In November and December of 2019, my husband suffered two major strokes. He has required a Foley catheter, since his brain surgery in December, and he also has an enormous Inguinal Scrotal Hernia. He spent 40 days in the hospital and 22 days in rehab. The strokes have affected his vision, hearing, speech, balance, cognitive processing, and ability to walk.
Three days before my husband's appointment, a staff member from Bay Area Urology called and said she had failed to inform Dr. Angelo Paola that she had to insert another Foley catheter. At his last visit, they did a four-hour trial period of which he could not void, so he had to go back into the office and have another Foley catheter inserted.
In order to eliminate the Foley catheter, on two occasions, the hospital had tried straight-catheterizing him every 6 hours, which resulted in a urinary-tract infection (UTI). Also, with the extra-large hernia, it would take two skilled RN's to complete the procedure. So, when Dr. Angelo Paola's office called me and asked me to take the training on learning how to straight-catheterize...I refused...because I knew with his large hernia it takes two individuals to do this procedure and I am his only caregiver. Also, he has a previous history of being straight-catheterized and it has ended up with a UTI both times. Also, the UTI's add more complications to his fragile cognitive state.
When Dr. Paola entered the room, during our appointment, he never sat down, he never closed the door, and he never got close enough to examine my husband...he immediately questioned the catheter and became agitated with me when I told him I was not going to take the training to straight-cath my husband. He never questioned why I made this decision; he immediately turns to my cognitive-impaired husband and tells him that I am going to cause his DEATH because I am refusing to straight-cath him! Before I could respond, Dr. Paola exits the room through the door he conveniently left open. He was in the room, at most, 5 minutes and he was not there to speak about the condition of my husband...he was mainly there to share his disapproval of my decision.
I take great pride in the care I give my husband, and in fact, since he has been in my care for the past 60 days, he has NOT had any UTI's, I have cleared up all the bedsores on his back and elbows he got during his hospital and rehab stays, and any therapist, nurse, or doctor who treats or has treated my husband would totally agree he receives the best of care. I am his only caregiver 24 hours a day...7 days a week.
For this doctor to tell my husband, who is in an extremely cognitive fragile state, that I was going to cause him to die is horribly unprofessional, unacceptable, and inexcusable! Truly, he is a disgrace to the medical profession! It is one thing to slander me and my character, but it is more of an injustice to do this to a man who is struggling to recover and cope from so many disabilities these strokes have caused! To be told your only caregiver is going to cause you to die...SERIOUSLY...why is this individual allowed to take the Hippocratic Oath and practice medicine??? He needs to be relinquished of all his duties...before he has the opportunity to damage another innocent patient!!! read more
