| Malpractice. That is a really bad thing for the | | | | big family like that, trying to keep them all |
| person having to live with the result of if. Denis is | | | | together, something they didn't care a bit about. |
| a victim of this and is suffering for life. The | | | | Sweden was in a big financial depression and so |
| following took place in Sweden and that makes it | | | | were the family. |
| even worse, since they don't have any | | | | My associate couldn't find a job and after all those |
| compensation to speak of. It's no more than | | | | years as a farmer's wife and a mother of 7, |
| pocket money, no matter how badly the | | | | taking care of her own children, she had nothing |
| malpractice hits you. | | | | to offer anyway. In the summer of 1994, she |
| It started back in 1988. The family were farmers | | | | got sick too. I suppose all the worries finally got |
| with a rather big farm. Denis had never been sick | | | | to her and she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. |
| like that before so it came right out of the blue. | | | | More pain in the family and she also ended up in a |
| One morning he couldn't get out of bed, his back | | | | wheelchair for a short time before she started to |
| was the problem. Once they finally got him up, he | | | | fight back. I suppose she was fighting back for all |
| could barely walk and move. They got him to the | | | | of them and she managed to find a house just |
| doctor in the nearby village. The diagnosis was | | | | outside town that was for rent. That saved them |
| Ischias Lumbago. No question about that. The | | | | from going nuts. To be back on the countryside |
| doctor was very clear on that. At the time they | | | | and with a garden outside! Even my Denis had a |
| had 19 horses to take care of and their 7 children | | | | short time of feeling a little better. Enough to get |
| were between 1 and 15 years old. With Denis | | | | a job at the local football club as a handyman. For |
| totally knocked out from pain, the children and | | | | 2 years his pain was at a level that gave him the |
| my associate lasted a year. It was a tough year, | | | | chance to work with something he loved. Football! |
| believe me, and it was with great pain that they | | | | They were all very happy for him but it didn't last |
| decided to sell and move to a smaller farm, but it | | | | and he got worse very quickly in early 1997. The |
| had to be done. | | | | same fight to get him to experts started all over |
| Denis didn't get any better. It didn't help a bit that | | | | and finally in early August they succeeded with a |
| the doctor kept telling them that he would. After | | | | lot of help from their own local doctor. |
| moving, in November 1989, he got a new doctor | | | | What do you think they found when finally giving |
| in the nearby little town. Since his records were | | | | him a full X-ray? A tumor as big as an egg |
| sent to that doctor, the same happened again. It | | | | growing on his spine! It only took them 9 years to |
| was Ischias and no need to look any further. The | | | | find it! It was a miracle it didn't kill him every time |
| fact that he kept getting worse didn't change | | | | it started to grow during all those years. Well, |
| that. He just got new painkillers all the time | | | | they got into a panic and he was finally sent to |
| instead and was sent to different physical training. | | | | the biggest hospital in Gothenburg to have the |
| He ended up using walking sticks to be able to | | | | tumor removed. The operation took 11 hours and |
| walk but even that didn't get the doctors to feel | | | | he survived but with much permanent nerve |
| they needed to look for another reason behind all | | | | damage. I won't go into details, since that is very |
| the pain. Denis' own doctor tried several times | | | | personal for him, you can guess. |
| during this time to get the experts in the nearby | | | | He was only 48 years old when this happened. |
| big hospital to give him a full scan since at least he | | | | Anyway the big damage was to have no balance, |
| felt this was not right. Ischias is very painful but it | | | | he can't stand without holding on to something. His |
| is supposed to come and go, not give the person | | | | right foot is partly paralyzed and he needs |
| suffering from it constant pain 24/7/365. | | | | support inside his shoe to be able to walk straight |
| Nothing happened. They just kept sending letters | | | | but he still looks like Charlie Chaplin while trying to |
| between them about how they treated Denis. | | | | walk. At first he couldn't walk at all but he is a |
| New pills, stronger and stronger until he was a | | | | fighter, stubborn enough to move mountains. The |
| wreck. | | | | doctors at the big hospital in Gothenburg helped |
| On top of everything, Sweden was in big financial | | | | him to file complaints through the hospital |
| problems in the early 90´s and so was | | | | insurance for malpractice. Well, what can I say? If |
| Denis' family, and in 1992 they lost it all, the farm, | | | | the family had lived in the USA, they would have |
| their horses, everything. They were forced to | | | | ended up multi millionaires for what those doctors |
| move to an apartment in the nearby town. It | | | | did to Denis, but they live in Sweden so they |
| was like ending up on the moon. Not easy for a | | | | ended up almost 2 millions in debt for life. |
| farmer's family to adjust to that new life, living on | | | | You see, they do not pay back the real financial |
| the Swedish welfare with 7 children and still with a | | | | loss, only a small amount of money for the |
| very, very sick man. Have you ever lived for a | | | | suffering and pain. Denis didn't get as much as one |
| long time with someone in pain? Trust me, it is | | | | "I'm sorry" from the 3 experts that caused all |
| very difficult and it causes problems for the whole | | | | this, since they never bothered to look any |
| family. | | | | further. The family did succeed in giving the |
| The Social welfare started a war against this | | | | doctors a warning but that was all. They are very |
| family. I suppose they had never dealt with a | | | | lucky to still have him with them and he is even |
| normal family before. They forced them to move | | | | more lucky to see his grandchildren growing up. |
| 5 times in 2½ years. Can you imagine how | | | | To be a Grandpa is big thing for him and he |
| difficult it was to find somewhere to live with a | | | | enjoys every minute together with them. |