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Kelly Nix a reporter from the pine Cone requested an interview on Decubis Ulcer  The copy he sent over that I requested was incorrect and had Mis- information They had dates wrong as to when I went to the VA Clinic and other mistakes and disorganization that I will address in the next day or so. A MRSA Staph infection, I believe I acquired at CHOMP June 25 , 07. It has been reported Staph has killed more people than AIDs in America this past year. I had two respected businessmen mention a lady who went in for an operation at CHOMP, picked up Staph and died in two weeks. One might say it is hear say, but it came from very different parts of the Monterey Area . I have digital photos showing the transition from June 26 onward show a rapid spreading of an infection that was extremely painful The first photos will show what happened in the first two days. It is late in the evening so I will put up more later. Pictures of one wound on June 26, the day after Health care with a Human Touch, If only she washed her hands first  Pictures taken two days later   One of Body eruptions which started at leg wound site spread slowly over my body. In the story preview this was put in out of context as if I was referring to heel pain. It was about the staph infection that you never mentioned in your story at all. That infection and complications led to the closure of my gallery. The pain I described ,” Bleich said, “as miniature crocodiles eating away at your flesh.” ( with hot burning teeth.)  Chomped twice and am I being CHOMPed again I once had a CHOMPED again ART sale and someone suggested I could do very well selling TEE shirts with the crocodile and I’ve been Chomped at CHOMP to all the people who have been Chomped at CHOMP. A Note to Kelly the reporter? Kelly George J. Bleich Regular type was what was e-mailed to me to check for accuracy The Bold text is the accurate statement of my intent They did not check the surgical socks daily as many rehab and Hospital do to insure the tightness of the socks due not cause wound problems such as the decubis ulcer that is the first picture in this rebuttal. I describe the pain,” Bleich said, “as miniature crocodiles eating away at your flesh.” I was describing the pain from the staph infection acquired June 25, 07 Bleich said his problems began in November 2005 when he went to CHOMP to have a hip replaced. Prior to the surgical procedure, he said a nurse placed compression stockings on his feet to prevent blood clots. There was a delay in prepping me as a diligent nurse was concerned that one of my medications could lead to excessive bleeding during operation. They called down to see what was the delay and it was lengthy to see where I was as the operating room staff was waiting. I do recall the difficulty the nurse had placing the socks on my feet. She said these socks are tight. That was more than obvious at the exerted effort it took to get them on. After the operation, Bleich was admitted to Westland House for physical rehabilitation. But he said nearly a week went by before staff took off the stockings, which he said was a postoperative error. I was told by Doctors and nurses at other hospitals that they check those socks daily! “Not checking my surgical socks for many days in rehab disabled me with a deep severe decubitus ulcer on my right heel,” Bleich said. The large open wound was the ulcer after removing the necrotic tissue on heel The ulcer, commonly known as bed sores, are caused by friction when a patient is immobile or bedridden. They can range from a very mild pink discoloration of the skin to a deep wound extending to tendons, joints and bone. I believe in my case that they were a result of the tight socks cutting off the flow of blood causing the area affected to die as the heel tissue was Necrotic or dead. It was not caused by friction. Dr. Kehl my cardiologist told me when He saw the pictures said it was obvious they were caused by compression socks that were too tight and not checked.The staff at Westland House “just said it was infected,” The staff at Westland House never said the heel was infected nor did I say they did. he said. “It was exceedingly painful.” That was in reference to the heel pain. I did acquire an infection on the front of my ankle while there. They gave muciperin ointment to treat that. It was the same medication they used at the VA clinic for MRSA Staph. That may have been my first contact with Staph as I found some notes that I wrote down about how it felt like metal was against the front of my ankle causing me pain and it was just the weight of the sheet which was minimal and with out pressure. It just looked like a small red dot. My thought how can such a small thing like that Hurt as much as it did. It was still minor compared to my hip and heel pain. Graphic photos presented to The Pine Cone from Bleich showed severe wounds in various stages to a right heel and a less severe wound to the left heel. In court documents filed in