The Surgery That Should've Never Happened | The Tragic Case of Michael Skolnik

After fainting at home, 22 year old Michael Skolnik was told he needed to soon undergo brain surgery to save his life. But after a botched procedure, Michael would spend the next 32 months in a vegetative state before passing away. It was only after this medical error when his family would discover the big secret his neurosurgeon was holding. And because of this discovery, the Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act was soon created - highlighting the importance of medical transparency, informed consent and patient advocacy.
I’m Petal Palmer and I bring you stories of medical cases and mysteries from around the world.
If you enjoy learning about true stories involving medical mysteries, malpractice and true crime cases of history, subscribe to my channel for more stories like this.
Citizens for Patient Safety Information: boulder.co.networkofcare.org/...
SOCIALS:
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SOURCES:
link.springer.com/chapter/10....
educatetheyoung.wordpress.com...
www.postindependent.com/news/...
psmf.org/story/michael-skolnik/
www.abilityconnectioncolorado...
sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/...
lasvegassun.com/news/2010/sep...
my.clevelandclinic.org/health...
naswco.socialworkers.org/Advo...
gazette.com/news/new-transpar...
dpo.colorado.gov/HPPP#:~:text....
news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stor...
www.statebillinfo.com/bills/b...
www.denverpost.com/2006/01/16...
www.aamc.org/news/whose-decis...
www.westword.com/news/patty-s...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10232...
www.kfmc.org/wp-content/uploa...
• Transparent Health - T...
• The Skolniks Share Son...
• Patty and David Skolni...
• Today Show featuring P...
• Michael Skolnik Medica...
• Citizens for Patient S...
• "Turning Tragedy into ...
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction
04:19 - Michael faints
05:41- Arrives at hospital
06:54 - CT scan finds colloid cyst
08:10 - Admitted into ICU
09:47 - Bad news
11:16 - Making decision
12:56 - Michael arrests during procedure
15:56 - Shocking update from PCP
18:09 - Michael signs consent for surgery
19:45 - Surgery gone wrong
23:00 - Craniotomy discovery
25:30 - Chronic complications
28:49 - Self-harm ideation (TW)
29:05 - Medical emergency
31:37 - Patty and David discoveries
34:09 - Informed consent
39:11 - Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act
41:46 - Medical malpractice lawsuit
44:47 - Patient advocacy awareness
45:50 - Conclusion
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional and nothing in this video is meant to be taken as medical advice. If you’re experiencing any health issues, speak with your physician.
#truecrime #medicalmalpractice #medicalerror

[@PetalPalmer]

Hi everyone, please read: I am clarifying (from a message I received): that the doctor mentioned in the video (Dr. M) is allegedly RETIRED and is NOT working in the Glenwood springs area anymore or anywhere else at the moment. I received a message from a current employee who works at a clinic he previously worked at and I’ve been informed that their patients are currently unable to reach their care teams due to them receiving multiple calls and reviews. I do NOT condone the contact of any place in the Glenwood springs area. The purpose of this video was to raise awareness for Michael Skolnik’s story and to create discussion about medical transparency and informed consent. Please stop contacting any of those places.

[@moonunit8741]

I’d try to verify the information that you’re sharing; he very much appears to be currently employed there. WebMD doesn’t lie.

[@x77punk77x]

@@moonunit8741 There has got to be a better way to confirm this than contacting the facility en masse and committing borderline/actual harassment. Colorado has hopefully got to have public records of practicing physicians/specialists.

[@cylaisawesome]

According to all websites, he is currently practicing. What evidence do you have of him being retired?

[@jaycie.m]

As outraged and appalled as I am about this story, mass calling a hospital is not the answer and will do much more harm than anything else.

[@astroemerald3175]

He should be in jail .

[@agnediciuniene9861]

I just wanted to add - there are no minor invasive brain procedures. Everything invading brain is serious.

[@Noise_floorxx]

Duh

[@Grimlooper]

@@Noise_floorxxwell obviously there are people who don’t know this. It’s quite a flaw to think JUST because *you* know everything, that means everyone does.

[@seliisnotonfire]

@@Grimloopertell ‘em 🎤

[@idontcare1102]

@@Noise_floorxx except the moronic surgeon who didn't know....

[@kbellmurray]

I was initially told by my family doctor that my Chiari malformation decomposition (a type of craniectomy) would be “minimally invasive” as far as brain surgeries go because they don’t typically cut through the dura to access the actual brain, but it’s still brain surgery. Less invasive than this sounds though, I’d say.

[@bunnie5394]

this man BUTCHERED a patient's brain and there was no actual legal recourse against him... disgusting

[@rainbowbunniie]

Unfortunately this is very common. The system is set up to protect doctors not patients.

[@humanperson7411]

Dr David Wayne Miller is a monster indeed

[@anareel4562]

​@@humanperson7411thanks for the name, maybe I should have him for dinner, with some fava beans 😂

[@walterscientist]

One might consider extralegal options, I guess...

[@mambi74]

@@walterscientist No doubt - Justice ("street") would have been served in heaps had that been my kiddo.

[@KensinTe]

The doctor's name is David Wayne Miller. Tons of other comments saying this but it deserves to be said as many times as possible. He does not deserve anonymity.

[@Askyamama]

He’s a murderer

[@pntbtr]

amen!

[@bethyi]

Genuinely disgusts me that this creator made a whole video protecting the murderer.

[@Volundur9567]

​@@bethyilitigation bro

[@6AncientCharms9]

I'm thinking she's protecting herself from getting sued by not mentioning his name.

[@jeffriesj75]

I am very flabbergasted for the fact that there was NO malpractice found?!?!??! what? so brain surgery in a patient's room isn't malpractice? overmedicating someone to code isn't malpractice? WTH is wrong with the Colorado's medical board ?????

[@BobY52944]

Medical Boards are just white collar unions that protect their due paying members.

[@BrookeWinter82]

Dr.s always cover each other's asses. Just like cops. Not all, but many.

[@captainuseless2120]

@@BrookeWinter82Yep. There definitely need to be more laws governing them. The amount of trust people put in doctors should be backed up by government assurances against malpractice.

[@michelekisly2535]

Colorado is a cursed state

[@anexpiredyogurt4818]

That's what happens when medicine is a profitable field instead of a field of care.

[@Ett.Gammalt.Bergtroll]

The fact that the assisting surgeon refused to attend because he objected to the necessity of the procedure should’ve automatically cancelled it. Absolutely insane.

[@michelleruffin6903]

He refused to assist, knowing it was wrong, but yet didn’t do anything to prevent it! Disgusting 🤢

[@Ett.Gammalt.Bergtroll]

@@michelleruffin6903 Yup, that too. But perhaps there wasn’t anything else he could’ve done in the moment and he hoped that Dr. M wasn’t insane enough to attempt it solo.

[@hennakreed8860]

​@@michelleruffin6903He might have told the hospital why he didn't want to do it before he took his name off the surgery and the hospital didn't care. And I firmly believe that the hospital knew about his history and were then covering their asses because if they KNEW his history, why did they hire him? And that will cause an investigation into the hospital rather than them just being like "he was an exemplary doctor! We had no idea!" It's the same concept as...let's say you are letting someone move into your house with you. Your other roommate knows that person and they tell you "don't let this person move in with us. They are a drug addict who gets violent, I am moving out." You just shrug and say "okay, if that's how you feel, you can move out. But I'm still going to let them move in because someone else I know knows them and told me they have gotten clean and are doing great" and then the new person moves in and at first, things are going good but then they start using drugs again. You find out that the person was successfully hiding their addiction from other people. You let it go. You let it go. And then a couple months after, they assault you. You aren't going to tell the cops "Well, anyway", are you? Probably not. You're probably going to say, "I let X move in and then this happened" because if you tell the cops the first thing, they will automatically be like "well why did you let X move in if Y told you this would happen?" And then it's going to become a WHOLE different scenario where the police could possibly hold YOU accountable for allowing drugs in YOUR home.

[@carterpitbull7366]

@@michelleruffin6903depending on his position there probably wasn’t anything more he could do if a higher up said “too bad I’m doing it”

[@janedoex1398]

​@@carterpitbull7366That is very often the case......I know why I developed major depression, the inability to produce Cortisol , 4.5 autoiimmune diseases , and maybe a adenoma on my Hypophysis etc while in the healthcare System. That's why I can't work anymore since 2016. And likely never will like before. I can cover 2/3 rds of the ABC with my conditions .

[@cassieblack1776]

The fact that the first words out of the doctors mouth after the massively evasive surgery was “ this is the worst year of my life “ is a testament to his lack of empathy towards people! Disgusting!

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

*invasive

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

@@bacicinvatteneaca. I bet the doctor was evasive though 😊

[@LoriLuvsLaw]

I agree. I was disgusted, imagining myself smack the crap out of him. Dr. M sounds like a horrible person.

[@bighoodie4315]

Literally that was absolutely insane

[@Macbeth99]

​@@bighoodie4315 Please look up what LITERALLY means

[@tunecha1910]

I'm horrified to hear he wasn't jailed. "oh, don't worry, the fact that we did a PARTIAL LOBOTOMY on your son doesn't matter." absolutely horrified.

[@captainuseless2120]

Yep. Straight up murder. That man should never see the sun again.

[@mmnie7281]

Dr. David Wayne Miller is a fucking murderer for what he did to Michael.

[@Talkinknicks]

😢😢 can 46:22 iiiiiiìi look

[@eforoyal]

I swear, if a three hour surgery turns into SIX hours and the first thing the doctor told me "This is the worst year of my life", I'd probably burst into tears

[@dracofirex]

When I had a brain abscess at 12, I had two doctors fighting over my treatment. One wanted to operate, one wanted to use antibiotics to slowly fight the infection. Lots of back and forth. I didn't like the one who wanted to operate on me, she had a look in her eyes that made me anxious. The guy who wanted to use antibiotics then decided to really talk to me and ask me what I thought, what kind of option sounded best. He gave me a chance to advocate for myself in spite of being a kid. I will always be grateful for him letting me say my piece. I went the slow but steady antibiotic route and recovered. I really wish Michael would have had someone to advocate for him even half as much.

[@kirsty735]

It's so wonderful to hear of a health care professional like that. I understand and agree that children should not be allowed to legally consent for things like major surgery, but at least include them in the conversation. I was very lucky as a child that everything I needed done was discussed with me at a level appropriate to my age. My parents didn't include all the details as they didn't want to scare me, but they always explained it to me in a way I could understand and they would talk about how I might feel when I wake up. Even as an adult I often struggle to get doctors to actually listen to what I'm saying to them and my opinions on certain treatment options. I'll go to like a physio specialist who looks at my medical records and sees the about of medication I'm on. They then keep telling me that I should consider dropping most of these as it's a bit excessive. I kindly let them know that my medication is being carefully monitored by a doctor who has known and worked with me for many years and so I am not looking to discuss my medication today. Then the entire appointment they keep giving me "your knee would be get better on it's own if you didn't take so much medication." "Have you tried reducing your medication?" And I just sit trying my absolute best to be respectful while thinking "Yes what a wonderful idea! Lets get me off my pain medication to help make my pain go away..... The reason I'm on this medication is because before it, I was unable to walk. Please just shut up and put my knee cap back into place."

