Angels Of Death Or Victims Themselves?

(from left to right)
Dr. Pou, Nurses Budo and Landry

Four deaths in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina embody the uncertainty and chaos that reigned in New Orleans during the days of the disaster there. Their deaths leaves huge questions as to who has the most to gain or loose in the days since Katrina.

Questions that come from reading between the lines...

How did an ENT (ear-nose-throat specialist) become a decision maker (and accused life taker) at Memorial Medical Center? Surely, there were better qualified attending doctors in the building (i.e., hospitalists who have a generalized practice scope that would include critical care, instead of a limited specialty area such as the accused ENT) to oversee the care and evacuation of the patients trapped there by the flood.

The purported victims all were located in a specialized unit (a long-term acute care facility - LTAC) that was independently run by an outside medical entity separate from the hospital. The hospital is owned by Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Dallas and the LTAC unit, which was located on the seventh floor of Memorial, was owned by owned and staffed by LifeCare Holdings Inc. of Plano, Texas. The doctor and the two nurses were Tenet employees, not LifeCare employees. Did LifeCare employees think the ENT and the two nurses were not qualified to make decisions regarding their patients because they weren't employed by their own facility? (Second-guessing might come easily then). It makes a person wonder what the historical relationship of LifeCare staff with Tenet staff was like. Could on-going friction between the two create an atmosphere of distrust? Or does it go beyond employee relations?

LifeCare's lawyers alerted investigators on Sept. 14 to the suspicious deaths.(source)

What witnesses report happening...

The alleged slayings occurred Sept. 1, the fourth day of the disaster. By that point, according to eyewitness accounts, hospital personnel had begun ferrying some patients with the help of a small fleet of private rescue boats. But it was difficult to move the sickest of them because the elevators didn't work. Bodies filled the chapel as well as the morgue.

That morning, LifeCare employees approached Susan Mulderick, the incident commander at Memorial, and asked her what the hospital planned to do about evacuating the LifeCare unit's patients. Mulderick said they "were not going to leave any living patients behind." She then told them to find Pou.

In the affidavit, a number of LifeCare employees described Pou's subsequent rounds on the seventh floor, and the help she allegedly received from the nurses.

According to one witness, Pou said "a decision had been made to administer lethal doses" to the nine remaining patients in critical condition on the seventh floor.

Another witness said Pou had determined that their patients would not survive. She also thought they were unconscious. But a LifeCare worker told Pou that one patient, a 380-pound paralyzed man, was "aware, conscious and alive."

Pou, however, determined that the man could not be evacuated. She asked if there was a LifeCare worker who would sedate the man, but a supervisor refused on behalf of the staff.(source)

Refusing orders for sedation? Odd, this word choice. If the ultimate goal of the doctor was euthanasia, one would think other words would come to mind instead of "sedate".

Another version of decision-making...

Four hospital administrators at Memorial Medical Center heard of plans to give patients lethal doses, although none of the key witnesses said they knew who made the decision, the affidavit said.

During a meeting about the evacuation plan, one hospital administrator who has not been charged told employees they did not expect to evacuate nine critically ill patients.

She also said the plan was they "were not going to leave any living patients behind". (I assume this administrator was Susan Mulderick).

Pou later told a hospital worker that many of the patients on the seventh floor "were probably not going to survive" and that "a decision had been made to administer lethal doses," the affidavit said.(source)

So which is it, "sedate" or "lethal doses"? Conflicting (and possibly biased) reports... Reason indicates that, although the ENT Dr. Pou and the two nurses may have administered the narcotics to the purported victims, the decision (if there really ever was a decision for euthanasia) was one that was reached by mutual agreement during a meeting of the minds of the upper echelon of the hospital staff and then executed by the three accused. Because LifeCare was a separate entity (a hospital within a hospital) would there have been a meeting without one of their representatives present? Two different sources (Pou and Mulderick) are reported echoing the same plan to not "leave any living patients behind". It is curious that this statement (as vague as it is appears to be) is at the center of this case. The statement could for all intents and purposes be taken two ways; 1) a superhuman effort would be made to get all the patients out, or 2) patients that couldn't be moved would not be left behind alive. So, was an order for euthanasia made by the administrators (again I wonder was LifeCare there?) or did the doctor act on her own to expedite the rescue for the patients and herself from the horrible conditions those trapped at Memorial were dealing with?