the fall, CHOMP, through its attorneys, denied Bleich’s allegations. And a CHOMP spokeswoman Wednesday said the hospital has a long track record of safely treating hundreds of thousands of patients and that the hospital strives to maintain the highest standards for patient safety. Because of the painful debilitating outcome of my operation and the MRSA Staph infection I acquired while having the heel debribed June 25 Th. 07 at CHOMP, other individual shared stories of what happened to their friends who suffered even graver consequences after operations at CHOMP. “We can’t comment on this specific case or patient because of patient-privacy laws,” said Brenda Moore. “We strive every day to provide the highest quality care possible, and work toward the best clinical outcome for every one of our patients. ” Bleich said he was released from Westland House with little concern for his wounds from the staff. I am sure that the majority of problems are handled with out a problem, It is obvious as the pictures clearly show that is not the case here. The hospital will not cite the problem cases that are a result of the care they rendered. In talking to just a feww people they told me of problems where infections ocurred, operations had to be done over, and of how fatality can happen as an end result. There was a law suite that was discribed to me as class action suite against one Doctor connected with his work at CHOMP. Why was he allowed to go on if he was the cause of the problems? A PROMINENT Carmel artist is suing a Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula rehabilitation facility, I am not suing Westland House, I am suing the hospital for the decubis ulcer. that initiated the problem by having compression socks that were too tight to begin with , It was further complicated By not having them checked for at least 5 days and subsequent resulting problems at Westland House. claiming he developed bed sores so badly while staying there that his feet were at risk of being amputated. I never said my feet as in plural were at risk of being Amputated. It is an error to call these bed sores as they did change my position to avoid bed sores. In his suit, George Bleich contends staff at Westland House, a CHOMP-affiliated rehab facility in Monterey, was negligent because they didn’t prevent him from receiving gruesome lesions on his heels. I was told I would have a podiatrist see me. I saw a lady that they informed me was a wound expert. “I was discharged from [Westland House] with a jar of Eucerin, a dry skin, moisturizing cream to relieve chapped, chaffed or dry skin associated with eczema or psoriasis,” In December 2005, a few days, I never said a few days after being released from Westland House, Bleich said he went to the VA Clinic in Seaside to have his feet checked because he was in severe pain. I went because I had a prior appointment for another matter. Many appointment and check ups are prescheduled at the VA “I had no awareness of the seriousness of the problem until I went to the VA clinic.,” Bleich said. “A nurse and others said ‘you are lucky you didn’t lose your legs.’” Dr. Gosch the VA podiatrist told me my leg was infected and how a patient at the VA hospital once lost a leg as a result of tight compression socks that were not checked so they do that diligently now. When the darkened dead area was removed she was surprised by the depth of hole in the wound and sent me up to the Palo Alto VA Hospital for more tests. The debribing was exceedingly painful. They would trim a narrow band of the dead tissue around the circumference of the wound down to new flesh. repeatedly once a week to try to get it to heal from the outside in. It was very painful both during and afterwards. I would send pictures of the heel to CHOMP while paying bills and asked time and again for a second opinion. They never answered! I never had any treatment at CHOMP until I put the pictures of the wound in the front windows of my gallery on a 3 by 5 ft, canvas along with written material on the need for proper post operative protocol. Bleich said VA doctors treated the wounds by cutting off some of the dead tissue to allow his feet to heal. While Bleich now walks with little problem, he said he still has some pain associated with the bed sores. BED Sores B--- S--- , Decubis Ulcer! THis wound was a result of too tight, circulating stopping compression hose that were not checked daily or the problem would not have happened. I have lack of feeling and numbness in lower leg that sometimes causes me to trip and fall. I can walk now but am limited in distance, It is painful and not just walking, also with out weight on it and in bed. I do have pain in my hip and heel and will find my self limping. I have a numbness, pain and lack of total feeling in my lower right leg. Driving is difficult and painful as the heel area of the wound rest on the floorboard of the car and there are times when I have to change the way I drive to using my left foot on the brake and accelerator and keep