[@RyvreRandom]

Wow, so glad someone was advocating for alternative options. Surgeons (most) are singularly focused and have some level of pyschopothy. I once had a surgeon friend say that a fellow friend's tendonitis could only be treated with surgery. He said this fully believing he was right, but completely blinded by his specialization.

[@Irish_Georgia_Girl]

But Michael DID have people advocating for him like crazy... which is why Miller did an end-around them by purposefully going to MICHAEL to sign the consent forms while he was whacked out on medication and other subversion tactics. This isn't the parents fault... this is on the doctor and his colleagues that knew about it but kept silent.

[@grannyarbuckle5554]

Glad you had a dr that fought for you!! But most hospitals now if you bring a child into the hospital..if you even question the drs or ask for another option or disagree with the medications, OR check you child out of the one hospital and take to another hospital to see if they say the same thing or different..THEY CALL DHS ON YOU..LIE AND SAY YOU ARE MEDICALLY ENDANGERING YOUR CHILD AND WON'T DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SAVE YOUR CHILD. THIS IS CALLED MEDICAL KIDNAPPING AND IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND EVEN IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON. YOU JUST HAVE TO DIG INTO IT AND FIND OUT. THEY ALL GET CUT BACK BACKS $$$, DHS SERVICES, DOCTORS, THE LAWYERS WITH DHS, THE JUDGES, THEN THE STATE ALSO GETS MONEY FOR All CHILDREN THAT'S TAKEN OUT OF THEY'RE HOME AND PUT INTO ANOTHER HOME. THEN IF YOU HAVE MEDICINES ON TOP OF THAT THEY GET KICKBACKS FROM ALL OF THAT TOO. IT IS A BIG MONEY $$$$ MAKING THING AND THEY DON'T CARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO THE FAMILY'S NOR THE KIDS! LOOK IT UP.. "MEDICAL KIDNAPPING"! VANDERBILT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IS ONE OF THE BAD ONES AND THEY DO IT. THEY ARE IN TENNESSEE. 20 SOMETHING PLUS YEARS AGO THEY WERE A GOOD HOSPITAL. BUT NOT ANY MORE. THEN WHEN YOU ACCIDENTALLY GET CAUGHT UP IN THAT CRAP, THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN TRULY GET YOU OUT OF IT IS GOD MOVING. THERE'S SO MANY THAT HAVE LOST THEIR KIDS AND THEN TRIED TO PROVE THAT THEY DID NOTHING WRONG. BUT THAT'S WHERE ALL THE LIEING COMES IN AND THEY DO IT FOR THE MONEY! ON TOP OF TAKING THE CHILDREN MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE PUT INTO KNOWN CHILD ABUSERS PEDOPHILES HOMES .AND THEN THEY GET MURDERED BESIDES BEING TORTURED MISTREATED PHYSICALLY MENTALLY SCARRED FOR LIFE IF THEY MAKE IT TO LIVE. THERE'S BEEN SO MANY CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED IN DHS CUSTODY. BUT YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT.. ANY OF THAT UNLESS YOU DIG! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND IT OUT IN REGULAR NEWS THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TELL THAT'S MORE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE COVERED UP. DHS THE WHOLE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE DISMANTLE AND NOT THERE ANYMORE WHATSOEVER!! THEY DON'T PROTECT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THEY DESTROY THEM!! BE CAREFUL BE CAUTIOUS BE MINDFUL BE WATCHFUL BE PREPARED ABOVE ALL PRAY.🛐📖🙏🕊️ SHOW ❤️ LIKE JESUS THEN IF NEED BE 🔫🏹 THEN VICTORY 🙌🙌

[@MontanaPDX]

Operating an infection out seams pointless. It's not like they wouldn't leave some behind or pop the abscess. That doctor would have put you on antibiotics after anyway.

[@soez_strg6166]

He killed a dude and the first he says: "this has been the worst year of my life".. Like any other regular psychopath who murders innocent people, he narcissisticly only thinks of himself, not the victim. Pure insanity

[@MermaidMakes]

I’ve read a few things suggesting that the surgeon profession has a higher incidence of sociopathy and narcissism. Not sure how true that is, but it would make sense in this case in particular.

[@AnnSmajstrla]

I’m so angry on Michael’s and his parents’ behalf.

[@carolinamurtha3102]

That part really stuck out to me because how has this been the worst year? Aside from how gross and disgusting it was to say that, where was this thought process going? He pushed to have a certain procedure done that was so unnecessary and has the audacity to be like “man my life has been rough”? Just, wtf dude?

[@br4tb4by]

@@MermaidMakes I was briefly dating a neurosurgeon and he was absolutely a textbook narcissist. It was clear that he chose to be a neurosurgeon for the praise and the money because it is one of the most difficult professions. However, he was diligent and I do not believe he was doing surgeries to harm people as he was working in a public hospital and even left in the middle of our date to perform a surgery.

[@blue1584]

@@carolinamurtha3102 It’s pure ego and selfishness, narcissists and psychopaths only think about things in relation to themselves and have no empathy for others. In their mind they think the world revolves around themselves and don’t care about other people’s feelings or suffering.

[@samanthafairweather9186]

I was in a bad car accident in the mid 90s. Both my ankles were shattered, my left foot was turned a complete 360°, and my left knee was also completely shattered. This was the result of hitting a tree at 100km/hr. The motor was on top of my lower legs, and my knee had snapped the steering wheel. I also had extensive head injuries. My mother was told that I would never regain consciousness, or I'd be in a vegetative state if I did. They also wanted to amputate my left leg from above the knee, and my right from the mid calf area. She refused to agree to these things 4 weeks later, I regained consciousness. The removed the breathing tube, and after about an hour, I asked what my legs felt so heavy. The nurse almost died of shock, as they were told I would not be able to comprehend even the simplest of things! I then asked for food because I was starving! I was told by an "alleged" expert that I would never regain the use of my legs. I was walking ( with crutches) 6 weeks later! The only lasting effects I have are migraines, and I have bad arthritis in both ankles and feet, and sometimes my nerves around the surgical pins get caught, causing really bad pain. I can't run as fast as I used to, but I don't complain. I'm so glad my mother ignored what the surgeons said, otherwise I'd be in a wheelchair - minus two, semi - perfect legs - or worse, I wouldn't be here to tell this story. This goes to show that even the " experts" can get it VERY wrong!

[@Tree-House69]

Glad that you're here with us 🎉

[@crazydud3380]

Ultimately a doctor or surgeon can only tell you what the most likely outcome will be. There are always exceptions, and som are truly miraculous. It is a humble reminder that there is much about the human body we still do not understand. So glad to hear you were one of those miracles!

[@kirausamaria5409]

I think the issue in this case is that this surgeon wasn't an expert at all and had been accused of malpractice before. I'm glad you're doing great now.

[@rgCA_01123]

Hey, for pain, look up a product by Manna. They have a liposomal curcumin that works wonders for inflammation pain. It might help you. Worth a try!

[@bradennevin]

Thats an amazing story. Your mom and yourself were so strong and brave. Glad you're here with us.

[@BrassSpectacles]

My cousin is an ER doctor, and I remember him talking about this case when he was going through medical school because it had happened only a few years prior. Every single one of his teachers and then the doctors teaching him through his rotations talked about the case, and said it was one of the worst cases of malpractice they had ever heard of and the hospital was only saying good things/covering it up because they were at fault too and they're doing a fine case of CYA [cover your arse] about it. A lot of them said the hospital should have been investigated, but much like police there's a line and everyone does CYA because they're afraid of wrecking the careers they worked so long and hard for over one little thing. My cousin has had a few close calls in standing up to his superiors for his patients, but thankfully every time the hospital has had his back about it and I think it's because of cases like this that it's thankfully becoming more common for junior doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to stand up to senior doctors when they see obvious error.

[@deniseyoung765]

you are right. i suspect this is why King Jesus spoke, "Physicians heal yourself." in holy bible. if they do not repent of killing & destroying patients, they will get sick & King Jesus will not heal them. Galatians 6:7. the tv real show, told "nurses that kills." ☆ pray & invite King Jesus Christ & armies angels for helping patients, & warning them from killer doctors & nurses. Let God Jesus win, pray. if you are not saved in Christ Jesus, = join God Jesus royal family, get born again/saved, then go talk with Baptist Pastors about how. Do not let these cruel, lying, killer doctors & nurses win. Pray for me so i will not have a stroke nor heart attack. thanks for caring.

[@christopherkinsella3912]

Unless there’s a government enforced guideline and then anyone who even questions the “consensus” will be smeared and censored. Blindly trust medical professionals. All of them. Not those ones, though. Those are different medical professionals. Trust the ones that agree with the politicians who aren’t medical professionals.

[@crazydud3380]

Yes, it is becoming more common practice for senior doctors to be taken to ask when their narcissism has escalated into delusion. EVERYONE needs accountability, from the homeless man on the street, to the greatest humanitarian and intellectual genius alike. Everyone is capable of making stupid mistakes on a bad day.

[@michelemcguire8995]

In otherwords Micheal signed his rights over to be the first guinea pig..😢

[@GlennaVan]

@@michelemcguire8995 And it was far from a coherent Michael when he was heavily medicated. In my mind, it is clear the doctor was after the surgery for the fee - otherwise why would he not involved the parents in the consent? That, to me, reeks enormously of deceit and ill intention!!!

[@Alexandra_K_]

Michael begging his parents to put an end to his misery DESTROYED me. His suffering was UNIMAGINABLE. How do you go on seeing your child suffer that horribly? It would literally kill me…

[@apriljk6557]

Yes. The agony Miller caused this whole family is criminal.

[@cvf253]

I'm in tears, this is the most messed up story. I can't explain how horrible this must be for his parents. They could have not known what the decision they were making really was. To loose their son this way...for Michael to loss his life-have his life TAKEN this way...just horrendous. 😢

[@MaryCumbersnatch]

I've been bedside with one child in a coma, and another child in a hallucinogenic episode which left him unable to speak for four days. It's terrifying, and yes it kills you inside seeing your babies that way.

[@P-P-Panda]

almost brought me to tears. god that would destroy me

[@katty01]

I cried for a while during that part of the vid 😢 anyone’s suffering breaks my heart…

[@cheller8357]

As a nurse I’m disgusted at the number of other staff who must have seen this unfolding and yet no one spoke up. Dr Miller didn’t do this on his own.

[@SRoseBlog]

Spoke up to whom?

[@cheller8357]

@@SRoseBlog hospital management, family, medical board? Perhaps it’s very different in America but in Australia you would have ample opportunity to speak up.

[@cvf253]

Absolutely.

[@cvf253]

Unfortunately this not the only case where the is a doctor that is clearly not capable of being in the medical field at all & no one said a thing. Hense Dr. Death. It's terrifying. I'm glad things like this are brought to the masses attention.

[@synoda2513]

@@cheller8357they have ample opportunity in America to speak up but there’s also an unspoken hierarchy when it regards a surgeon most likely management will help the surgeon cover up or sound more like an accident

[@ugottabkittenme4752]

This story really hits close to home. My dad is currently in the ICU. And if I’d listen to the “experts” I would’ve been burying him a few months back. I had to fight tooth and nail to get to get the right doctors and treatment for him and now he’s on the road to recovery. From my experience, ALWAYS get multiple opinions from different doctors and if you feel like something is off, listen to your gut. I’ll pray for this family and others like them.