I've got some serious doubts about this witness report...

Budo (one of the nurses accompanying Pou) was observed giving an injection to a 92-year-old man who said, "That burns," as she administered a lethal dose of morphine.

I question the credibility of the witness on this testimony. The man obviously had a peripheral intravenous delivery system, by which the injection had been given. If he had any other kind of delivery device he would not have felt a thing. These small IV accesses burn when saline (a solution the human body produces itself) is administered to flush the line. This is not indicative that morphine was present in the injection. This does not sound like a statement given by a nurse (although, I could be wrong), but more like something someone without much, if any, medical knowledge would give (possibly an orderly or a nurses assistant).If this is the type of evidence that the DA will present to prove their case, it is circumstanial bordering on inflammatory at best.

It also is being reported that

Late last month, the troubled hospital company -- which lost more than $3 billion in the last three years -- agreed to a $900-million settlement with the federal government over allegations that it bilked Medicare. (source)

One more reason for LifeCare to distance themselves from Tenet. LifeCare attorneys reported this - why were they interviewing employees in the first place unless they were afraid of being placed at fault in the deaths? It comes to my mind that LifeCare, rather than Tenet, would ultimately be responsible for the welfare of the patients in their care. Could it be reason enough to point blame somewhere else?

There is a whole lot more to this story than three individuals acting as angels of death. Who really are the victims now?




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Uniting The Faithful

Regardless of borders, the outcome of the crisis in the Middle East will be based on personal religious beliefs and the choices one must make to act in accordance with those beliefs.

At the core of the conflict...

Sunni against Shiite, Arab nations are being divided by religious belief not political doctrine as to the on-going Israeli/Islamist war in the Middle East. Sunni believers (those who believe in the first four caliphs--Mohammed's successors, who rightfully took his place as the leaders of Muslims) comprise nearly 85% of the worlds Muslim based religion. Shiite believers ( believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Mohammed) make up only 15% of the worlds Islamist faithful. While Sunni Muslims are scattered across the world, the Shiite faithful are primarily based (approximately 75%) in the countries of Saudia Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

Conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India rage between the two religious branches. Bin Laden is a Sunni. Bin Laden has used his religious beliefs in an attempt to spur on the war against the western world and those (the Shiite's) he saw as western supporters. At the point where Bin Laden could have united the faithful, he has instead divided them by religious beliefs - choosing to imperically look at all Shiite's as having adopted what he believes is a bastardized western ideology. When the coalition entered Iraq, the Shiite's saw this as an opportunity to align themselves with power and become the driving force within the newly established government. Bin Laden called upon the Sunni's to stop the Shiite's, stop the westernization of the country, and continue to bring control of the region back to the "true faithful", the Sunni's. Hence, we see the slaughter between Sunni and Shiite in these countries. We see terrorists, who are Sunni believers, from foreign countries imported into Iraq to continue the push to stop Shiite control and western bastardization of the country. Here lies the core of the spiraling conflict in the Middle East. Bin Laden did not have the foresight to see how this would turn on him and pit Muslim against Muslim on a worldwide field.

Iran is Shiite based. 93.4% of the population of Iran are Shiite's. It has been rumored forever that Bin Laden is in Iran in hiding. Based on the push by Bin Laden and his followers to attack Shiite's to punish them for aligning with the western world, this rumor is just that - a rumor, with no base in fact. Bin Laden is no friend of Iran, what he has become to them instead is a means to further the strength of the Shiite's in the world as he could never have imagined.

The tools and fools of war...

What Bin Laden miscalculated was the Iranian ability to take his war and make it their own. He became the tool by which they were able to manuever behind the scenes and manipulate his conflict into their own war with the west. They are striving to unite Shiite and Sunni as he never could, by using the Israeli's. Iran is going after the US (and the western world) by going after the token western state in the heart of the Middle East. The pet project of western civilization. Israel.

