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Neighbor News

Can you trust your medical care provider? I couldnt trust mine.

This is a little bit about my experience at Blount Memorial Hospital yesterday.

Today I requested a culture of my picc line I felt was infected. I was told only Dr. Russell J Smith could approve one but refused to. So I didnt let them pull it out. After raising some concern with BMH administration Dr. Smith visited me in 5East. He said ordering one was pointless; he wouldnt treat my infection if I had one. How can a doctor refuse you the medical care for a line he put in? Dr. Smith wanted to admit me to BMH, pull my line without a culture, start me on antibiotics, and watch my fever. How can you start me on meds for an infection you say I don't have? Dr. Smith made me feel like I was just stupid; his words and actions made me feel like I was trash beneath him. A picc line can be very harmful if it becomes infected and is left untreated; even lethal. I just dont know why this doctor was such a mean bully to me when all I wanted was his help to get better; instead I received anger and hatred.

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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