[@Oderick801]

How do you get multiple opinions while your loved one is in the hospital unconscious? I’ve always wondered this.

[@ugottabkittenme4752]

@@Oderick801 I literally had to tell them “I want a second opinion” My dads old kidney doctor did jack. She wanted to stop giving him the life saving medicine. After I chewed her out I told her that and the doctors referred me to a new group. Cause of that my dads still alive

[@ugottabkittenme4752]

@@Oderick801 and if they tell u to put ur loved one in hospice, definitely get another opinion. A lot of times the icu doctors are trying to kick people out who don’t recover fast enough of the room asap to maintain their good hospital rating.

[@Oderick801]

@@ugottabkittenme4752did they come to the hospital to check you out? Were you transferred? Did they order new tests? Sorry, so many questions. But I just want to be prepared should this ever happen to a family member or myself.

[@Oderick801]

@@ugottabkittenme4752also, good job. So glad that your dad is still alive 🙂

[@Mtz2604]

Medical gaslighting is incredibly dangerous and should be taken very seriously. This case is more than medical gaslighting, but Patty's advocacy is helping and educating people about this. I trust a lot in my doctors but I have had the disgusting experience of a physician, and even specialists brushing off what I'm saying or taking it like I'm exaggerating. I'm deeply sorry for this family's loss. RIP Michael.

[@savannahjohnson633]

Yes it is. And it is so common sadly

[@Jekama38]

It is illegal to have a patient sign a consent when medically impaired. I work in an operating room and if the patient consent isn’t signed before medication is administered then we either have to talk to the next of kin to get authorization or we have to cancel the surgery. That surgeon should be sitting in prison for blatant malpractice and murder in causing this guy’s eventual death.

[@Ulysses1994XF04]

Yup. And at the very least that lack of consent amounts to tortious battery if not criminal battery. Michael's family could probably have gotten David Wayne Miller on intentional battery, fraud and wrongful death.

[@jessicacharlton7347]

Really? Is that only if the person is on a large enough amount/dose of mind altering medications? I was on 8mg of intravenous Morphine when I signed consent to get my appendix removed. Nobody else had to sign anything. Did they technically break the law by doing that?

[@Ulysses1994XF04]

@@jessicacharlton7347 You could but I'm reffering to Michael's case specifically. You had the initial fraud where Miller lied about his experience. Then in this case Michael had a procedure done on his brain. In your situation what are your damages? What would you be suing for? If there's no wrongful act/tort then you being as high as a 747 at cruising alt. when you signed is a moot point.

[@jessicacharlton7347]

@@Ulysses1994XF04 I was responding to the original comment. I actually agree with what you said. Not that I disagree with the original comment. I was just curious about how much mind altering medication a person has to be on for it to be illegal to sign the consent forms for surgery. As for my case specifically, I don't think me being on Morphine while signing to get my appendix removed was a problem. I'd even argue that it would've been more difficult to think through the pain. Unfortunately, there were unrelated major issues with my care in that situation, but that's a whole other subject.

[@Ulysses1994XF04]

@@jessicacharlton7347 To answer that question, from a litigation perspective, "how ever much it takes to cloud your judgment" or something to that extent. If one shot of Wild Turkey is all it takes to mess you up enough that a reasonable person wouldn't think you gave consent then you don't need to have drank the place dry.

[@artfanatic8093]

Not only did he deserve to lose his license and never be able to practice again, he needed to be in jail. He destroyed this man's life to the point that he lost his desire to live. To top it all off, he had the nerve to blame Michael and his parents.

[@whitedragoness23]

I want to know why the hell he wanted to preform surgery when he didn’t need it. Was it just to charge them $$$$$$ more to fund his lifestyle?

[@jasonlopez8499]

tbh its not always that. lots of surgeons have egos and are just addicted to operating. the money comes second. they just wanna keep operating. this is why other specialties of doctors sometimes don't get along with them. @@whitedragoness23

[@BearRodriguez]

​@@whitedragoness23😮😮😅

[@naritruwireve1381]

@@whitedragoness23 I'm guessing either that or he wanted to play around with a brain...

[@2high2cry61]

@@whitedragoness23 yes of course, so many "doctors" forget the true intention of their career and see patients as business opportunities.

[@tsubakiiiiii]

It makes me so sad just imagining how much he suffered through his final months. This is really horrifying. Stories like this are why so many people don’t trust hospitals or doctors.

[@MsJoyce31202]

True.

[@mrmanguy4849]

Definitely why I don't trust them.

[@bevvaor2320]

I ask questions to my doctors, and they don't like it and get annoy at me.

[@GajokFamily]

My sister had to have an emergency C-section and when they did that the doctor cut open her colon, causing all the waste in her colon to spill out into her body. She flatlined, she was dead. They resuscitated her, and then she was in a coma for a long time. She has never been the same since then. They were not able to sue the doctor, the hospital or have any legal recourse. On top of that they had to pay an astronomical hospital bill.

[@AjHx90x]

Wow. My god.

[@rileymilan]

Contact a top law firm for Torts that does pro bono. There’s no way that you cannot sue. That seems negligent

[@binknbaby]

His first words to the parents after surgery being "This has been the worst year of my life" says everything. He was focused on himself, not the patient, not the patient's family. He made it about himself.

[@AmirRazan]

EXACTLY.

[@shamecaharvey4597]

God that was terrible.

[@smoothie3993]

ikr that’s gotta be one of the worst possible things to say to the family when a surgery goes bad

[@megamike15]

and this was right after he was shown the surgery did not need to be ddone in the first place.

[@berserker5551]

Eh it makes perfect sense

[@jazbarry13]

I'll never forget a question my husband asked me once after getting misdiagnosed - "You know what they call someone who graduates at the bottom of their class in medical school?" A Doctor. Remember that folks - all physicians are not equal. As a Mother to a son who is also our only child, my heart breaks for this family. I'm not sure I could live with the anger and loss.

[@eliontheinternet3298]

There are certain professions that have such high stakes sometimes we forget they’re people. They can have off days, they can be forgetful, or like in this case they can be terrible people. I trust a group of doctors with my health WAY more than a group of people off the street, but they aren’t infallible robots. They’re just people with a job.

[@nataliej82]

In college, we used to joke, C's earn degrees... that is true regardless of the profession. We all need to remember that.

[@boop9430]

@@nataliej82 lol partially true, at my nursing program we needed C+ to graduate 😂

[@Vindictivevonne]

​@eliontheinternet3298 There's a difference between having an off day and literally committing murder/destroying lives. Why is it that only people with uniforms gets excuses for having "off" days? Education standards need to be higher. And people literally HOLDING PEOPLES BRAINS IN THEIR HANDS need to be held to higher standards. And not let off with excuses such as "it'll make us look bad". Capitalistic hellscape = profit over lives. This is horrific and a neurosurgeon does not get the excuse "Oh he had an off day." That is unacceptable.

[@lynnkayee1015]

For real. My mother struggles with mental illness but for the last 5/6 years has done really well. Anyways, she went to the doctor telling them something was really wrong with her chest and arm. That she had fallen and thought that she broke something...they told her that it was anxiety. They convinced her it was all in her head. It tormented her thinking her delusions were back and was SURE she was going to get very sick again any second. We finally talked her into going to the ER and it turned out she had broken ribs and a fractured arm. 😩

[@PotterManiac344]

As an aspiring family physician, I feel for the PCP who told the family that the cyst isn't basically doing anything inherently bad to his health, and it could have been resolved by some medicine if it even needed resolving at all. There's already a "consensus" that specialists are more trusted than primary care physicians, and this story just reminded me of it.

[@samkadel8185]

I mean, specialists exist for a reason. Like, I have had to correct PCPs many times about aspects of diabetes. I don't think it's bad for specialists to be trusted more when it comes to their specialties, but this is a very clear case of malpractice.

[@KiraSieni]

I hope you will consider a speciality. There are tons of great PCPs.There is a huge problem with speciality Drs and medical gaslighting. If it had happened once, I would have figured it was just one bad doctor. Its happened over and over. We desperately need specialist Drs who don't blame everything on stress anxiety and depression. Its become the new hysteria.

[@erselley9017]

​@@samkadel8185As a nurse I'm not convinced hospital specialists actually exist. I've heard rumors about their existence but nothing concrete. They tend to move in the shadows completely invisible to the naked eye until they find my patient and then anger said patient and their families and evaporate into dust. If your brave enough to summon one about the incident they have no idea what happened and deny any involvement and claim the patient was mistaken. Spooky.

[@notNajimi]

To offer a differing perspective, I’ve had very uncaring PCPs while specialists have mostly listened to me. Being a caring and responsive doctor is not exclusive to either primary care or specialists, and caring professionals are much much needed in both positions. Don’t let strangers’ stray you from the path, you’re doing a good thing as is

[@Tigger434]

At the age of 18 my parents had to threaten my obgyn to do an endometriosis surgery because i was in so much agony and pain where i was doubled over and screaming he said i was being dramatic and i collapsed he finally gave in and told them i had a pretty severe case of it and he said "Oh well i guess she wasnt lying I thought she was too young to have it" i fully have no respect for him because he kept laughing at me making fun of me and said i just wasn't woman enough to handle pain and i am still having awful problems

[@rubikksu3913]

if you know this doctors name please look up him and his clinic nd leave a review in detail also comment his name here so i can leave a review too. edno sucks im sorry he didnt believe your man youre warrior queen

[@Tigger434]

@@rubikksu3913 his name is Dr Stuart A Martin he kept telling my mom I was dramatic and that I was trying to make him and other people feel bad for me and I remember I cried Everytime and just doubled over and passed out from pain and he said I was just acting and thank you so much it helps so much knowing someone is on my side because no one else would listen to me. He works for Hendricks health and it says that he's passionate about women's health when he kept calling me a liar I'm sorry I may still have some strong feelings over it because I started believing the pain was supposed to be normal and that there was nothing wrong

[@AWasteOfYourTime8205]

Bro, if my doctor laughed and made fun of me, I would have no other option but to do open heart surgery on him without any anesthesia and give him a new heart 3 times bigger like the grinch

[@Tigger434]

@@rubikksu3913 his name is Doctor Martin he's an ob here in Abilene Texas he says he cares about women's health and that it's important to him but he told me I was lying

[@Tigger434]

@@AWasteOfYourTime8205 he found out that I did in fact have a pretty severe case of endometriosis but he only did the surgery because my dad almost got violent with him and my dad isn't a violent person and the new OB I'm seeing wants me to get in with a pain doctor because he doesn't wanna have to do a 3rd surgery just yet. Also Dr Martin when he did my surgery he didn't do it right so it never healed fully I am still having scar tissue build and build and it's gotten infected a few times and the one my new OB did has never gotten infected and healed beautifully

[@valerielhw]

If a doctor can't be successfully sued in a case as atrocious as this, there is no hope for patients to fight against even the worst of doctors. I am left very depressed after hearing about this.

[@IAteYourFace72]

On top of that, doctors are hugely disproportionately psychopathic compared to the general population. While not all psychopaths are dangerous, the fact there is next to no checks and balances to literal psychopaths holding lives in their hands is so far beyond insane.