injured leg back. An unexpected bump in the road can send shock waves of pain from the heel to the hip. Getting in and out of the car is painful. I still have occasional shaking leg spasms that start at the hip and work their way down to the foot. They were severe after the hip replacement and Dr. Clevenger was away. Doctor James the assistant surgeon prescribed medication that not stop them. That more than likely made the heel wound worse as my heel would pound on the bed like a jack hammer. Any touch in hip area would set them off and pounding. Approximately 15 ago I took my mother to discuss a knee replacement with Doctor James. She did not like or trust him so I took Mom to Dr. Delphinae whom she loved and trusted and had him do two knee replacement that worked wonderfully. Dr. Dephinae is an unique caring doctor. My wife and I use to coach his son in little league baseball. I believe that son is or in the process of becoming a priest now. Dr. James got angry and there may have been a suite. I know that after that Dr. Delphinae would only do knees and Dr. James would only do hips. What I did not know was if any surgeon in Dr. Delphinae did a hip replacement , Dr. James would have to assist him. I went to Dr. Clevenger for one reason and that was the trust that I had in Dr. Delphinae and extended that trust to Dr. Clevenger, a man I regarded as his associate. If Dr. James is still working as a surgeon I hope they nullify that part of the agreement. Dr. Clevenger prescribed Valium and it stopped the spasms but there was one nurse on duty at Westland house who refused to give them to me when I had spasms and it was not a matter of the time in-between dosages. My land lady’s son had his hip done by James and he had a small scar the size of a silver dollar. My scar was a slash that if It was a mare's vagina, it was big enough to drop a colt into the world. It is still sore to sleep on. Bleich is suing for an unspecified amount of money more than $25,000, the minimum sum that can be awarded in the type of civil suit he filed. The case was filed March 2007 and a jury trial has been set for September. Bleich said he would prefer a monetary settlement be awarded out of court. Kelly the reporter asked me if I would prefer to go to court or have a monetary settlement. I am doing much better, The MRSA staph I trust is cured. But I feel the residual negative effect on my systems . it left me more vulnerable health wise. I am far from feeling as great as I was before the operation and have more problems now than before. My podiatrist explaining my heel pain even though the surface looked much better. The new skin is not as strong as the original and the calluses that you develop can cause wound opening where they meet the new skin. The fat tissue on your heel that cushioned the bone and nerves are gone so you will always have pain. I am working out for therapy, but it is painful some time during and sometimes after. I have lost weight and replacing fat with muscle. I am getting pretty buff again. If I let every symptom or problem bother me I would die from stress. For Years I have picked up people spirits in any way I could use my talent to do, Give them Hope . Have them dream. Have them work on realizing them. In the process it became part of my very being. It is strange, even with a myriad of problems, I stay very upbeat and even though I’m in debt and not feeling all that great. I am working it out to get better , do better and continue to share positive energy. I have a smile on my face which I probably will die wearing. I have a wonderful inner feeling that emanates from my love of God, Jesus and His Mom in particular and my fellow men. I thought when Kelly asked me about monetary settlement or going to Court, I would like to put all this behind me as it is a distraction from other goals I want to accomplish like finish my 5 by 12 Triptych that I have over 20 years of work and development in and had to put it aside while being a care giver for years before she passed away at 99 years of age. I want to compile and edit my writings and notes into a book with Paintings Poems and than have cds of my music and songs included. I really liked Kelly but told him I had reservations about Pine Cone Paper for not having the report of in their police blotter of how I was vandalized when some one removed my troop support flyer from the box on my Gallery door and painted over the windows of my gallery, when I had Photos of the decubis Ulcer that was caused by CHOMP, in the window. The police told that was an illegal act and I could press criminal charges against them. I did and they investigated the illegal act of vandalism, but could not find out who did it. Like in my song, Little Miss Money Mouse",ittle people are hard to find. I only have three college credits in police administration and I believe I could solve that. Kelly reassured me it was the police that chose not to include it on their blotter. the Pine Cone always prints the entire Police blotter. The story