My 78-year-old father, John Curror Fleming, went to Piedmont Fayetteville Hospital April 2023 due to an infection of an indwelling catheter. We were given horrible advice to leave the catheter on daddy because of a backed-up bladder issue which happened in October 2022. He had a mildly swollen prostate with normal kidney function.
Daddy had always been very independent, lived on his own, loved to drive, take trips, eat out, shop, etc. Although he had a stroke in July of 1986, daddy enjoyed life and never stopped exercising and was very active. The indwelling catheter carried a lot of bacteria which was aggravating his heart causing daddy to feel very sleepy and weak the morning of April 3rd, 2023.
Although daddy was doing great with in-home therapy and exercising, the infection lead us back to the ER. I had no antibiotics in my house. I was advised by his home therapy to go get him to the ER. I was worried the infection could turn into sepsis.
Daddy's vitals were good, and he was given antibiotics at the hospital. I was told he would be able to come home in a few days. I stayed with daddy every day and went home to sleep at night. The infection cleared within a few days. By April 10th daddy was eating and talking and acting like himself. He sat up in a chair for 5 hours watching TV and eating dinner. His records say he was slowly improving and alert. I was called by his case worker to say he would be coming home for his therapy in a few days.
The next day on April 11th daddy was still doing good. A horrible, rude, out of town nurse screamed at daddy for wanting to get into a chair to watch TV. She said he was too large to help to a chair. Later that day I noticed my father was having a lot of diarrheas. He asked for help to sit on a side toilet, but the nurse refused even when I offered to help her.
Several of the doctors seemed confused, thinking my father had a recent stroke and did not know he was wearing a catheter bag which was aggravating his heart. I had to tell them the stroke was from over 30 years ago several times. I don't think they even bothered to read my dad's records.
Later, on April 11th, an arrogant, horrific, Middle East doctor was put over my dad's care and wanted to do a x- ray contrast dye test. They told me it was all routine and safe, just to look at the lower abdomen. I found out later it is well known that contrast dye should not be given to elderly with heart failure. I thought they were trying to help, although my dad told me not to get the test and told me to take him home that day, as he was feeling good.
I made a fatal mistake in trusting the doctor. Within an hour of the x- ray dye test, after daddy ate his dinner, daddy's neck began to swell. He told me to get a nurse, he was having trouble breathing. A team of respiratory therapists came running saying this was an "allergic reaction" to the contrast dye; they see it all the time.
The out-of-town nurse took off after the contrast dye was given and was oddly gone for the day. They were short of staff in ICU, so I had to get another nurse to help my dad. The respiratory therapist gave daddy 3 nebulizer treatments into the night. He seemed to feel better, and his breathing was normal.
Daddy told me to go home and rest about 11:30pm, but by the morning of April the 12th, daddy called me at 9 am and sounded strange, calling my name out and hanging up. I hurried to the hospital and found daddy on a Bi-pap machine asleep blowing hard air into his lungs. He was also filling up with a lot of fluids around his heart. The nurse seemed worried and later a group of respiratory therapists gathered around my dad's room looking worried. I was told the Bi-pap machine was good for his lungs and breathing, it would "give his lungs a rest". I learned later that a Hi Flow Bi pap is well known to be dangerous and collapse lungs.
I talked to the doctor and told him about the "allergic reaction". He did not say anything other than my dad was "old and weak". I assumed it was nothing to worry about since the doctor did not seem concerned.
Without my knowledge my dad was given another dangerous drug "Empagliflozin". It said this should not be given to people over 65 with heart failure and with contrast dye, and side effects are breathing problems, weakness, and confusion. These were all the problems my dad was having. Hmm… This seems to have been done deliberately. Later in reviewing my dad's medical records, on April 11th the x-ray contrast dye and 3 nebulizer treatments seemed to have been deleted off the records. Hmm...
Without my knowledge, I learned later, they were giving my father a large drug cocktail consisting of 4 doses of laxatives and 3 powerful opioids: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Percocet from April 10th to April 15th. Daddy had no pain issues, and the side effects of the drugs cause low blood pressure, and breathing problems. Hmm…
Along with that, he was given several dangerous antibiotics, Dexamethasone from the 13th-16th which is not for heart failure. He was also given diuretics, and high blood pressure pills (Lopressor), when my dad was having low pressure, and a cancer drug Zofran…side effects are also breathing problems AND dad did not have cancer.
These protocols intentionally worsened my father’s heart failure and weakened his body to give him a drug induced decline. I felt uneasy to leave my dad alone at any time, although I had no idea what they were doing.
My dad asked me to take him home on the 10th and 11th and was feeling good. I wish I would have listened. His medical records on the 14th of April says, "The patient was observed removing pain pills from his cup placing them in his bed sheets. He stated he would take them later, patient was educated about pain management and was observed putting pill in mouth. I will monitor him closely." I believe my dad knew these pills were not helping him. The fact that he was too weak to speak and tell me what was happening while I was away, makes me very disgusted. This was very sinister.
The next few days daddy laid in bed with a Hi Flow Bi pap machine waking up and responding, but not able to talk much. Daddy was not strong enough to eat much other than applesauce. I asked the doctor about giving my dad some IV's (fluids) or a feeding tube to help him recover. He told me daddy was "old" over and over and "wait till the next day and we will see what happens". I started to worry that they did not want to help my dad get better at this point. I was told by a heart doctor, that my dad's heart could settle down in time and that he could be sent home with a C pap machine.
On the 13th of April the doctor called and says my dad has tested positive for COVID 19. They said this was a light case of COVID, not too serious. Daddy showed no symptoms of COVID. Even with the large cocktail of drugs in his system, daddy was still trying to do his therapy from the side of his bed on the 13th, 14th and 15th doing 3 sets of arms and leg reps with a therapist, but very fatigued. The doctor then said he was going to give daddy "remdesivir", but he was out of the window to use it. I did not approve of this drug, due to the negative reports we heard about it. Instead, they used several other dangerous drugs including Decadron also known to cause low blood pressure and more breathing problems. Daddy's weight went from 212 to 179 in just 14 days. I believe he was purposely dehydrated and starved. He was asking for water for several days.
On April 15th a nurse’s aide was alarmed by dark brownish blood in my dad’s mouth and teeth. We helped daddy brush his teeth. Daddy seemed weaker and laid in bed with nothing to eat, other than two Boost protein drinks I gave him. The doctor talked very negatively telling me my dad is "old" anyway.
Daddy passed away in my arms April 17th, 2023, as a beautiful sunbeam came through the window and shined on his face. The doctor came in later, devoid of any humanity, and said, "Your dad was old and asking to go home". My dad had been asking to go home to his family and cat. God is watching!! God help us!
Fayetteville, GA