[@themakerstoolbox9688]

​​@@IAteYourFace72Well most people in the profession will tell you that being a psycopath is actually beneficial for surgeons. I know that sounds crazy but it is also generally true considering the percentages of succesful surgeries compared to unsuccesful ones. Its hard for an empathetic person to cut someone open and have the confidence to do all those micro procedures correctly. Most people would be shaking in worry for the patient. Psycopaths dont have the problem of empathy in these scenarios. Them not caring about the patient allows them to do their job more sucessfuly because they wont be nervous about fucking it up. I know it sounds counter intuitive but ask people in the medical field about it. A lot of people agree with ky sentiment and the numbers dont lie. Most medical procedures go well. We just hear the bad stories because they are more remarkable than a run of the mill success. This is also true for doctors. I have a cousin that is a nurse. She is super empathetic and the job weighs on her heavily. She second guesses herself a lot and she brings home a lot of stress. This spunds like a good thing woth the second guessing but it can lead to problems. She is a great nurse but I can see the benefits of psycopathy in the field. It makes you more confident in decisions, allows you to think more logically, and allows you to be mentally stable after so much horror which is a constant in hospitals. You should feel better about this than you are though. The psycopath doctors goals and yours are aligned. They want to succeed for their selfish reasons (furthering their career, being considered a success, good pay) and they dont want to fail especially to this scale for their own selfish reasons (they dont want to get fired, get their license revoked, etc.). For the kost part this system works. The exceptions to the rule obviously exost but we only hear the horror stpries, remember that. Most stpries end well.

[@stalinzd2580]

@@IAteYourFace72 because few to none of them are. Don’t know what happened to your American based all doctors are psychopaths, but no. You’re insane 😂 do you even know what a true psychopath is? They literally have no emotions, and slaving 10 years of your life to become a doctor… just because they can kill easier? No wonder there’s none of them around 😂

[@Rose-hh7mk]

They can be sued, but they usually have a team of expensive lawyers that will make the situation so expensive and laborious for the victims' families.

[@booognish]

@@IAteYourFace72all psychopaths are dangerous

[@SM-ef5rl]

The doctor was Dr David Wayne Miller. He later got an award for being the most patient friendly doctor. It’s insane.

[@LeoDBW]

He probably used this "mask" to hide his past crimes

[@kerbe3]

I think this doctor should be forced to undergo the same surgery he forced Michael to get.

[@grungeisdead8998]

​@@kerbe3facts evil fuck sounds like a surgeon from a horror movie

[@mollie8880]

@@kerbe3agreed

[@psychic7615]

@@mollie8880 100% agree, I was going to name and shame him as well. The other commenter beat me to the punch.

[@itzliaaa]

the fact that this surgeon got an award is sickening to me

[@christinaringer2215]

I’m a nurse who loves your videos. This is the first video I actually cried listening to. RIP Michael. Thank you for doing what you do. Advocacy is so important.

[@jernisharichard5032]

Thank you for the work you do as a nurse, May God bless 🌹🤍🌹 you.

[@xBullTerrierFreakX]

As a woman with a chronic illness I am flabbergasted he went from 1 or two fainting spells while taking a medication that can cause fainting spells to getting a spinal tap AND a CT scan like...wait what???

[@newbermuda]

yeah it's crazy. they must have had some crazy insurance or something. it takes me weeks or months to get a CT.

[@JAM661]

Yea you would think they would check his blood, to see if he might be low on some of his levels as the first thing. He was not complaining of headaches so, probably was not his brain. The doctor though it was the medication, so why do the other test and just stop with that, and see how he does. But rarely are things when you are not having major symptoms something that has to be done right then. I myself would have been no we are not doing this unless I talk to a few other doctors especially when other doctor said it was not a big deal and said the fainting is due to the medication. Surgery is alway the last opinion. Not first.

[@xxlaurennickole]

Same...

[@mariabromwich8897]

Yeah, I don’t understand why they didn’t just cease the medication and see how he was after a couple of weeks or so. If he continues with the fainting, then start the other tests. I also thought it odd that they did an LP before the CT. I’m only 8 mins in, the main Dr hasn’t been introduced yet and it already seems odd.

[@tiffles699]

Yea, I had a neurologist prescribe me a medication that in addition to one of my other medications, causes fainting, but I have a history of syncopy because of blood pressure and blood sugar. This was a Duke staff doctor... I have hEDS, so I constantly have to evaluate EVERYTHING and trust NO doctor, because I have had multiple doctors prescribe treatments that would have killed me.

[@TheAmberh44]

He butchered their son’s brain and the fact that they didn’t spread his name on every billboard in the country is a testament to how forgiving that family is.

[@nmc1859]

No. Maybe they were in shock, shame, or expected grief and that's why. I'm sure it's too painful

[@buildlegoswme]

Also going through this type of trauma is so full of fatigue. I literally don’t shower/brush my teeth for 7+ months, lost 50+ pounds. I didn’t have the energy to fight it’s not something anyone can fathom sometimes you’re paralyzed

[@angelab4652]

Yes, mental paralization the same as physical

[@ChromaKeyMystress]

they probably were not allowed to considering what happened.

[@angelab4652]

@bananasmagic This happened to me. You musta been thru some kind of hell for wayyytoo long. How's it going at present? If yr here to write about it, I salute you Warrior! Upon thinking the commenter never been through it. What are they saying, really? Don't talk about it? Pitch should be lined up!

[@MsRee713]

I cannot believe the story. This is my story! From Wellbutrin to seizures to a spot on my brain which turned out to be a small vessel stroke-not A cyst. Even my night sitter fell asleep during a seizure. The only difference is that I was diagnosed correctly. And the treatment was-Do Nothing. Of course, since mine was a stroke and not a growth of some sort, I had to do some rehabilitation for my right side. And with physical therapy that is now normal. Many things did, in fact go very, very wrong. I had a horrible experience with unbelievably difficult PTSD (I can’t go into detail due to legal reasons), but it could have been so much worse. It may happen again. I’m still struggling so please pray for me.

[@passiveaggressiveflamingo6851]

You may have just saved my life. A small vessel stroke. They missed it.

[@paulineerwin7685]

You have been through so very much and I want to let you know that I send you love and prayers from N.Ireland ❤️🙏❤

[@mrmanguy4849]

Jesus heals all. I will pray for your recovery. ❤️

[@BellaZ209]

By any chance do you have a hx of alcoholism? If so Wellbutrin has to be discontinued when detoxing from alcohol because seizures are more likely to occur. Just curious.

[@monikag7208]

Are you any better? I hope for your full recovery ❤

[@yuukichan12]

This "doctor" seemed to think we were still in medieval times. This is barbaric. That whole family went through it. Thank you for bringing attention to this in such a well presented manner.

[@May-rk3sl]

It’s insane how a doctor can literally rip a life away knowingly meanwhile nurses get fired and blacklisted for the most mild cases of hipaa violations

[@Denise_Suzanne]

Yep!

[@prehistoricorchid3455]

Fucking literally tho! Truly insane

[@ericaosborne5241]

I really don't know what one has to do with the other. Of course this doctor should be held accountable but so should a nurse who violates HIPAA. It isn't an "either or" situation.

[@prehistoricorchid3455]

@ericaosborne5241 it is about the unfairness of those who are targeted for punishment. A nurse will be quick to be punished, but a doctor who basically murdered someone gets excuses after excuses. Basically, it shows how valued nurses are and how corrupt the field is.

[@elexuswhitaker9401]

Because doctors make the hospital more money.

[@Ditters2008]

I worked for Patty shortly after the Transparency Act was passed. When I tell you that she is a fighter and someone I was constantly in awe of... She took what would be any parent's worst nightmare and turned it into something that can protect, will protect and has protected so many. She is, simply put, a warrior

[@brittnyhawk8633]

So sad they lose their son for this to happen. I'm grateful for what she has done and continues to do.

[@imaginarylivingbody7154]

@@brittnyhawk8633 The adage “regulations are written in blood” rings true a lot of the time unfortunately.

[@oliveoyl1802]

I wish she would have used this same energy and tenacity to check the background of the surgeon, get multiple opinions from other doctors/hospitals BEFORE letting anyone poke around inside the BRAIN of her beloved only child. Not blaming or judging the parents but no one should take the word of a doctor no matter how he/she claims to be experienced or the best at what they do. At the end of the day these surgeons are just mere humans. We should never indulge them in callous acts of 'playing God'. In my experience it's the quiet, humble doctors who I find more trustworthy.

[@Ditters2008]

@@oliveoyl1802 I don't think anyone can say how they would handle a situation like that until they're in it. When she spoke of this, she always said how scared they were, how the Dr made it seem this surgery was life or death and HAD to happen. When you're in these situations you think you can trust someone with so much education, training and knowledge. Her mission now is to help people understand the importance of just what you're saying, getting a second opinion, looking into the Dr's background, etc. And, because of her, it's now easier to do so. It's so simple to have opinions sitting comfortably typing on your keyboard. It's much different standing in a hospital with a Dr telling you your child is going to die. I would recommend kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion in life. Unless you've walked in the shoes, you can't possibly understand the journey. Which, I sincerely hope you have not had to and never will. Have a good evening.

[@nooneofnote8453]

⁠@@oliveoyl1802idk if this is a chat GPT comment or someone who didn’t pay attention to the video: checking a medical professional’s background was much, MUCH tougher circa 2000. There was no central information source, no websites full of reviews; the vast majority of people never thought they had to do what essentially was a hiring process/background check for their medical care because there was still greater trust in medical professionals. This comment may not intend to place blame, but it’s doing just that.

[@JessicaGail]

This is the most difficult story I’ve ever listened to. My god. I googled the doctor and he is still in practice in Colorado now. I don’t live there, but I’m glad I heard this story. Imagine if you never heard this story and he operated on you. All of his patients should be made aware of this.

[@maddieb.4282]

No he isn’t. Check with the actual medical board in Colorado and search him, don’t just google. Clinics and other businesses often don’t update their websites for a long time and his license is expired so he literally cannot be practicing. The pinned comment is also stating that the video creator learned from a source that he is retired.

[@JessicaGail]

@@maddieb.4282 That’s great to hear, but he still went on to do many surgeries after this which is terrifying and is still a testament to how faulty our medical system is. People have had surgeries done by him as recent as 2012, that I could find, and probably more recent, just couldn’t find those dates.

[@ayakowilliams4571]

You are absolutely right! Its sickening!! I’m a native of Colorado and live here still! Im relieved I now know to avoid this monster! Unethical and ungodly! RIH Michael 🙏🏽🪽🙏🏽

[@LeakyPotato]

I live here, it’s an amazing state, but kinna cursed tbh

[@YeetSpace]

​@@LeakyPotatoDon't know if you're a bot that just came to this comment section cuz you heard a state randomly mentioned, but if you're a real person I don't really get what this adds anything but if you're there could you go and brutalize this man? For the sake of all of us in the comments since you seem to be living there and close enough to this person to give retribution to what should be someone who should be and should have been in jail for years now?

[@laniakeas92]

This is the most horrific case of medical malpractice I have ever encountered. I have a deep ocd induced fear of being disabled due to permanent brain damage and this scared me so much. Thank you for covering that case.

[@conniemorgan8402]

I’ve had 4 strokes and that is also my greatest fear"..

[@timelessdragon8950]

@@conniemorgan8402 why did the strokes happen? Did they find a cause?

[@conniemorgan8402]

@@timelessdragon8950 I had what’s called an innocent murmer at birth..most babies are born with this,which is where the wall between the chambers isn’t closed completely.these openings usually close pretty quickly.. mine never did.. with age the openings stretch ever larger.. so, the heart doesn’t function properly. And now, at 70, well everything starts to go with age.getting older isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure.