in the Monterey Herald was defamatory and filled with more fiction than truth. It did include a picture of the window painted over and how I wrote next to the heart I scrapped out of the paint, It was a disgrace to take the troop support flyers from the box on my gallery door. That is why I asked Kelly to show me a preview before it was printed to insure that I was not misquoted or inaccurate as it would damage my case. After seeing the preview of Kelly's article, I thought back to how he said some one contacted him and asked Him to do the story. It was the same thing that the Monterey Herald staff writer Sukhjit Purewal told me. Some one asked her to write the story. It would not surprise me if there was a connection of some type there When I called the reporter on the phone and expressed my dis pleasure with the misinformation she wrote and the how it was my intent to do something positive about Post- Operative care She said the story did as she had nurses from CHOMP called her after the story on me, to tell how their patient load was too heavy to give proper care and it led to problems. Well if she went to write a story on the nurses being over worked and the problems it caused, it was never printed. It was dead in the water and never saw press. I had good care at CHOMP when I had some mini strokes and I like the staff that cared for me. But there is something very wrong going on and it may go back to the administrators cutting corners. In a recent news article on how copper table in operating rooms and else where made it difficult for MRSA staph to survive. The unnamed hospitals in the article were concerned more with the cost effectiveness. They weighed that cost against the extra cost involved with the increased medical cost that an infection would bring about than the welfare and health of the patients. Something wrong is going on and it may go back to the administrators cutting corners. In reality they make money on the extra cost. That could well be why the cost of Medi-Care is so high for the government to pay, that and over billing. The insurance companies have to pay more though they try to pay less when ever possible dealing with patients. You end up with higher rates. The longer the patient is in the hospital the higher the charges. A neighbor told me of her brother who had cancer who was in CHOMP for approximately a year. The bill was for over a million Dollars according to her. She said he picked up Staph infections at least a couple of times while there. They eventually sent him home to die as he was terminal and could die at anytime. I wondered if he ran out of Insurance or money? Well it been approximately half a year. He is still alive at home, hanging in there. Well talk about timing, He was alive when I started writing this response to the preview. He just passed away and went to a better place with out pain or cost. I met a man on a wheeled gurney outside of wound care, waiting for the elevator so the attendant could bring him to his room. He told me he got a staple in his toe went into CHOMP in April for a few days was released but was back in the hospital within a week and to the best of my recollection I met him in June. I had another friend who fell and had a head wound a few days before a concerned friend called 911. He was home watching television, The ambulance responded to take him to CHOMP. He said he was doing OK. and did not see the need. The Ambulance attendants told him if he did not go to the emergency room they would call the sheriff and make him go. He was in for four days and his bill was approximately $ 45000 dollars. I would not have had to write this rebuttal to the preview if it were not the result of an individual asking reporter to do the stories. remember sharing with Kelly how no matter how bad things are nothing gets me down. I am in danger of losing my home, I missed my first mortgage payment, I am behind in every thing from property taxes, everything. Kelly said he wished he could be that way, which suggested he may like a great many Americans have their own financial problems. Like my song Hang Loose I wrote I’m just a super ball bouncing along The harder life or broken dreams throws you to the ground, the quicker you bounce up, the higher you rebound. I had two pretrial depositions with CHOMP’s Lawyer and My Lawyer Bob Ponce . It was almost as if their trial lawyer wrote the article that Kelly sent me to preview before going to press. Kelly said I should check at what my lawyer presented in the suite. The article had the wrong dates would have affected the statues of limitations and had the case thrown out. It had misinformation about sequence of events and other untrue factors that was fabricated that would have done the same thing. After seeing this preview I want to go to Court and testify before a jury to raise these issues publicly for the welfare of Patients not only at CHOMP but patients at other hospitals for better health care for all and for honest administrators who are in charge of these