I said “I just want to tell you so someone knows what’s going on about my condition.”
1-25-09 I was buzzed at 6:00a.m. and asked if I want my melamine for dizziness. I said no because I don’t need it until 8:00-8:30 a.m. So Ms. Price waits for me. Well, Ms. Corbett comes in at 7:00 a.m. I ask at 8:00a.m. if I could get my mescaline. She said let me check if you got it at 6:00a.m. I said No I didn’t . So I wait. She doesn’t call me back. 9:20 I call back again. She said “Miss Fuller, she gave it to you at 6:00 a.m.” I said she didn’t. It doesn’t matter.
1-28-09 No treatment today. I have spasms and dizziness real bad today. When the spasm is done my left side of my tongue was numb, my arm all the way to my leg, my ribs and left side. The spasm hurt real bad. My head and neck burns, left side.
1-29-09 Spasm all morning, long and hard. Instead of breathing in and out once (to deal with the pain) now I have to breath in 3 times and out 3 times. I have the shakes so much that I can’t write.
1-30-09 22nd treatment. I had some spasms and dizzy. But not bad. Maybe 8 spasms and some dizziness. Good day and this weekend coming up I am going outside.
1-31-09 No treatment today. I spasm and dizzy real bad since 10:00 a.m.
2-6-09 Mecklazine(motion sickness meds. Compares to antihistamine) are take as needed and the nurses are so mean. They tell me that when its offered at 5:00a.m. with the rest of my meds, I need to take it. They get really busy in the morning and I may not get it.