[@GlitchedMuse]

As someone who has had 20 surgeries in my life. (Several of which were brain surgeries.) Hearing him say that "Micheal will be out in 3 days" was an immediate red flag. I had to spend three months in the hospital after my brain surgery.

[@wungadunga5099]

May I ask, and if you're absolutely okay with answering this - why have you undergone so many brain surgeries? I've only needed one so far, and I have a huge issue with fear of being wronged at a surgeon's hands :(

[@soxpeewee]

Average time for cyst removal is 6 to 8 weeks in hospital

[@GlitchedMuse]

@wungadunga5099 To stop my seizures. I was lucky, in that they only had to take out a small part of my brain.

[@lmrharper3586]

My brother had his brain tumor operated on and was out in 3 days.I think sometimes it depends on the amount of help there is in the home.

[@mohiniramnarain1964]

i had a MINOR brain surgery to remove a tumor on my adrenal gland. I still had to stay in ICU for 5 days and normal hospital for 10 days. This was such a red flag to be released after 3 days..

[@placebomandingo2095]

As a 6yr old child I had problems with chronic constipation, and when the specialists were done testing me they had a conference with my family and I where they informed us that i would be getting a colostomy bag and the procedure was scheduled. I remember my father almost flipped the table, and read them the riot act. We left, i didn't get the bag and eventually sorted my problem out with diet and other changes. I'm almost 60 now, and i can barely imagine how that would have changed my life. Thanks Dad..❤

[@morgan4574]

I'm not a doctor or a parent but even I've heard about some children just... Don't go and can give themselves constipation through sheer willpower just because they want to, and don't understand the problems or consequences obviously. It's more of a behavioral treatment, making the child more comfortable with pooping, and of course it can completely resolve on its own too. Can't believe they wanted to cut into a child and relegate them to shitting into a bag for life. What a psycho

[@placebomandingo2095]

@@morgan4574 stubbornness was definitely a factor, I was kind of afraid to go once I got backed up. It was a whole room full of psychos, too.

[@Murhuedur]

@@morgan4574 I had the same issue at the same age and yeah, it was all behavioral. A bit psychological too because eventually you become afraid of the pain of going. My grandma had crohn's disease and had a colostomy bag. I was afraid of ending up like her. The issue was fixed with some diet changes, and journaling? I remember the doctor suggested I keep a journal reflecting on how I felt each time I went, and after that the issue resolved

[@darkstarr984]

Seriously what’s wrong with some surgeons! I am so grateful for your father because the *first thing to do for digestive problems is always dietary*. I have an ileostomy, my colon was so damaged from sickness I was in constant agony, unable to sleep or eat, and the medications did almost nothing to help me. I had a discussion with the surgery team and decided I preferred major surgery to trying additional medication that would need to be administered weekly just to *maybe* reduce my inflammation enough to function poorly. I don’t have the function my body did before I was sick, but I am *almost* able to live normally. I can’t comprehend anyone ever just deciding “can’t poop? Just direct things outside the body!” before attempting dietary changes, exercises, testing for different possible diseases, and possible medications to help.

[@darkstarr984]

@@morgan4574By the way, *many* colostomy pouches are *temporary*. It’s pretty rare to be permanent but if a child doesn’t have some extreme illness that shouldn’t have even been *imagined*

[@Vladi0310]

I cried through it all…. I didn’t have a horrific experience like this but maybe 1/10. During stomach scope and placing a tube into my small bowl, my GI doctor, pierced through my stomach and pulled it into my small intestine. He didn’t even notice it. When I woke up, I was vomiting every 30 mins, non stop. That doctor ordered X-ray and it showed nothing, I was sent to psych ward at 22! My son just turned 2 years old. So, working with mental health professionals, doing all I could, I continued to get worse. After 7 months, my tube in small intestine needed to be replaced, unlike stomach tube, this type has to be done under sedation. I woke up, tube still old, confused. He noticed what he did when trying to replace it. So, I am in full intestinal failure. I have paralyzed stomach and issues like blood clots, infections, blood pressure is part of my life. I can’t eat, I throw up around 4-5 times a day. I have veneers and caps, because of constant vomiting. I almost died in Oregon. I was done. But, life brought a GI doctor that has a son with similar issues, we moved to Omaha, I am not great, but better than I was before and I am grateful to all of my doctors and nurses, I am alive because they care. Tonight is a new year, in 45 mins, I want to wish everyone family and friends that support and love you, medical team that actually sees you as a person, not a diagnosis. Best wishes from this cry baby )

[@emilybudinger5491]

Omg I'm so sorry that happened to you, don't minimise it, you're amazing

[@Paul-ls6zt]

I really love the way that you humanized him and really showed us who he is especially with how he’d been dehumanized by a doctor who only saw him as a paycheck. I thought that was really powerful.

[@aloco357]

I’m a nursing student and we are constantly told to never ask for consent after the patient has been medicated. This is one of the many things this medical team and doctor did wrong, but it is something so important. Also brain surgery in an unsterile environment is appalling.

[@looking4therealrepairmanjack]

17:49 Hi, aloco! I've gone through quite a few comments to see if anyone had addressed this issue one way or another, but I couldn't find one, surprisingly. At this point in the video, she's claiming that Michael was given massive amounts of pain medication in a very short time frame right after the shunt was placed. (I'm assuming a shunt is what she was referring to when she said draining tube.) I don't see that that's the case here. He's only receiving 2mg by way of IV about every hour or so. I'm pretty certain by looking at this, that he's got a self administering pain pump. It's a very common protocol for patients who just came out of surgery. Patients can push the button every 10 minutes (sometimes less) for another dose. And for those that don't know, when you have pain meds administered by IV, yes, it's stronger and faster than taking it by mouth, however, the effects don't last very long at all. It also seems to me that he's still in quite a bit of pain because he was given hydrocodone by mouth, most likely a Norco 10, to help with breakthrough pain. And I wish she would've said how long he remained unconscious (coma?) after the shunt had been put in and he coded, as well as exactly when he coded. Was it before, during or after the procedure? I have some thoughts, questions and opinions about his mother and some of her actions and decisions from the moment she decided she wanted a second, and then even a third opinion. But, I don't want to be raked over the coals because I dared to question her **at all!**😬 (Although, I will, if someone asks me about it.)

[@Short-mistress]

She can only give what was given some details might not be told

[@flowershopapt]

​@@looking4therealrepairmanjackThis is good info. Honestly, I agree with you about the decisions on the part of the parents. Creator claims they got second opinions about the initial tests which was what got them to Dr. M to begin with, but never bothered doing it again when being told by one surgeon that their son is in danger? That much I can accept as an honest mistake, but the fax thing makes it even worse. The physician tells them the cyst is completely benign, and is explicitly told "call me", but they only tell the surgeon about it and do not even bother telling the physician about what *they* were being told by a different doctor. It's bizarre to me, I can't make sense of it.

[@jasonlopez8499]

i'm asking about it. i wanna know. @@looking4therealrepairmanjack

[@fayxwilson6250]

In the UK, even after a small day op like a tooth removal under sedation, we are not allowed to sign any legal documents for 24 hours after.

[@JournoGia]

Doctor David Wayne Miller. Like other murderers, he doesn't deserve the anonymity for what he has done to Michael and his family.

[@rileydicaire1621]

Glenwood Medical Associates-GMA That’s where he works currently

[@RezwanaAhmed]

I was wondering why I couldn’t find anything on him

[@GeekGamer666]

@@rileydicaire1621 If you read the pinned post he doesn't work there, he's retired.

[@DoctorCactus98]

@@GeekGamer666 in jail is where he should be

[@Ruthsmithology]

Thank u. Nor he deserves to even be called a doctor. A m*rderer sadist narcissist is not even close.

[@franzpattison]

I've had two surgical procedures with over 99% success rate and both procedures were botched, with permanent neuropathy and other complications. This case made me cry

[@123kpr]

As an OR nurse for 26 years, I suggest to every family member wondering about the surgeon that they or their family members plan to use… You must call the OR charge nurse in the facility where the surgery will take place. Ask them frankly if they themselves would or would not use that surgeon and why. They will tell you the truth.

[@camillacolucci5022]

Yes, I absolutely agree!!!!! Retired from Nursing .....Nurses see it all!¡!😲

[@VipesVonHarlot]

That poor young man had his entire life ripped away from him and the fact that he was conscious enough to understand what was happening to him, but not have control over his body must have been soul crushing. So heartbreaking for his poor mom and dad, too. 🥺

[@darkangel7820]

I almost go into a panic attack thinking about what you just said!! Waking up. Knowing everything around you, yes you can't move and can't talk. No, no I gotta stop

[@mageanbradbery9029]

The hospital defending him and saying other Dr's speak so highly of him - yet the second dr REFUSED to scrub in on this surgery. That right there says everything you need to know about this situation. The hospital knows he's terrible, but they'll never say it

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The stuff was probably scared that they could lose their jobs (for ratting on him) and go to court (for knowing and not telling) as well. The doc that didn't scrub in made a clear decision. They didn't support the procedure and wouldn't be part of it.

[@notorioustori]

​@HappyBeezerStudios you'd think being in an employment at-will state is perfect for situations and employees like these.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@notorioustori I must admit I have no idea what that means

[@finnianday]

​@@HappyBeezerStudiosan "at will" state refers to states where you can be fired for any reason at any time, assuming it doesn't violate state or federal law. That commenter was saying the hospital should've given Miller the boot seeing as there wouldn't have been any legal consequences

[@carolynhorne9863]

Many hospitals think of their rep. Like the story of the nurse killing children, each and every one of the hospital had a clue but they just fired him and he would move on to the next hospital and continue killing

[@toad6417]

I have worked with dozens of surgeons. Their egos truly cannot be overstated. They do not beg to operate for compensation, but rather because they want the experience and merit that comes with it. ALWAYS get a second or third opinion when a surgeon is quick to suggest a serious surgery. This case obviously has more aggravating factors than just that, but if another expert had the opportunity to talk to them it could have been avoided. RIP Michael

[@deshonebonyrowland-ward4552]

Ran across you by accident and I have to tell you that I'm sorry for all you are going through in terms of having the diagnosis of cancer... But I've always heard trouble is transportation... I know you have many talents but let me just say this talent of story telling that you possess.. Is a GIFT... thank you for your research.. Your compassion as u tell these stories.. And your transparency.. You can tell that you really care... You are amazing. The end.

[@meatcrimes-42069]

When you said part of the hypothalamus had been removed, I internally screamed because as a medical student i know exactly 0 circumstances that indicate removal of part or all of the hypothalamus. that little segment of the brain is absolutely vital for basic bodily functions and i was listing all of the possible complications in my head, and only minutes later you confirmed exactly what i was thinking. Surgery that even goes near the hypothalamus is extremely delicate and requires weighing the pros and cons with the patient because of how disastrous it could be, and that’s for patients who actually need this kind of surgery. This doctor did something i haven’t even HEARD of someone doing in a therapeutic manner. I acknowledge that my knowledge is limited as i am only one person, and a student at that, so there’s a possibility there is somewhere out there an indication for removal of the hypothalamus, but neither through my studies or through a 45 minute google search deep dive have i seen anything like that.