hospitals. There is a reason why some hospitals are rated highly The quality of Hospitals can not assured by evading the responsibility of their negligence or human errors that can bring unwarranted pain , stress, disability and in the worst case scenario , DEATH. CHOMP has a slogan “Health Care with a Human Touch” To err is human. I am not angry with the individual who I believe was responsible. I always liked her for her upbeat cheerful attitude and still do. Clever lawyers can win cases for hospital by negating the hospital’s responsibility. That can lead to the prolonging of problems they get away with. When they do that the overall health care of the community suffers. Are there hospital administrator who are more concerned with having the hospital making money than the excellence of care and the well being of those requiring care. Are there lawyers that are rewarded financially to handle cases against the hospitals to minimize the suite, financial and collateral damage to the reputation of the hospital. Do some hospitals lean on physicians in the area and tell them we have to stick together to prevent a tidal wave of suites against every one of you. Are there some hospitals who may even suggest to a doctor the reward possibility of a future position on their staff, if they go along with the hospital effort. Are there some doctors that can be bought with financial rewards? I have the ability to speak competently in public with conviction driven and guided by truth. Are their reporters in need of money who can also be bought? What do you think? Another reason for the suit, Bleich said, is that he wants to bring to the forefront the topic of postoperative care. More specifically . Make sure they check those dam sock daily! Make sure you see them wash their hands before they touch you if you are in a wound care ward where you can see them working on patients before you. It does not suffice to just take off the gloves and robe and discard them. The patient that the wound attendant was working on just before me, legs looked like the wounds on my staph pictures but he had far more of them covering all of both legs. In 2006, the Monterey County Herald wrote a story about Bleich when he posted the unpleasant photographs of his damaged feet in the window of his art gallery on Dolores Avenue. Some people complained of the pictures showing the painful sores. He said his is injuries were so crippling that he was unable to devote time to his art gallery and pay the $2,500 per month rent. I recovered from the heel wound that I could work enough even though in pain to pay my bills while slipping a bit more in debt as in order to keep my home When my wife divorced me I had a loan that every month added $2000 plus to the principal. I am still working for a reconciliation with Kathy as She is a good woman and they are as hard to find as a good man. The MRSA staph infection hit my system hard and I was in more of a weakened state than ever before. Going to the gallery was a pick up for me and people I sang for while there sharing my original songs and philosophy. When the city removed the Soldier’s Memorial garden They took away another one of my strong reasons for being there. My response to that was a new song “ It all about Jesus” I pray while gardening for peace and kept that garden a pure memorial unfettered by any politics to encourage support for Soldiers and there families who paid a dear price for their courage and valor in the Mid-East. It was a prayer retreat from a war that never should have happened. When Carmel removed the prayer stone , the centerpiece of the Garden I could not find out the name of the one individual whose complaint led to the removal. I put on my home page I am sure our Mayor could as she was a former member of the CIA. It may have caused her some distress as the next time it rained I found out why when the city while repairing the side walk stopped short of my gallery and raised the adjacent area next to my gallery. I had a pond in front of my Gallery. I don’t think our former CIA member Mayor, Sue Mc Cloud saw the humor in a cd label I created with captions like The City of Carmel to beautify the area created a pond in front of my gallery. Thank you CIA Mayor Sue. I miss the Dirty Harry Days when Clint was Mayor. Boat rentals inside. Caution no life Guard on duty. Some one told me from England that the lyrics from one of my songs. Mr. President when you can’t sleep do you count soldiers instead of Sheep? was printed in a news Paper in London. That may have raised some hackles here along with something I said to passerby's , I don't really care what Kinkaid is doing. His corporation Media Art is a piss ant corporation, I would rather take on Hauliburton and the CIA. To top it off when some one told me that the gallery could be bugged, I answered I don’t think so but if it is I have a message for them . They said what is it George. in a loud as I could voice I said Kiss My Ass! There a lot of talk about how our privacy has been