@coolrich001, I am afraid that is going to be my son, that he won't be able to handle prison well.

This just keeps getting better. We thought we had some things taken care of, my son was getting his boost every day (his diet is still screwed up), and he was getting his inhalers every day. Now I found out that they stopped the boost (because they ran out???) and they stopped his spiriva. He was told by the nurse that the doctor at CCA Main office cancelled it, apparently said it wasn't in their formulary (but the had been supplying it). The nurse also said, basically they didn't want to pay for it anymore. But they took him off of it without replacing it. He has also never seen this doctor. So now I get to make some calls Monday to bitch and try to get his inhaler back. Guess I will start with the warden.

I figured this was going to happen and they would start playing their silly games. As I said, you will have to stay on them to get anything done.

If the truth were known they have probably never heard of the medical condition you son has. These prison facilities are pretty good for headaches or ingrown toenails, but nothing else.

Kitty, the problem is that they just have a tendency to let an inmate suffer because they won't treat him. They are negligent in many cases.

I am so sorry that they are acting this way toward your son who needs better medical treatment. His medical needs are certainly unique but if the prison system is going to put people in prison, then they need to take care of them.

The medical facilities in prison are always substandard and the physicians there are usually quacks who have had their professional licenses revoked or they are on probation for a mistake they made in their practice.

Let me tell you how ignorant they are. When I first went in, after about a month, the CO told me that medical wanted to see me right away and that it was urgent. I was at a medium so they had razor wire fences everwhere and the CO had to open up the gates so I could walk down to medical.

Keep in mind I have a degree in the medical field and worked with people for almost 25 years----and I was not a quack. Another fact that you need to know to make some sense out of this story is that I had a terrible car wreck years ago and I sustained a head injury.

As a result, I had about three or four seizures a year or so after the wreck, and the doctor in my home town put me on a drug called Dilantin. Dilantin is rather harmless, not a controlled substance, has no abuse potential, no addiction worries, etc.

Nobody would take Dilantin unless they really needed it as it does not give one a "high" or any mood changes. Dilantin is not even a controlled substance.

I walk in there and this nurse says, "The doctor needs to see you right away."

I walk into this room and here is this little man who looked about 150 years old waiting for me. He could barely walk and a 20 MPH wind would have blown him over. His hands were shaking like he had Parkinsonism on steroids and he had on a ridiculous shirt. It was all I could do was laugh as he looked like some cartoon character.

He said, "I am worried that the other inmates may harm you and try to steal your medication." At that time, I received a 30 day supply of Dilantin; I did not go to the pill line daily as some inmates did.

Then he starts in, "Dilantin is a very powerful narcotic and a habit forming drug. If the other inmates find out you have it, they will rob you. We just cannot allow that, so I am going to change it to something less powerful. I am going to start you on some ibuprofen. Dilantin is a controlled drug anyway, so we need to stop it."

I sat there with a blank look on my face. I thought to myself, "This guy is a doctor??? He doesn't even know what Dilantin is."

Finally he talked some more and I interrupted, "Dilantin is not a controlled substance. I don't know what you are talking about." Then he starts arguing with me, that I don't know what I am talking about, that I am only an INMATE, etc.

Then he said something---I don't remember what exactly----that caused a bell to go off in my head. He was getting Dilantin confused with Dilaudid. Dilaudid is hydromorphone and a schedule II narcotic, a very powerful opiate analgesic. It ranks right up there with morphine.

This guy does not even know the difference between Dilantin and Dilaudid, and he is entrusted to take care of inmates??? Geez.

I said are you talking about Dilantin or Dilaudid? He got this strange look on his face and started going through this PDR (Physicians Desk Reference). I just sat there with a blank look.

He finally said, "Oh yeah, I was getting the two mixed up. I guess that clears everything up. You can go now."

Any medical professional should NEVER get Dilantin and Dilaudid confused. They are as different as night and day. I knew then that this guy had no idea what he was doing.

But this is the kind of medical personnel they have in prison. If the physicians were capable they would be earning ten times as much on the street instead of working with a bunch of inmates.

Kitty, you will have to stay on these prison officials to get anything done. I hope they begin to get the message and treat your son as a human being rather than an inmate.

rewdiazepam

rew, thanks for the giggle (I needed it). Your are correct about one thing, most people (even doctors) have no idea what marfans syndrome is. We actually had a primary care actually sit there with his phone and do an internet search (at least he cared enough to admit he was unfamiliar with it and look it up).
My son has not seen an actual MD, the closest hes gotten has been a DO (and he told me the guy looked like a teenager).
I have gotten used to having to explain marfans to people, I'd never heard of it myself until my son was diagnosed, but the Spiriva is an inhaler it opens up your lungs so you can breathe, he needs that due to the emphysema along with the tissue damage caused by the marfans. Even a quack knows what emphysema is. They gave him bendalin? (a rescue inhaler) even though it does not work for him, and they are allowing him to keep his advair, so they clearly are aware that he has breathing issues. So Monday morning, I will call the warden, try to locate and call the regional centralized office, and head of DOC. Hopefully I can get someone to listen.

Hopefully you will get some results by working up he chain. It will take time
Also, I am away this week so my computer time will be very limited.

Talked to my son last night. They gave him back the 7 day supply "sample pack" that he went there with. The nurse said they were supposed to change to something else, but the doctor who stopped the spiriva, failed to put in the order for the replacement., and I just got a call from him this morning, he is leaving for Montana within a half hour.

What a nightmare.
Seems like the only thing our government spends their money on is putting it's citizens in prison. People say this is the greatest country in the world.. Maybe it used to be.

You're a good mom. Not everyone on the inside has such support as your son. He'll be ok. I worried about my son as well. He has food allergies and very shy, and he's only 5'3" , 130 lbs and got hit on when he first went in. He would call me everyday when he was in county waiting to be transferred. The stress and angst in his voice, the pleading to get him out of there.. It took 10 years off of my life.

But he made it out and he's safe at home. It's a long haul, but you seem a strong woman and you'll help him thru it.

@ Nakohichi, Thanks for the words of encouragement. Glad your son is home. I hope your right, I ;pray every day that he makes it through this..

@Nakohichi, it has to stop sometime. At this rate, they can put most of productive young adult in jail just in the name of CP. If there is ever a war, there might not be enough young men to fight it, or they will send in SO first.