[@samdor935]

The hypothalamus and frontal lobe. Baffling! I can’t confirm but my guess is they caused hemorrhage or ischemia (aka gave him a stroke) with the unnecessary man-handling of his brain and had to remove the dead/dying parts

[@LammasDeluge]

As soon as I heard that the doctor had somehow performed a partial lobotomy while looking for a cyst, I did not believe this was accidental. How does a neurosurgeon with over 10 years of experience accidentally remove parts of the brain. Damaging the brain is possible, but removing chunks of the brain? I don't get how that would happen. I think the doctor was purposely experimenting on the victim. I think he pushed for surgery because he wanted someone to experiment on.

[@tainadelcaribe]

@@samdor935Geez! That sound so reckless!!

[@Dhruv_Dogra]

Horrifying !!

[@larianne_]

im an 11th grade student and we learned nervous system 2 weeks ago, i was also wondering how can a that important multi-functioning little thing have been taken out as a cure? Not only that, but why did the doctor chose to do such a dangerous operation like lobotomy without even trying other things before

[@happywithdrawal]

Something seemed really scummy about the fact that a bunch of doctors towards the end tried to spin it to where the mother was overreacting and that the doctor was actually in the right was so bizarre. That's some next level cultish behavior and it's incredibly depressing

[@supershepherd]

Because they know part of the guilt falls on all of them

[@Wadlebutt]

doctors are like cops in this way.

[@theyliveyousleep8965]

Here’s the problem…. If secondary doctors acknowledge the malpractice…if they admit the standard of care was breached….then THEY can be subpoenaed to testify in court. Going to court for any reason jeopardizes their career and medical malpractice coverage. The system is rigged against everyone. Not just the patients. The (good) doctors are screwed too.

[@El1society]

@@Wadlebuttjobs with authority tend to attract the worst types of people

[@isaburntcake]

Fr, my mom is a nurse and got told for YEARS to “be the wife not the doctor” whenever a doctor would disagree with her idea or comments. She told them for years my dad had dementia as a result of multiple TBIs and suggested CTE. But everyone of them told her she was wrong, and now a decade later after things have worsened they are like “uh well maybe it’s CTE” like no shit Sherlock. They just put him on medication last month to prevent further brain deterioration. The way they spin so much BS just to claim they knew better than people with less education than them and refuse to hear the other side is absolutely mind boggling.

[@minccinoshiny]

Michael sounds so sweet, it's a sad loss to the world. I wish the best for his family.

[@HeyyyitsLissy]

My son had an emergency drain like this. It is done with a drill but my god, also in an operating room. This story is so close to home it gives me chills. Poor Michael and his poor parents. Making those decisions under the pressure of a medical emergency, you are forced to trust and give your child to strangers. Breeching that kind of trust is appalling.

[@emilykappen4242]

It’s normal to do EVDs at bedside. I assisted with several in the ICU at multiple hospitals.

[@werrercricket]

Right? I see some folks trying to criticize the parents' choices but if a medical professional told me one of my twins were having an immediate medical emergency I wouldn't go around to get a few more opinions, I'd be panicked and want treatment done immedietely. Such a horrible situation, and what an evil doctor to take advantage of them like that

[@paintbrush3554]

The part where the dad saw his son in the hospital bed and said "they hurt him" absolutely broke my heart immensely.

[@maddiesharpe7118]

The partial lobotomy part really got me… I don’t understand how someone could make such a horrific mistake.

[@wrongturnVfor]

mistake? The initial drain placement went wrong and there was definitely some bleeding or something for which he removed the lobe. The problem here is that initital procedure should not have happened. The rest of it was him unsuccessfully trying to correct the complications from it

[@maddiesharpe7118]

@@wrongturnVfor I know. I mean like the entire process all together. It was clearly a mistake to do the wrong surgery. Even if he knew it was a mistake, that’s all I mean by that.

[@wrongturnVfor]

​@@maddiesharpe7118 He didnt do the wrong surgery. He messed up the first one. The second one was to correct for the complications from that. Cant really call that wrong just shitty first surgery clearly due to lack of experience. Or maybe an actual complication, IDK

[@sleepysadpoet]

Lobotomies shouldn’t be done at all tbh

[@wrongturnVfor]

​@@sleepysadpoet lol, Lobotomies have to be done when that part of the brain is mush. Lonbotomies shouldnt be done for psychiatric reasons. But there are perfectly valid reasons why they may need to be done in certain patients

[@Cleophelia75]

Thank You for this information. God bless you. I had heart surgery last February and the doctor left something inside my heart and left the top of my strenum open. Since than the x-ray technicians have been covering it up. Two doctors at the county emergency room told me on two separate occasions that they saw it . I'm in severe pain, my shoulders are not connected, I'm worse than I was before they operated. One cardiologist told me there was no indications in my heart of me having a heart attack. There is so much more to this story.

[@mrsgrim8982]

Omg omg omg

[@Cleophelia75]

@@taramcgavan7654 know I don't have an attorney because the doctors I have been going to are trying to cover it up. They have been giving me X-rays of the chest and telling me they don't see anything, when they should have been giving me x-ray of the heart. The doctors are trying to cover it up. I need the surgery but I don't trust them, they may kill me in surgery.

[@bevvaor2320]

Sorry for what you are going through.

[@Infamousklutz]

As someone who’s grown up in and out of hospitals I’ve grown accustomed to drs wanting to do something bc it “might” render some kind of result. I make sure to ask a lot of questions before I make a choice. And also take in the drs demeanor and rapport with me as well. 2 decades in I can tell who’s out to make money and who actually cares. Patty is so strong to forgive and not be bitter.

[@The-Janie-Jones]

Hearing you speak about how Doctor M acted during the initial conversation at the hospital really reminds me of my own experience with a very prominent doctor in my state who tried convincing me to get an extremely rare and life threatening experimental surgery, that HE himself came up with. I suffer from Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome, which is an extremely rare inner ear condition that effects me neurologically as well, and this doctor suggested peeling back a layer of my brain and attempting to tinker around with the bones in my inner ear canal connecting to my inner skull, he said it so calmly like he was reading the Sunday paper or some shit. My mum and I were crying, mind you I was only 19 years old and I just found out I had an incurable rare condition. This man got annoyed at us for being upset, and when I asked him how many patients he'd performed it on - he refused to answer, although he said one patient died of meningitis of the brain. I asked for a pamphlet or something about the surgery, he got very angry left the room - and printed out a pamphlet about a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SURGERY, and expected me not to notice. I'm so grateful that I didn't let him pressure me into being a guinea pig. My heart genuinely goes out to Michael and his family, he sounded like such a promising and compassionate young man. 🩷

[@sunettas9738]

I'm so sorry your family's gone through that, there needs to be better accountability of the medical field

[@TeddyLovesAxl]

Had you went thru with that surgery you might not have been able to even write the comment you did. But if had been wildly successful, he would have been hailed a genius. But if it had gone sideways, nobody would have heard about it. You made the right decision. I hope a legit medical procedure that is tried and true comes around for you one day soon🙏🏻❤

[@gladitsnotme]

Same reason I'll never get Lasik. Cutting a flap on my healthy eyeball and hoping I don't get corneal neuralgia or chronic dry eye isnt my idea of a good surgery. I'll keep my glasses & my $1000 tyvm.

[@SR-wq3pi]

@@gladitsnotme Dude. Last night I was just raving to friends about how I want the Lasik. I just want convenience for swimming, roller coasters, etc. Well, you won't have fun swimming or riding coasters if you're FRIGGING BLIND. Your comment and what my friends told me is proof not to consider it.

[@anoniukas]

That kind of people shouldn't even be given the medical licence.

[@mwild5790]

As a receptionist for a medical malpractice law firm, I've never heard of such blatant malpractice. I handle intakes where I am to take down certain details to qualify prospective clients. This is absolutely med mal and I am appalled that this doctor is still practicing medicine.

[@Elvan-Lady]

Petal stated in a comment that the doctor has retired since then.

[@shaz8486]

He should STILL be sued for severe MALPRACTICE!!! dr M should be dragged through every court and sued so he has NOTHING ! EVER ! that Dr is DISGUSTING!!😡😡😅

[@abs0lutelyn0t.]

@@shaz8486 sad excuses name was David Wayne Miller

[@user-sf9gs2pg1b]

That seems like a really cool job. And I haven’t yet gotten much into the video, they’re still practicing? That’s actually INSANE. Edit: oh other comment said they retired, but still, retirement is better than what they should be getting for doing this. Horrifying.

[@Dhruv_Dogra]

Yes. Truly scary!

[@karenaubert8852]

Miss Petal, you are a remarkable storyteller and have summed up this complicated narrative in an easily understood and compelling way that left few questions as to what happened. I hope you continue to use this talent to inform us. The horror of this story is jaw-dropping and my heart goes out to Michael and his family.

[@CookiePartyy]

This made me completely sick to my stomach and upset. Thank you for sharing this, Petal… Michael deserved SO MUCH MORE than the torture he endured. His family, I cannot say enough how much this made me hurt for his family… in closing, thank you for bringing this to us and with such gentleness and compassion. I’ve shared it already with several friends and colleagues.

[@Drbethturtlewoman]

I am a Physician and love this channel, its not uncommon for the medical board and the hospital staff to defend a bad surgeon. They are all possibly liable because they hired him and failed to discipline him.

[@akpokemon]

that makes sense. always about selfishness. thanks for the explanation

[@Ambassador1701]

Yep, just like the neonatal nurse in the UK that was oding newborns on insulin. Doctors and staff reported her and demanded an investigation. The head staff refused and ignored them. The death of those newborns are on their hands.

[@mandypdx]

Also a physician and I think the opposite. I’d never defend someone obviously doing wrong. The hiring process is very clear, black and white, background checks. You don’t do background checks??

[@fivesecpuppybun]

​@@mandypdxthat's how most would feel but the board isn't like that. they're more of a business if anything.

[@mandypdx]

@@fivesecpuppybun I have worked for a university hospital for over 20 years. Our Board of Directors are the most accomplished, kind, and selfless people I know. I’m sorry you feel that way.

[@GothicPurple]

I've seen countless videos about serial killers, murderers, war-crimes, childhood assault, every flavor of real life horror story you can dream of, and I've gotta say this video totally wrecked me. Like, this is genuinely a whole new level of haunting to have happened and it makes me utterly sick to my stomach.

[@Dinnyeify]

There's something particularly disturbing about being hurt this way by someone who is supposed to save your life...

[@dreamerwav698]

its so awful like im in the same place...

[@sendmorerum8241]

Especially because he got away with what I would consider an attempted murder at least. Maybe I'm harsh but I felt that the parents were also too forgiving.

[@KyleEvra]

Become a Antinatalist. Stay pure and stop forcing more innocent sentient beings to become sacrifices for this Cruel Society to Feed on.

[@Alex-wk3xq]

That IS an attempted murder. Even if you're 100% convinced about the surgery, the moment when you cannot operate in full safety (for example the assistant surgeon refusing to attend) and still decide to go ahead.. Murder. Not to mention how impossible it was for him not to recognize the state of confusion michael had to be in, the moment he was asked the consent for the surgery

[@PureNightmare]

This is the first video I’ve seen on your channel, im subbed now. My heart broke when you described his life once he was home… this poor poor family. RIP Michael. I had a discectomy in 2017 and this just makes me so thankful I had a wonderful surgeon and medical team.