undermined but they should have better things to do than bug a 72 year old feisty old sea dog. I would have collectors in and look at a Twenty Thousand dollar painting and asked me if I am being good? I told one how when the city removed the prayer stone from the Memorial garden on the complaint of one person. I put on my home page when I could not find who made the complaint as a point of humor I wrote I am sure Our Mayor could as she was a former member of the CIA. That may have led to extra stop sign tickets and a deliberate effort by one of City finest failed attempt to give me another when He put on the bright blinding pull over lights on his patrol Car, just before the stop sign. I knew he was behind me and even though I was blinded momentarily I managed to stop. He made a right and was probably disappointed that I stopped. That also could have been a result of when a wonderful caring 75 year old retired school teacher visited me and ask for advice on what it would cost to have speakers into senior centers as she was taking a course on grants so she could help other senior who. have retreated from life get out of bed and be more vital. We also discussed our mutual displeasure with the cost of the Iraq War in life and finances. She came back the next day to tell me she was ticketed immediately after leaving the gallery and she never gets ticket. Maybe they ( ?) just don’t want me to visit you George. I never saw her again. The tickets cost $180 and more. My reaction to what happened to the good teacher was changing one of my troop support sign on the back of the car. I added NOT BUSH. over an American Flag that had Support Our Troops That sign really improved my driving as I had to drive defensively in a town with a former CIA Mayor. The Staph had me wondering for awhile that it might kill me. I was treading water in the gallery slipping more and more into debt. I asked the landlord Ted Leidig through Jim Brown the property manager on more than one ocassion. if I could trade some art work until I recovered. The answer was no! After paying over $ 850,000 in rent, I did not regard that request as unreasonable, especcially to a family I thought of as friends. I even shared Lourdes water and prayed for Susan Draper for her serious Cancer problems. She seems to be doing quite well at the moment. I told Jim I had to stop the financial bleeding and would close the gallery at the end of Dec. O7 When I left I was $17, 000 behind. . There were still a few things that I wanted to accomplish before that time comes that I could not do in the gallery. I felt much better after leaving the gallery as there were other harassment that should not happen in America. just before Kelly arrived to do the interview.Ted Leideig had me served papers on the $17000 I was behind in my rent, He recently lost the art gallery he occupied since 1979. “I wouldn’t get to the gallery until 1 or 3 O’Clock,” he said, “and my business suffered.” The case is set to go to trial September 15. I closed it Jan 1 of this year. Many years a go they did a feature story in the Pine Cone on me in 1970 A picture I was on the front page painting down the Big Sur. but it may be interesting to have the Pine Cone do a sequel to the story they did on me in 1970. One might say I have led an interesting adventurous life and will continue to do so where ever I am. I shared this with Kelly before he left .It was a letter I sent to another staff writer on the Pine Cone a long with a press release. He said he would personally give it to him The press release was like the button on Gallery Directory. Could use a hand Please print and give to friends. It does seem a little strange that after stopping by and chatting with the motel keepers and Giving them Cds and Invitation sheets directory .about my studio That I did not receive one call. Well at least I am trying. I like the honest effort I am making. I really enjoyed meeting the managers and it was wonderful exercise going up stairs and that. I really feel better as result both physically and in spirit. Hi Chris, " The spirit of Carmel is creativity and that freedom will always be alive in creative people who live in this unique area. That flame and spirit will never be extinguished as long as artist are true to themselves, to others and to their creative muse what ever form she takes.
Best Wishes, I removed one of the pictures from above that I had called dad's chest. The title on the file was not my usual approach to title wound pictures. I could not identify the anatomical location as being a picture of my chest or any one's chest. I used it as an example of what I took to be a dramatic photo of the resultant spread of the problemn. Some of my work is done late at night and fatigue can cloud your judgement. Qustions were raised about the photo when I had reason to believe there was a possibility that some one who had the key to my gallery for other emergencies could have used it for his own objectives. |
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