By using Syria as the frontmen to support Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran is projecting it's plan for dominence and control. Knowing full well the inability of the US to control faction fighting (Shiite against Sunni) in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran is setting up the region to turn the tables upon the west with a united front. This will be achieved by creating an atmosphere of sympathy towards the cause of a united Muslim world against the US backed Israeli's. Instigating the plan, was achieved by goading Hamas and Hezbollah into attacking Israel. Both are small fish to fry in a larger plan. Token fools to be wasted in a grander scheme for dominence by the Shiite Iranians. Both are small groups of people with the short-sightedness to not see how they have been manipulated as puppets and tools in a larger playing field. They are the bait, by which Iran is patiently waiting to catch a bigger fish, a united Muslim front against the western world. The minute the situation escalates to the point that the western world through the UN sends in forces to support Israel is the minute Iran hopes to achieve it's goal. Their hope is that Muslims will no longer fight each other, but will instead unite to fight the west. If this is achieved by Muslim fighting Muslim (Sunni against Shiite) in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan in their opposition or support of the war with Israel, so be it. The weakening of these governments will in the long run create the environment to strengthen the united Muslim front. They believe that from chaos the Shiites will unite and conquer.

The extremist Shiite's in Iran have long been manipulating the rules. They are an enemy who has learned how to threaten and bully and intimidate to get what they want or to buy loyalty on a wide scale. They are very smart and should not be underestimated in their ability to plot and achieve their goals. For Iran, Bin Laden became a tool when he initiated the regional devastation of the Middle East. He brought the western world fight to the region, but if Iran succeeds they will bury the west in a way that Bin Laden never dreamed of. With the Shiite's in control.

The question remains what the Muslims of the world will do. Bin Laden believes that the Shiite based faithful are not the true believers. Where is Bin Laden now? Where is his call to support the war against the west by supporting Hamas and Hezbollah? How it must gall him to see how the Shiite's may emerge as the leaders of the Islamic movement for dominence, something he strived for as a Sunni but has never been able to achieve. The majority of the Sunni's in the world live in those very westernized countries that Bin Laden believes despoiled the faithful when the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist and the caliphs no longer ruled. Will the majority Sunni follow the minority Shiite lead in a full-scale war of religion? Is Iran capable of clouding the eyes, the hearts and minds of Sunni's with the promise of an Islamic world domination to achieve their goals of a Shiite run world? Is Iran capable of creating an illusion to the Muslims of the world that the war with Israel was a war started by the west against the whole Islamic population, rather than what it really is - the manipulation of the Shiite regime in Iran to gain world dominance?

What lesson may be learned here? Possibly, that religion will never create a united front - even if it is in the name of Allah.

At the very least that is what the infidels of the world must pray for.

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Would You Prefer Camel Dung?

The media loves to find a crack in the armor of the powerful. One small little slip and here we go...

During a luncheon meeting at the G8 summit President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair was talking. Luncheon conversations at this summit have been anything but light. Enlightening is more the word for it, as the press got an unexpected inner look at the relationship and the thoughts of George W. and Tony when a microphone was accidentally left open.

You know you are in the company of a true friend when you can not only tease and kid around, as Pres. Bush did with Tony about a sweater he had received from the English PM, but also curse in the next breath to him about the crisis in the Middle East. President Bush to Tony, "What they need to do is to get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit."

Wow, the President dropped the s-bomb. A big deal? Not hardly. But the media would report it this way, as did this news source who piped

It's not the first time the unwary President, who claims to be a born-again Christian, has been caught cursing. He called a New York Times reporter a "son of a bitch" to an open mike, told Wall Street Journal reporter Al Hunt "fuck you" in front of his daughters and, in a meeting with members of Congress, called the Constitution "just a goddamned piece of paper."

Gee, let's consider the source. Syria is supplying the attack on Israel. Israel has been an ally to the US in the Middle East for years. It's not like we don't have enough war right now without the Syrians helping to start another one. That might be a reason to curse. Calling a New York Times reporter a "son of a bitch" doesn't seem out of line either, considering the Times has been the open sore in a festering wound in the on-going upper-level governmental security leaks. As far as the incident with the WSJ reporter goes, I am sure that if George W. told him to f-off in front of his daughters, the guy had it coming. Those kind of public slips, don't come easily without provocation when you are the President.

