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Medical Malpractice Suits

July 19, 2011, I asked my GP what he thought the small white pimple like bump was, on my left cheek, he diagnosed it as a pimple. I disagreed and explained that it was not acting like a pimple, the size of the white area on a wooden matchstick. It never got sore, never got red and it never hurt nor produced a yellowish head, I said I'd had thousands of pimples but this was not acting like one, My Gp said that because I had to return in Dec for my next 6 months of med renewal, "he would re-evaluate it at that time, my thoughts were that "you'"are the Doctor in this situation, the only way to see a dermatologist is to be referred by your GP, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but he must know what he is doing.

Come Jan 9, 2012, I returned to my GP and he re-evaluated as the small white bump which had grown to the size of my baby fingernail, the GP re-diagnosed it now as an ingrown hair or possibly a plugged hair follicle placed be on a skin infection antibiotics (Biaxin) for 7 days and promised me that his staff, under his direction, would set up a dermatology appointment and his office staff would be in touch when the appointment was secured, this appointment never materialized. My wife made a call telling them that the growth was gaining in size daily and that an appointment was needed ASAP as promised by their doctor, she was met with an "I think you are overreacting" and the sparks flue.

My first 2 calls ended with a "no appointment has been secured, we are still looking for an appointment and will advise when it is secured. The third call ended with the staff demanding that I rebook the appointment with my GP because to much time had passed and, I'd need to see him about the same issue, I informed them that AHS had already paid to the GP "to secure an appointment" and another appointment would not happen. I asked them to have the GP call me, they said he is a busy man and I said, at work at my home "just have him call, no phone call ever was sent, By now we are into July of 2012 and the abscess on my left cheek has now grown to about the size of 1-1/2 times the size of a silver dollar. Something that was concerning my fellow workers and my brothers and their families over Christmas Day celebrations Dec 25, 2011, as well as many friends.

I awoke on the third weekend in July 2012 and for the first time from day one (July 19, 2011) when the white bump occurred, it was bothering me, so I went to the walk-in clinic and explained all the above to this Doctor, he immediately after hearing the story put me on another antibiotic (Keflex) and told me "that if my face was sore the next weekend I was to go to the Emergency at the Foothills Hospital and have them freeze my face, select 10 to 12 sites to locate and lance and clean out the abscess now covering my entire left cheek, the following weekend the Emergency Doctors froze my face after I shared my story and with... syringe the picked 10 to 12 sites to probe, abscess and drain, they could not find the abscess so I was sent to the Infectious Disease Dept at the McCaig Center and started on liquid antibiotics as they delivered the antibiotics Clindamycin more efficiently and effectively, had an IV placed on my hand and received my first treatment and then was sent home to return the next AM and every day after, until things started changing.

I returned Sunday AM for secound treatmemt, the two Doctors had already decided that because they had no idea what was presenting itself and possibile liquid IV was not a desired protocol, they took out the IV and told me " you must contact your GP and get an emergency appointment as they did no like what they were looking at. The next day, Monday Aug 1, 2012 I phoned my GP's office and demanded an emergency appointment ( they got there double billing anyway). I was upset with my GP and let him have it, what had not transpired and tried to get some answers from him, finnally stating the "he personally would look after setting up the "new"appointment himself" and would call personally when, and wear as soon as possible. I left his office and with his ok fill out a pill form for antibiotic Clindamycin and had the pharmacy fill it. I left Aug 10 for my nieces wedding in Kelowna and was told to stay out of the sun as-as we left, this second dermatology appointment had of yet been secured, we then went on a weeks holiday, returning the following weekend, there was a message that a dermatology appointment had been secured in another 2 weeks.

Arriving at this appointment I was greeted by the Dermatologist ushered into his office and I explained what had brought me here. I also explained the 5 leg like tentacles now leaving the mass in 5 different directions, one to the top of my left ear, one traveling at an angle to the hinge part of the left jaw, one heading out of the mass in the direction of the left corner on my left mouth and the fifth one working its way to the right side of my nose stretching along the nose extending up the nose almost to the left eyebrow. I had him feel them, they were hard but you could not see them. The Dermatologist the said "I'm going to put you back on the Clindamycin "antibiotics" 3 times a day for another three weeks, come back and see me when you finished," upon my return, he can close to me, took a quick look affected area and Stated " nothing has changed, I'll make you an appointment with a Day Surgeon to have the abscess lanced and cleaned out, I was then told that the doctors staff would call with the appointment and was ushered out of his office.

