My dad had started struggling to breathe, so we took him to the ER (Sterling Regional Medical Center) in April 2020. They would not allow us to be with him. He had dementia and tested negative for Covid.
The doctor called and was going to set up home 02 with a follow up from his regular doctor. We waited several hours to get the call to pick him up. We called the hospital only to find out that they admitted him.
The doctor upstairs wanted us to sign off on a ventilator, we told them absolutely not! He didn't share with us as to why he was admitted.
We think because we said no to the ventilator, they called the next day and were going to discharge him. They sent him home, but he still needed 02, which they never said anything about. Once we got him home, it was clear he needed 02. We called and we were told we'd have to take him back to ER to get the order. We had family that had an 02 concentrator so we put him on oxygen and he started having some relief.
Later in the day, his regular doctor had a teleconference with us and let us know that dad’s organs were shutting down and he would live maybe 7 to 14 days. He also thought it would be detrimental for him to be in the hospital. He told us that he would order the 02 because he did need it. He made sure we had everything we needed to care for him at home in place. We were so grateful to care for him at home. He passed peacefully on April 17th, 2020, surrounded by family.
Then, on December 8th, 2020, my younger brother Rod (58) tested positive for Covid. On the 13th of December he was admitted to Community Hospital for Covid Pneumonia. He did received Remdesivir and seemed to manage pretty well with that. He was discharged on December 17th, on 3-4 liters of oxygen. As time went on he continued to struggle with his breathing. Sometimes he was unable to walk two or three steps, struggling to catch his breath. His wife took him to the ER on January 21, and they found out he was having a-fib (atrial fibrillation). While he was in the ER, they gave him an IV blood thinner before sending him home. He was told to call his doctor once he was home for follow up care. His wife at times had to turn up his oxygen, because he was unable to catch his breath. They called his doctor on Monday and the doctor didn't want to see him, just ordered a blood thinner that he was to take for 5 days. (His wife was also recovering from Covid, so my sister and I decided to travel to their place and help with cooking and cleaning.) On our way to the other side of the state, Rod's wife called and said they had to take him to the hospital.
We arrived in Grand Junction early afternoon, and they had admitted Rod to the Fruita Hospital. They had been allowing one family member in until the day Rod was admitted. That was on January 8th, 2021.
He really didn't want to go, he believed he would die in the hospital alone and he didn't want to die without his family. We all believed he would have the care he needed there, so he couldn't come home.
He seemed to be responding well to treatments he was on. His room was on the ground floor, so we were able to go see him and talk to him through the window (it broke our hearts to do that). He looked great and was able to speak so we were able to make out some things he said. He told us to come back the next day and he'll have them put him in the chair by the window so we could visit again.
The next morning, he called his wife and let her know that his lungs weren't healing so they were going to send him to St Mary’s, and he would have to be put on a ventilator. Our hearts sank.
He was transferred to St Mary's on Jan 14th, 2021. They wanted to put him on the ventilator. They constantly were badgering him. He finally relented and let them. His wife was never in favor of that. Why we didn't break him out, we'll never know. Four days later after being badgered he was put on a vent! His family got to finally go in and see him for an hour AFTER he was vented. This whole thing was just criminal.
They called us by FaceTime so we could see him. He was so swollen. He had subcutaneous emphysema due to the vent. After he was vented, the doctor wanted his wife to have him sent to an Acute Care Center. She said no. They just didn't want to continue to care for someone they knew would die.
On Jan 18th they told his wife they needed to put in a tracheotomy so his lungs could heal. That seemed to be their go to response for everything. They put one in on Jan 27th, 2021. He finally was at peace on February 3rd, 2021.
I believe all of us were lied to, quite often.
On Sept. 9th my youngest brother Ron (52) was admitted to Sterling Regional Medical Center (BANNER HEALTH). We took him the day before only to have him sent home on 02. Several friends and family were treated exactly the same way.
We once again could not be there with him. His wife was home with Covid. Ron was admitted with Covid Pneumonia, and we believe he was treated horribly! Not one medical personnel ever called his wife to report changes or emergencies. He was admitted on a Thursday and on Sunday morning they had put him on a vent. Family called to check on him around 8:00 a.m. and it was at that time she was informed of him being put on a ventilator.
After looking at his records, the doctor stated family was notified and that was not true. He had a son, but he was in the military, so his wife needed Dr. Grey to sign a form for us to get him home and she did nothing but become rude and aggressive with Ron's wife! These people will never be trusted.
She also was rude to his daughter when she wanted him taken to any hospital but BANNER HEALTH, because he needed to be flown out. His daughter was frightened and didn't want her dad to have "Bad Care". The doctor stated when they found a bed, they would notify her as to when the helicopter would come to pick Ron up. Because the family live across the street from the hospital, they called Ron's wife and said a helicopter landed a little bit ago. His daughter called to see if that was for her dad, and they really didn't want to tell her. WHY was that?
We all met up and at the helicopter pad and waited for Ron to come out to be flown to Greeley. That was the last time most of us saw him alive.
Once he got to the hospital, Ron's wife and family were never called by any doctor treating him until his kidney's failed. They were afraid of getting aggressive asking questions for fear of how he would be treated.
He had been given Remdesivir. His kidneys were now shutting down and finally one doctor called his wife to let her know they needed to do dialysis. He called once and she never heard from him again!
There is so much more to all these stories… about the lack of compassion, care, and treatment that we feel our loved ones were denied.
Ron passed away on Sept. 26th, 2021. I pray one day all the people responsible, come forward and do the right thing. Be honest about why and how people were treated. Did they do what they did all in the name of money? Was it worth it? Was it? Sacrificing your ethics?
I wish we could have been with our family members to advocate, to comfort, and to truly offer help to the health care teams that I know were tired and overworked. I pray that they can sleep at night and not see all the faces of our loved ones that were taken way too soon.
Steling, CO