Last but not least, the President called the Constitution, "just a goddamned piece of paper". He's right, even though the adjective used to describe it probably wasn't necessary. It is a piece of paper, that has become "a living" document to a bunch of people who see it's doctrine as capable of taking on a life of it's own that can be interpreted to meet today's needs as well as it did over 200 years ago. These same people have an attitude eerily similar to those of the extremist followers of the Koran and the Bible, who believe that word for word the text is a mandate to be followed explicitly, without application or allowance to meet the needs of an ever-changing world. Extremists, in any form, can be the source of real consternation when trying to create a harmonious atmosphere. So cursing here, does not seem entirely out of line to me either.

For those sanctimonious reporters, who think that being a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or any believer means you aren't human and shouldn't curse, think again. People are people, and regardless of how pious they are supposed to be and try to be, it isn't a happening thing in real life. Life isn't easy, in fact it can be a real bitch at times. Especially, when you are trying to keep camel dung from being flung.

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The Land Of Two Gods

As the news reports come in from the Middle East it is apparent that the fighting will escalate. Where it will take the world at large is any man's guess.

From Lebanon the Prime Minister Fouad Siniora is denying any government endorsement or prior knowledge to the retaliatory attacks made by the terrorist organization Hezbollah upon Israel in support of the Palestine terrorist organization who have held an Israeli soldier captive since June 25. For Siniora and others within the Lebanese government the denial falls very short of the mark.

For years Hezbollah has been active within Lebanon despite being recognized as a terrorist organization. So active, that Hezbollah has been

holding seats in the Lebanese parliament and providing social services such as schools, hospitals and other charity programs. Hezbollah fighters operate with almost total autonomy in southern Lebanon, and the government has no control over their actions, according to The Associated Press. But Lebanon has long resisted international pressure to disarm the group.

That is where any denial of involvement by the Lebanonese government falls short.

Israel has bombed with efficiency the airport in Beirut and many other infrastructure resources to create a vacuum from which the Hezbollah can not run unless it is by land through the Syrian border. The warning to Syria comes not from Israel at this point but from President Bush, who said,

Israel has the right to defend itself and declared that Syria "needs to be held to account" for supporting and harboring Hezbollah.

"If you really want the situation to settle down, the soldiers need to be returned," the president said. "My attitude is this: there are a group of terrorists who want to stop the advance of peace. Those of us who are peace-loving must work together to help the agents of peace."

I am afraid the peace-loving agents within the Middle East are few and far between. Especially when the source of almost all conflict is based upon extremist religion. Hezbollah is a Shiite based terrorist organization that actively receives support from Iran and Syria, and who has sympathizers and supporters covertly supporting them from all regions of the Middle East.

There are no "peace-lovers" in extremist religion. Call it terrorism if you will, but the bottom line is that in the land of two Gods you are judged by your religion, not your nationality. For the Muslim extremist, the Jew has been the enemy for centuries and any infidel in support of the Jew marked for the same treatment. This is a war of religion, a war over land steeply embedded in religious history and claimed as "holy land" by opposing religious sides. Regardless of the political posturing, in the end choices will be made by religious orientation. This conflict will not end soon, it has had too many centuries of practice.

Regardless of how you pray to God, it is time for the true "peace-lovers" of the world to place humanity and the price of human life over a fight based on whose God is the right God. What fools men of the world are to believe that two religions that purportedly have the same God could have created such different doctrine for his followers. God did not start this war, mankind did. Mankind created religions and religious practices and doctrines. By doing so, mankind created conflict. It is up to mankind to stop it.

Unfortunately, we do not have the wisdom of God to know exactly how to do that.

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Scratch That Itch

July is beginning to really irritate me. Literally.

Last year, right before the 4th of July my fiance and I went out to clear brush and I ended up with a bout of poison ivy that covered both legs from the knees down. At that time I "doctored" myself with common topical creams, etc. and suffered through about a month of itchy misery.

My fiance's words of wisdom, "Don't wear shorts while working out in the timber". (A source of another form of irritation for me that I had to endure at the time).

You would think I would learn (sigh)...