[@kaiscote]

Being diagnosed with a similar condition, this one really hits home. Thank you for telling these stories.

[@haliensexist]

This "doctor" basically slowly and painfully murdered a young man over almost 3 years. That man deserves prison, and he barely got a slap on the wrist. Abhorrent and despicable... rest in peace sweet Michael. 😔

[@ceceliacrowley385]

He still is practicing.

[@Universal_Craftsman]

Doctors aren't called "gods in white" for no reason, they can do everything and get away with it.

[@charichari]

DAVID WAYNE MILLER is the name of this MURDERER disguised as a "doctor". Yes I call him A MURDERER. Let it be known to everyone!!! he doesn't deserve anonymity whatsoever but to be removed from practicing as a doctor!! Shameful!!

[@XINN_1.99]

​@@ceceliacrowley385doesn't give him the right to take a little boy from their family.

[@gh0st..926]

@@XINN_1.99they’re clarifying the doctor didn’t get punishment at all.. he’s still working

[@brenda9228]

*Learning of Michael’s death has educated me to always get 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. opinions from multiple specialists. I empathize with the grief the family’s enduring.*

[@RaiiSkaii]

I have heard this from a family friend who works In healthcare, always always get multiple opinions from doctors

[@babyturkey8342]

I had a blood infection in 2020. I saw my doctor 3 times and she kept saying it was just sciatica ( I got fired for my job because I literally could not walk). I saw someone else the 4th time and was finally diagnosed with Sepsis. I ended up in the hospital for 2 months and had to learn to walk again. From then on I told myself I'd never walk out of a doctors room without advocating for myself.

[@humanthetooth]

This is a positive legacy. Although I wish everyone could afford getting those multiple opinions, especially in the US where we have some of the best diagnostic specialists- and yet the worst healthcare for accessing them.

[@antares6664]

Instead, y’all should fight for a free heatlh care. This is like a gambling game, you have to keep looking and if you look in all the wrong places boom, you’re disabled for life. Billions and billions can go to the military, and yet none of it can be spent to provide health treatment… I just can’t imagine to be in extremely pain and have to make a decision of waiting for it to pass, or spending thousands of dollars. Or, in this case, possibly suffering from a terminal disease and need to waste precious time to find enough medical opinions to confirm it.

[@brenda9228]

@@babyturkey8342 OMG. The value of the 4th option, literally life-saving. Sepsis can damage major organs and be fatal.

[@Gross126]

As a medical resident, I want to give a bit of insight into why they are defending him. Doctors are burnt out. As a whole, we have some of the highest suicide rates of any profession. Also when we are done working 80 to 120 hour weeks as residents, many of us just want to live our lives. As a result, more rural communities or just places that don’t have a lot of tangible things to offer do not seem attractive to young doctors who just want to finally be rewarded for all their efforts. So what these hospitals will do is offer lucrative contracts. They will pay you twice to four times what big cities do. But now that means that you are often the only doctor around especially if you’re a sub specialist. Meaning there aren’t ALOT of you. So then if that doctor messes up, which this doctor DEFINITELY did, the hospital isn’t motivated to fire them bc they still view having a neurosurgeon on staff as being better than not having one at all. Also if that hospital then admits he was wrong, they are risking other doctors not wanting to work for them. It’s very sad but just wanted to provide insight.

[@rileymilan]

Unfortunately, as someone who’s very educated in law, liability, etc. I am absolutely inclined to agree with you. Admission to ANY wrongdoing would only open up a pandora’s box of liability for the hospital

[@geovanniinusa5973]

Your thoroughness and willingness to tell stories that need to be told is very commendable. Thank you.

[@lauren9004]

"This has been the worst day of my life" - Wow. That man is evil, pure evil. He should've gone to prison. This case is absolutely appalling and extremely terrifying. My heart is so heavy. I feel so awful for Michael. God bless him and his parents.

[@pillowsrocker]

This alone is so revealing. He knew he had completely destroyed this young man's life, and even when speaking to the parents he can't fight the narcissistic urge to shift focus on himself and center it around HIS suffering.

[@jamisenmyers9301]

He said..."This has been the worst YEAR, of my life", even worse in my eyes, how many lives has he destroyed in that YEAR???

[@joangrennan886]

Rhe cruelty in this case was.v shocking ,not to mention the boundless arrogance and superiority complex of tje surgeom of the surgeon

[@kathleenmickie9746]

This calls to mind the statement “not everything is about you!” You are a professional reporting on a patient and the first commentary you make is about how sad and tragic YOUR year has been?? Disgusting.

[@cindyspencer5790]

Michael suffered so much from this Dr. He should have been sent to prison for what he did. He tortured Michael, .gave him so many drug's in unimaginable. He did things to Michael that didn't need to be done. He kept getting Michael deeper into more surgeries. His fault. Dr should be in jail. Very sad story. RIP Michael ❤️ ypu didn't deserve any of this. I'm so very sorry for your loss Michael signed the paper under all that medication.

[@wyattsmith]

It's disgusting anyone would be so eager to operate on a cyst that small. I have a cyst in my brain that is around 25 times larger than the one Michael had and doctors are still hesistant to operate. Horrific such a tragedy was incurred upon a wonderful person, but at least change came as a result.

[@Blind_Bear]

Oh shit, is it dangerous? How did u know?

[@mickeymouse12678]

​@@Blind_BearThankfully, colloid cysts aren't cancerous. They cause issues and arendangerous when if they grow too large and start pushing on other structures. But if a patient is asymptomatic or has minimal symptoms, it's not really advisable to treat it. It's better to just monitor it over time. His fainting could have had nothing to do with the cyst.

[@spreadthatchili]

Hi, I’ll be praying that the colloid cyst will be gone in Jesus’ name, amen. ❤

[@wanjikugitonga8995]

Do a three day water only fast. Check whether it reduces or dissappears.

[@MissyBuchanan741]

I only have undergrad nueropsych, but looking at those CTs at 4.2mm they 100% should have waited to see if it hot bigger. The brain rearranges around obstructions, that's why tumours create such headaches. They also had no baseline to say his ventricles were enlarged! Ventricles are NOT one size. I've seen a schizophrenic twin study years ago where one twin had massive ventricles. This whole thing is bizarre from the get go.

[@mothurston6400]

This is the saddest story I’ve heard in sometime. Thank you!! Love the way you tell these stories. ❤

[@louiseconcilia7593]

Excellent delivery & opinions on this case. Thank you for bringing awareness to topics other than classic murders

[@RinneAvicula]

When you described how the drain was placed in a “bedside procedure” and with “a hand drill”, my jaw physically dropped as I whipped my head around to stare at my phone. Like, I’m no surgeon, but shouldn’t the operating space be, I dunno, STERILE??

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

I saw a black and white film from the 1950s (I forget what it was called) and it included a scene where two doctors were smoking in the Operating Theatre. 😂. I hope we’ve moved on a bit since then.

[@katecherry1413]

Disclaimer I am not defending this doctor. Bedside placed EVD is done for emergent situations. It takes about an hour to start if going to OR. If the patient is going to herniate now if you don’t do something they will die. Sterile technique is still used.

[@scarlettapplejaxsaj1767]

@@Woodman-Spare-that-treeWhen my hubs was coming up thru med school, he got cancer, and during his treatment in hospital, he had his friends come and hang out and they played poker and smoked in the room….obv this was decades ago, but even in the 90’s in his own private office in his own practice, he smoked cigars (it was well ventilated with a casino type smoke suction in ceiling lol, but still…) Don’t forget one of the most basic things “invented” was Drs. washing their hands using soap before surgeries. It’s crazy how the mortality rate shot up once that was routine! Yikes!

[@jdinsomniac7504]

@@Woodman-Spare-that-treeLOLL OMG

[@jessiimamii5113]

As someone who has had multiple spinal surgeries none of this surprises me. Neurosurgery is one massive boys club, they all protect each other. Their patients suffering means nothing to them and trying to go after them for any malpractice is nearly impossible.

[@SublimeLyfeNow]

I've had 4 spinal fusions with tons of hardware myself and I absolutely agree it's disgusting !

[@angelamartin4965]

And they wonder why I refuse surgery and just want them to keep me comfortable....been through too much shit with doctors

[@kathydavis2764]

​@@angelamartin4965dam right 👍 me too

[@onion6foot]

Sadly, this is true about àll big corporations, government and combinations thereof (Deep State). We are chronic victims of organized crime/corruption. Has become a nightmare.

[@Crabby-Abby]

For real, my neurosurgeon was THE worst doctor I've ever met.

[@shadaewilliams2130]

So im a paramedic but i also work as a medic in the ER. One of my worst memories was a gunshot victim(which is normal in Richmond) who got shot in the chest. The trauma surgeon decided before the patient arrived and before we assessed his status she was going to do a thoracotomy ( cutting open the chest, spreading the ribs, for direct clamp of the aorta and chest visualation). Note: this surgeon loved thoracotomies. And would constantly do this to gunshot victims. It should only done as a LAST RESORT. This patient arrived, AWAKE, and before we could even get a blood pressure, she began cutting open the chest with the patient awake. She then instructed us to hold down his arms and legs. And we did. It was like watching a murder. Its very scary, that even as healthcare providers, including a very great attending ER doctor, we trusted a trauma surgeon enough to hold this poor kid down. Who died. Right there. In the ER. We reported it. Had to work with her during an investigation. In which she still did thoracotomies. Eventually she was let go but still practices at a different trauma center in Richmond va. As a paramedic of almost 20 years, it was the worst experience of my life and haunts me to this day.

[@tiffinyanderson4403]

Thank you for sharing this incredibly sad story. You covered this tragedy so kindly and it sounded like you were holding back tears which I understand. Any medical or hospital employee that knew about this surgeons gross negligence should all be held accountable and stripped of all licenses and rights to practice. This so called neurosurgeon sounds unhinged and his behavior didn’t start with thus young man. 😤

[@panaberaa]

The fact that he made the heavily sedated Michael sign a form to make such a big choice for himself is mind blowing. After my last surgery the food staff came into my room to get me to choose what kinda meals I wanted for the next weeks of my stay, and it was such an overwhelmingly confusing and difficult choice I cried a little. I cant even imagine just being told to sign a form for a brain surgery like that

[@chocobro3198]

In this case I think it was so he wasn't really able to think too much on it to ensure he was just gonna sign. In that sense, he also was not able to actually consent.

[@x77punk77x]

There are always myriad monsters among us, especially where $$$ is at stake. People predictably (and often cruelly) assume that they’re mentally ill homeless guys or whatever, not people in business suits or white coats with impressive “LinkedIn” profiles. Once your trust in other humans is obliterated, especially early, the underside of human nature doesn’t surprise one so much. And in my case I’m constantly terrified for people who cannot see those things in others earlier who may be harmed or worse by such ubiquitous monsters.

[@archangel3]

He's still practicing medicine in colorado.... WTF.

[@cattymajiv]

@@x77punk77x All of us are very vulnerable to it, no matter what our past has been, or not been.

[@fuzzamajumula]

I think that's what this "doctor" was after. Someone who couldn't make informed consent.

[@matrixiekitty2127]

Michael’s suffering is a fate worse than death. How anyone EVER came to the defense of a doctor who performed that much malpractice is beyond me. He doesn’t deserve to get off the hook for this!

