Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Andrea Clark Update: Recovering and the "Ethics" Meeting

Lone Star Times has the original Post. A quote from her sister (link):

How am I doing? I am doing FABULOUS! My sister, Andrea, is GETTING WELL. Her white blood cell count has been down to normal for the FOURTH day in a ROW now, and she has been able to get off of the blood pressure raising drugs that she has had to be on for MONTHS. She is doing GREAT. Her new doctor … has also halved the amount of pain medications that she is taking, so that she can talk to her family. He says that her condition is "serious," but that she does have the ability to get much better.

The futility proceedings are stopped now. Because this new doctor took over her case, it is all stopped.

I’m so happy I don’t know what to think, or say, or do. Not only is my sister NOT going to be put to death by St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, but it also looks like she is RECOVERING from her heart surgery, finally.

There is still the "ethics" meeting that will look at the case again. But that was going on this morning. And may God be praised, here is the news from that:

Folks, we have excellent news out of the meeting this morning! According to Jerri Ward, a doctor by the name of Matthew Lenz, who disagrees with the medically futile designation, has taken over Andrea’s case and the hospital is cooperating with him. That means Andrea is no longer in danger of having her life support pulled by the hospital.

To everyone who called, put out the word, or did anything at all on this case, great job! You have undoubtedly helped save Andrea’s life. Score one for the good guys!

1 comment:

Gina said...

I'm sure the family isn't thinking that way, but there is real room here for a malpractice suit. The hospital almost put her sister to death and it seems it was mainly their own negligence and criminally messed-up ethics that was the problem all along.

Will keep praying for her recovery!