So this year ON the 4th of July we set out to once more clear brush. The 4th was on Tuesday this year. By Wednesday night I had a scratchy throat and was sneezing and coughing. At the time I thought that either my allergies were kicking in or that I was coming down with a summer cold.

Thursday when I got up I felt bad, but by the time I had gotten out of the shower to go to work my sneezing had become violent and I had begun to cough to the point of choking. It was too late to call in, so off to work I went. By 8 am my Supervisor approached me and said "you need to go home". I had been assigned 7 patients and would have gladly gone, but she couldn't find a replacement for me and I was not about to overload her with my patients and her own responsibilities. So I left work that night with the understanding I would not be back the next day "to get over it".

Thursday night I felt bad, but had no idea how bad bad could get. Friday I woke up with the beginnings of what appeared to be a rash on my stomach. I knew I had a temperature because I had suffered from episodes of chills throughout the night, so rationalized the rash as being "fever-related". I also began to wheeze to the point it was hard to catch my breath at times. But, being the stubborn person that I am and personally seeing enough of doctors at work to not want to subject myself to them during my time off (sick or not) I was determined to "tough it out".

Saturday morning found me up at 3am with my skin crawling, a raging fever, and wheezing to the point (between sneezing and coughing) that I felt at one point maybe I was getting into respiratory trouble. This episode was over about as quickly as it started and once more I passed on the thought of going to the doctor. I remained up until 11pm that night, in the recliner, lethargically pointing and clicking the remote control at the tv. As my temperature flared, I took ibuprophen. As my temperature flared, I developed diarrhea. As my temperature flared, my rash spread to my back. I was one miserable person.

Sunday found me feeling somewhat better. I was no longer wheezing and my sneezing and coughing had subsided. The diarrhea stopped. Things were looking up except for that rash which continued to increase on my abdomen and back. I convinced myself that was all-in-all I was "doing better" and that once I had this bug out of my system the rash would go away.

Monday things took a turn again. Once more, I began to run a higher temperature. By that night my sneezing and coughing began again with a vengeance. And by that night it was obvious that I didn't have just a rash, but poison ivy. The rash was now spreading to my face, neck, arms, hands, and legs. I could finally see the runners of red rash that look like streaks of blisters. I gave up that night and called in to work for Tuesday with the understanding I would go to the doctor.

Did I say I hate going to the doctor? I hate it so much, that although I have insurance through work, I have never gotten around to finding a doctor to go to. So I ended up going to a walk-in emergency clinic run by a couple of ER doc's that work with the same hospital system I do. I got lucky. After 15 minutes of paperwork time I was in the exam room. After examining me, the good doctor said he wasn't sure based on what he was seeing that I ever had had a virus (a cold). He said that if I had gotten the spore from the poison ivy into my respiratory system the end result could create all the respiratory problems I had. I had a low grade temp at the time of the doctors visit (11 am) and he said that a temp under the circumstances could be a symptom related to having that severe of a poison ivy attack. Within 25 minutes I had been given a steroid shot, a prescription for an oral steroid dose pack, told to double up on my allergy medicine to help dry up my excess secretions and was on my way out the door with a "do not return to work" order until the medicine had time to kick in.

I am totally exhausted from not sleeping, from trying not to scratch, and having absolutely no energy left. My fiance had no grand words of wisdom this time. Once more I did have shorts on while I worked (I already said I was stubborn), but this time the rash began and localized where I had been covered up. It was in the latter stages that it spread to my extremities.

I have learned something from this whole ordeal though. I will never, ever attempt to clear brush in July again.

Additional forms of irritation...

While spending so much wasted time in front of the tv I found that irritation can come in many forms. You know you have spent enough time on one channel when you have the commercials memorized. And the sequence that the commercials appear in.

Also, it is absolutely irritating to already be irritated, but to have that irritation pushed to the extreme with political posturing and mudslinging. If I hear one more time how "much Christian values mean to me" as part of a political campaign I may puke. Not that I don't think having Christian values is a good thing (because I do), but when touting abilities to be a good leader, someone should remind the blithering idiots who are running the campaigns for the candidates here in Oklahoma that trying to impress the public that YOUR candidate is a bigger, better Christian than your opposition, is not a very Christian thing to do. Correct me if I am wrong, but being virtuous does not include being a braggert - especially when you are trying to come across as being virtuous.