[@helgardhossain9038]

Nobody will take a doctor of medicine to court. They have the anarchy of the upper class ! 😂

[@ChromaKeyMystress]

He was in coma, how do you know he suffered at all? More likely his family and friends were the ones that suffered.

[@mikejewpants4099]

My law firm files lawsuits against doctors all the time. @@helgardhossain9038

[@redtarget5275]

​@@ChromaKeyMystresshe literally kept motioning a gun to his head. Pay attention.

[@armdick1801]

@@ChromaKeyMystressobviously didn’t watch the video, it’s not like he was in a coma the entire time, he was conscious and had to be heavily sedated for his pain, of course he suffered, yes his cognitive abilities might have reverted back to that of a 3rd grader, but he could still feel the loss of his ability to move, eat, go to the restroom by himself etc. if he wanted wanted to die so badly obviously it’s not because he was having the time of his life. But yes I’d argue his parents must have suffered just as much as he did having to watch their son go through this.

[@heatherfitzpatrick979]

This is devastating. This poor, poor boy and family, Bless you for spreading the word.

[@HannahandCailinLoesch]

This is so incredibly disturbing and sad. Really appreciate you telling these stories; there is so much true crime on KZbin and in documentaries these days that these more nuanced issues seem to get overlooked sometimes. You cover them with such care and detail!

[@younce-davis952]

My mom is a victim of malpractice. The doc misdiagnosed her (forgot for what) and decided to do exploratory surgery, crushing some nerves. She was disabled and in extreme pain for years, to the point she couldnt take care of me as a toddler and i was send to my grandma's often. She is doing better now, but still has pain and like there are minor earthquakes when she walks.

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

My mother had her chest and collarbone destroyed by radiation at the hospital.

[@Mikelaxo]

​@@Woodman-Spare-that-treehow does that happen?

[@epickody3924]

@@Mikelaxotoo much at a high capacity, id assume

[@jimena6194]

@@MikelaxoI don’t know the details about the commenters mom ofc, but it often happens when chemo uses more radiation than normal or needed. In the past (70s? I think) there were also machines that ended up having a software issue leading to the acute radiation sickness of many cancer patients due to the over exposure. There’s some informative videos on yt of you wanna check them out.

[@owllove992]

My anesthesiologist, while doing my epidural, messed up, and he scraped my spine with the stint grinding against the nerves in my spine. My leg began to jump uncontrollably. He told me to stay still. I said I can't. You hit something." He said shit rips it out of my back. My leg would not numb, so right before my c-section, he had to give me more meds. I have suffered nerve damage ever since. He later had a car accident because of drugs and became a paraplegic from the neck down. From my understanding, he had done this to many women.

[@laurenm9203]

Whether there was “malpractice” in the sense that he did an unnecessary surgery or not, the mere fact that he LIED to the family about how many times he had done the surgery before should be reason enough to face disciplinary action. Add that to withholding information from the family, not discussing all their options, having Michael sign the consent form while drugged- that doctor definitely should have faced serious repercussions.

[@KyleEvra]

Become a Antinatalist. Stay Pure and stop forcing more innocent sentient beings to become sacrifices for this Cruel Society to Feed on.

[@gin8663]

​@@KyleEvra antinatalism has nothing to do with malpractice in the medical field. Antinatalism essentially doesn't see the beauty of life(since you don't count not experiencing joy as a negative you just count it as neutral) and only sees the problems that everyone has to face it is stupid.

[@kittypeanut4102]

​@@gin8663yeah this isn't related to antinatalism, no, it isn't stupid, bringing people to life in this world is.

[@jibberjabber7788]

I was born at Valley View and have grown up in the roaring fork valley, I have never heard of this case. Thank you so very much for covering this story. Unfortunately it only takes 1 person to give an entire organization a bad reputation. The health care providers in the valley are, for the most part amazing. My heart and prayers go out to the loved ones of Michael.

[@SS-mz7dl]

My heart is absolutely broken for Michael and his family. Im glad they gave Michael some autonomy back when giving him the choice to remain or get off life support, but my heart is broken that they even needed to make that decision. All of this was preventable.

[@margolane8529]

Letting Micheal go was definitely the hardest thing his parents had to do but it was also the biggest act of love they could have given him. He seemed like a genuinely good guy and the world is seriously lacking those type of people. Very tragic.

[@valkyrie1066]

I had been homeless and was experiencing a lot of bad symptoms from malnutrition and lack of insulin. I had a heart sound that wasn't right. I was sent to a heart surgeon, who told me about the long line of complicated surgeries and tests he planned. He was INCENSED that I didn't have insurance, and said he would note me as "uncooperative."? The nurses treating me for malnutrition suggested I try a mild iron supplement. *bam* Heart symptoms disappeared. Lack of iron can cause heart palpitations. Would it not be better to suggest an iron supplement FIRST rather than just start CUTTING? Start simple. This case is certainly not the only one. If you ask a surgeon to heal a problem, they will CUT it out. Dear Gods, try other methods FIRST. On the other hand, pun intended, I suffered a crushed hand as a teenager. The doctors decided it needed to be amputated. The referred me to an osteosurgeon, who refused on the basis that I was only 16. Instead, did a four-hour operation involving wires, screws, etc. in my hand. They weren't happy about it, but.....my hand is FINE. Took a year before it worked again. I later learned to play guitar, embroider, etc. Now much older, except for the fact it aches when the weather is cold and damp it works JUST FINE. I bless that surgeon for not taking the easiest way out.

[@phatcat3705]

Sadly, this is because it's all about them making money. Awful!

[@FlemetAeton]

@@phatcat3705Yup, money and liability are huge motivating factors in the healthcare space, unfortunately.

[@nic00001]

a good surgeon is worth their weight in gold. it sucks that the bad ones don’t care how their patients lives are affected once they leave the hospital.

[@Operngeist1]

surgery should always be the last option after conservative treatment options are exhausted

[@LeolaGlamour]

Nurses are actually there for that very reason, they should be checking doctors more often. My mom prefers nurse pratictioners for her general checkups for this reason.

[@danestewart2676]

This is sooooo sad. Thank you for bringing this story to light.

[@lauratehan9330]

I work in the medical field and unfortunately, there are doctors, that are surgeons or perform surgery (pick any specialty) who are unscrupulous who will not recommend conservative treatment if it IS a safe option (ie: physical therapy, antibiotics, etc depending on the condition) and pressure the patient right into surgery. The patient NEEDS to be their own advocate - some doctors just want that payout because that's where most of their income comes from - a sad but true reality. Also, although surgical procedures have come along way with technology and state of the art PEOPLE STILL DIE DURING OR RECOVERING FROM SURGERY. RIP Michael ❤

[@kenzielove99]

“Informed consent should be an ongoing process” I totally agree. It gives people an opportunity to change their minds. Consent is not a singular event.

[@wrongturnVfor]

Consent can always be taken back at any point in the treatment

[@jerzievap]

this is literally evil. i can’t imagine the agony michael went through. and the guilt his parents must’ve felt even know it wasn’t their fault is horrible. thank you for covering this!

[@tesslawv693]

You presented this with compassion and knowledge and I'm so impressed with you! Good job young lady and God Bless you all the days of your life, Amen ✝🙏🏼💜

[@Bella-cb4fk]

That doctor should be in prison. His decisions killed this young man. I honestly can't believe he wasn't found guilty of manslaughter and given the longest sentence possible, at the least had his medical license taken away... I hope he thinks of this young man every day and I hope he never finds any peace in this life, its absolutely unforgivable what he's done

[@missfrubby7814]

Someone once said, "American health care is still a business and a lot of doctors will see you as a another customer." and I feel like that statement rings true for the case of Michael. That doctor did not care for his well being, he only cared to fill his pockets.

[@javayna2353]

To fund his lavish lifestyle

[@power-of-overdrive]

Absolutely. It's the same problem in Germany. Lots of horrible doctors and surgeons here too, who only care about getting private insurance customers and quickly getting public insurance customers out of the way. One of them was supposed to operate on my mom's wrist, and at first he didn't even want to wait for the anaesthesia to kick in! And after the operation, her hand became almost completely unusable. It was so heartbreaking. I was I think still a teenager at the time, and I seriously considered finding out where they doctor lived and attacking him, to put an end to how he was disfiguring people. Obviously I didn't, but I wish somebody would punish these monsters in the medical profession. It's no surprise that so many people in Germany turn to alternative medicine (which I DON'T condone btw) because of their awful experiences with medical professionals...

[@visionvixxen]

It is a business and that is the problem with capitalism. We also pay enough taxes that healthcare should be affordable, insurance not so crazy and the whole system fair

[@skykrasher4475]

As the daughter of an ER doc, I can tell you that most medical staff don’t see patients as customers, but are forced to treat them that way by the medical board.

[@risingrat5491]

I can’t even imagine how guilty Michaels parents might’ve felt.. I know that they are not, but as a parent, when something happens to your kid, you automatically blame yourself :(

[@zoeb3573]

I'm sure they played the scenario "what if we didn't call him and just went with what our first doctor told us" in their heads ten times a day for years.

[@jessikatkins1173]

Damn, the thought of that is truly heartbreaking...

[@janb.9046]

I fired my first oncologist who was 40 minutes late twice, dressed like a hooker, and was pushing for chemo before I'd even had my mastectomy. When I requested someone else, I was spoken down to and my decision was questioned. I now have someone who is Right On Time, explains things, and sent my tissue samples for oncotyping and guess what? I would not benefit from chemo as I was low risk. Completed radiation 10 days ago. Always trust your gut about these things.

[@TinkerKell6]

@@janb.9046I’m glad you followed your intuition and are doing better!

[@rainebowdoe]

@@zoeb3573I can’t imagine. You’re encouraged to get a second opinion (in the US I assume) and well…:/

[@taraheck9004]

This is the first video of yours that I've seen, and I just wanted to say that you're a joy to listen to!

[@moragmacgregor6792]

People, you _must_ be your own advocate with _all medical professionals._ I don't blame Michael's parents or Michael himself. I don't know what they could have done since they were lied to over and over again. But if you have _any_ misgivings, you must speak up. "I didn't think I would..." feel so much pain, lose functionality in my limbs, ANYTHING. You must bring up your questions and continue speaking out. ❤

[@gjdykxgrhrgdghfgjgnhkc6340]

The brain is literally who you are. Altering it so much is INSANE and it makes me so furious a doctor would do something like that, I feel for Michael and his parents

[@charichari]

Dr DAVID WAYNE MILLER is the name of this MURDERER disguised as a doctor. yES A MURDERER. Let it be known to everyone!!! he doesn't deserve anonymity but to be removed from practicing as a doctor!! Shameful!!

[@sharedexperiences2773]

Yea once you start to move wires around in the brain it can change up your whole personality it's truly the computer to our souls.

[@Zeepjeliefs]

It made me feel so angry too. I can not understand any choice the doctor made for Michael.

[@callimara]

As a registered nurse myself, I very rarely get squeamish or shocked hearing gruesome medical cases. But this… This really got me.

[@emeryerze1233]

Wow! You are on it! Thank you for making and posting this! I myself injured my spine in 2006 and ended up having a invasive surgery in 2011 that left me with more problems than when I started… Everyone should at least try to be proactive before settling on a specific Doctor and or surgery before committing what is said to be done! Trust me! That consent form will come back to haunt you! Thank you again, -Emery