On the 26 of September 2012 I arrived at day surgery and was prepped for this lancing procedure and was then greeted by a surgeon and he sat on a stool beside me, he then began asking all the questions on what brought me to this procedure. when I had finished he asked me "what were the results of the biopsy?" I got a look on my face and said that not a single doctor I'd seen even mentioned a biopsy, his next question directed toward me was "your kidding me, right!?", I said no one mentioned a biopsy nor was a sample of the abscess taken, NO biopsy never. The Surgeon excused himself and left the room returning about 10 - 15 minutes with another surgeon in tow who sat down on the stool and introduced himself and proceeded to ask the same questions about what brought me here today and also hit me again with the "what were the results of the biopsy, again I answered the same as the first, "no Doctor from day one ever talked about, suggested nor was a sample taken from my face it went from a pimple to an ingrown hair or a possible plugged hair follicle. Both Surgeons excused themselves and left the operating room, to have a word in the hallway but I couldn't understand what they were saying. About 10 minutes later the first Surgeon re-entered the operating room sat down and shared this "Mr. Ball, we are going to refuse to do this procedure today, we think the diagnosis is totally incorrect, we think you have "Carsonma ( basal cell, I think)" all I really remember is the word carsanoma. If we do this procedure, and it is what we think it is we will be doing reconstructive surgery for the next 3 to 5 years or worse. What we want and the most important issue today is getting a biopsy done and sent out on a RUSH analysis as we do not like what we are looking at. I gave them my permission and the biopsy was collected and send on a rush analysis.

I received a call from the surgeons one week later and the results were inconclusive and they were sent to Harvard University for further evaluation.

Oct 10, 2012, I was diagnosed with Cutaneous Angiosarcoma, after "16 months of waiting" on an inept GP and Dermatologist. The next 2 months were continual bedlam, dental work, x-rays, 5 CT scans, pet scan, 4 days Chemo, 10 rounds of Radiation, operation preparation and on Dec 26, 2012 I arrived a the Hospital at 5:30 am, walked into the operating room at 6:00 and the next thing I knew it was 11:30 at night. A 14 hour operation culminating in the entire loss of my left cheek to the facial bone and everything in between, the only moving part on my left face is the left upper eyelid, lost normal lubricating glad left eye, left saliva gland, 5 teeth, 4 days chemo, "PIC" inserted into right bicep return blood supply with a long tube following to the return valve to the heart for maximum blood flow for chemo "Doxorubicin" 4 days continuous drip. I have had the following procedure done as well, eyebrow lift, 16 grain gold weight in left upper eyelid, so I can close the eye manually as I could not fall asleep with light shining in my eye, lower lid not functional, fell away from eyeball very uncomfortable, had laser surgery to repair, cause a major cataract removed, new lens installed, need to have a heavier grain weight installed and they want to reduce the white of the eye, less watering as I only have the flood gland. liposuction procedure for facial contouring, massive scarring on left leg where they borrowed upper thigh skin for Radical Flap Surgery and will need a stronger lens put into my left eyeball to correct my vision.

Upon receiving my medical records from my lawyers, I went thru my GP's files, and was astonished, at the inaccuracies in many of the records, patient visits that never took place, edited version of the Jan 9, 2012 visit, and many other questionable appointments that are in my file but were never sent for payment to Alberta Health Services. Something I can not accept from a so-called "Professional Doctor."
the Dermatology files are no better, my Lawyer asked for my complete file, of the two appointments, there is no documentation on either of these appointments, letters to and from my GP, Emergency Doctors, Infectious Disease dept, all the request for lancing and cleaning of "biopsy confirmed" or a referral for Moh's surgery, and for a failure to assess my abscess, clearly the Dermatologist had no idea what was going on with regards to my face, but had the audacity to send me for surgery without having a diagnosis.

The Biopsy was done on this day and one week later I received a call from the Surgeons office stating that the biopsy information had come back inconclusive and was sent for more evaluation to Harvard University, to one of the top pathologists in the USA. Three days later I was told that I had an Oncology Surgeon appointment on Oct 10, 2012, the day 16 months later after the little white bump appeared on my left cheek.

This picture was taken 6 months after my Dec 27, 2012 "Radical Flap Surgery"

In conclusion both of these Doctors will also be taken to task by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and they can tell if medical files have been tampered with, changed and will investigate until these two doctors get retraining with the worst case of having their licencing pulled., this story is by no means complete many more provable pieces of the puzzle but I could be here for some time trying too hard copy everything. That is what the court case is for and the accountability will happen of that I am sure.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and if you have it in your heart to support this venture, my wife of 40 years and 32-year-old daughter would be so appreciated, may God Bless you all, and my hope is that "this never happens to another patient"

My warmest and Best Regards

Douglas J. Ball


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Organizer

Douglas J Ball
Organizer
Calgary, AB

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