Check out the Oklahoma Political News Service to learn how virtuous our leaders and wannabe's are. I will leave further political commentary to Oklahoma PNS for now. I have enough irritations as it is.

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Land Of The Free, Home Of The Brave

An open letter to those brave service men and women who are dedicated to keeping it that way:

First off, saying thank you never seems like it is enough. Especially, when saying thank you doesn't give you any idea how much what you do really means to me (and trust me - I am not alone in those sentiments). I am just one middle-aged mother. I haven't had the life experiences you have had. I don't "understand" because of that. It doesn't mean I care any less or underestimate the work that you do.

I know military families just like yours. I see what they do to support what you do. I pray for not only you, but them too. It takes special people to step up to the plate like you all have done. It takes the love of a family to support what you do. It takes a special love for your country to serve.

So I guess what I am trying to say is don't be surprised when someone like me walks up to you and says thanks and then either gives you a hug or a pat on the arm with tears in their eyes. It's not like we can really do anything more, except let you know we care. We can't change the media, we can't undo political policy, we can't win the hearts of a people that lost their hearts to savagery eons ago.

What we can do is love you and let you know we support you. And we do.

God bless you all.

Please celebrate with me this 4th of July, by remembering our service men and women. Freedom isn't free, it has been won through bravery such as theirs.



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Oklahoma National Guard Kids Camp 2006

(Mama, mama can't you see, what this camp has done for me?...)

Today marked the close of Kids Camp for 140(+) dependents ages 9-13 of active and retired Oklahoma National Guard personnel. My youngest started as a camper 3 years ago while his brother was in Iraq and returned last year as a volunteer and this year served (at the age of 15) as a group leader for the thirteen year old campers.

Things of note about this camp experience -

* many children have one or both parent(s) overseas now or has been in the last three years.
* a reduction in volunteers this year occurred due to personnel serving in active military duties overseas.
* the camp is held each year at Camp Gruber located in Braggs, OK (which served as a Hurricane Katrina relief center last year).
* although this camp has a military theme to it (no, it is not a boot camp) kids are active in projects ranging from art to science and fun activities such as swimming.

My son's impression of camp -

* when his brother (who is his role model in life) was in Iraq he was bolstered by the officers and enlisted personnel who spent the week there "filling in" the gap left by his brother's absence.
* he likes camp regardless of his duties, whether it was being a glorified gopher (as a general volunteer and camp worker last year) or by being placed as third in command (squad leader duties) over the 13 year olds this year doing everything they were expected to do and leading by example.
* he said he hollered a lot at his charges. (He doesn't remember being a 13 year old). His impression of that age group - they are sloppy, they are lazy, they whine a lot, they can be lovesick puppies, and they can say really weird things (one of his girls asked the Oklahoma Adjutant General's pilots who flew him in by chopper why they didn't paint the helicopters a "pretty color like pink").
* he was proud of them in the end, when they won the camp drill contest (cadence marching at it's best) and his nominee for best boy camper was selected. Eight hours later, he still is saying he can't believe they won.

My impression of camp -
* you see first hand the faces of kids left behind - it never fails to amaze me how earnest they are to try their hand at what Mom or Dad does daily in military life.
* even the littlest camp kids, who attend daycare while their parents serve as volunteers, want to "march like the big kids" in the parade activities at the end of camp.
* the volunteers are the military's best and (probably most) unsung hero's - given the fact they could spend a week's vacation doing anything they wanted to that didn't include the military, they choose to volunteer to spend the week with a bunch of kids in what resembles vaguely their days in boot camp.
* it has changed my son's life. He was a whining, sloppy, lazy thirteen year old when he first attended and because of camp has become a leader (through example) to a group of winners. He went from being a shy kid to a teenager that could chant cadence with some of the best drill sergeants I've seen in the years I spent as a military mother.
* My son has not left the couch, except to wash his clothes, since his return. I've got a feeling a lot of the volunteers he served with probably are spending the rest of their day the same way.

God bless our Military, their families, and especially their children. God bless those volunteers who keep coming back yearly to serve up an experience that these kids otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy.

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