Her doctor did not even know she was dead???!!?

OK, I'm not gonna get all crazy.

I'm not gonna go off on anyone.

I'm not gonna be negative or even complain.

I'm just telling a tale, a true tale at that, an UNBELIEVABLE true story as it unfolded before my eyes.

[Insert commentary here]
This saga of something that REALLY happened to me is a PERFECT example of why this world is so messed up. We don't communicate anymore. Texting, email, Twitter, Facebook does NOT count. Trust me, over the last 7 weeks alone, I've run across so many individuals and institutions who have lost the fine art of communicating. And what's even more exasperating is WHO is failing this quiz: businesses, banks, government agencies such as social security & pension, medical companies, insurance companies, cashiers, bankers, clerks and just normal folks.
[End of commentary]


I received a message on our answering machine from the office of one of Mom's Doctors. In fact, it was from the office of the main doctor who took care of Mom at the end of her life--her lung doctor.

Her lungs were fine when she went into Hillcrest Hospital (that was NOT the reason we rushed to the ER) but apparently laying in bed, not having anyone get you up or pay attention to you for the first 4 days Mom was there tends to cause pneumonia. Unfortunately, no matter how extensive the treatments, her lungs could not recover to beat the pneumonia or other ailments she picked up DURING her hospital stay.

She passed away.

Her lung doctor was the one who advised her along the way on her options, her treatments, her possible outcomes and was the one who ultimately took her off her oxygen, her meds, and just let her go.


So why in God's name is staff in her lung doctor's office calling our home and leaving messages that Mom has a doctor's appointment?

You are kidding me, right?

A cruel joke?


I am not confrontational and hate making waves. But I could not let this go. However, I did not make a big stink.

But deep down inside, I needed to call the office and let them know they really screwed up. They ALL need to communicate. They need to pay more attention to their patients. They need to think of their patients as people and not numbers.


She was shocked and extremely sorry. But you know, that's not enough. I'm sure this will happen time and time again as doctors today stack up their patients scheduling 4 at a time during the same time slot.


Ironically, Hillcrest Hospital has sent TWO surveys regarding Mom's stay. You can be sure I WILL be filling the survey out and sending it back. I WILL give them a piece of my mind in order to restore PEACE to MY mind!!

I WILL give them much advice including Don't send a survey to a dead person!!!! It WAS addressed to Mom.


Oh, this is not over....trust me. When it has to do with Mom, the love of my life, she will always get justice in the end.

It's out of our hands...

I have to make the time to find a doctor and then see that doctor.

In my next breath, I say --WHEN????????????????

I received a letter in the mail today from my high school alma mater. Thinking I would find a release inside about the upcoming Mad Hatter Fundraiser or a plea for more money, I still ripped it open in anticipation.

Never in a million years did I imagine what I would find inside.

A letter from our President and Alumnae Manager announcing the death of one of my fellow classmates, Vicky Frantz, who passed away on February 13, 2009.

Floored. That's all I can say. And even more alarming is how I missed it.

I usually read the obits on a daily basis. I missed this one probably because I would never have guessed and was not looking for something like this.

Along with being blindsided by this tragedy, I missed her wake and funeral.

I knew immediately who she was. But I pulled out an old yearbook and started paging through to see old pictures of my classmates.

My teenage years started rushing before my eyes. It was so long ago. As I get older, I realize how much of my life I have forgotten. It's sad. There are many occurrences I just can't remember. Was I just not paying attention? Was I too focused on something I thought was important at the time, but in reality it was not? Was I rushing through forgetting important moments along the way? Or is my memory just kaput? Yet, glancing through The Parapet page by page reminded me of events that seem like they happened just yesterday.

Girls who I never really became friends with or were older or younger than I were still so familiar. I knew WHO they were even if we did not pal around. Just imagine, for four years seeing these girls day in, day out. You are family, whether you know it or not.

My memory is that Vicky loved life. She always had a smile on her face whenever I saw her and made people laugh. Laughter really is the best medicine and is contagious. Her robust laugh would start you off, even if you had no idea why you were chuckling. She was ALWAYS surrounded by people. Every party or reunion we had which we both attended, she was the one who 'shook it up' a bit if it started to get stale.

I imagine she had a full life and it was time for God to take her home. But, being finite, I'll never understand how someone can leave this world at such a young age, at MY AGE!

My heart goes out to Vicky's family and friends. I know Vicky is in a better place and pray that her family has the strength and the faith to endure this tragedy.

I've heard time and time again, the worst thing in life is for a parent to lose their child.

What a great loss.