Another journey begins

Nothing gets done without starting it. Pretty basic, isn’t it? Yet the horrible ordeals that my husband David and I have endured for the past couple of years especially have been so wearing that neither of us have had the energy to do anything beyond bare existence each day, let alone any mental capabilities to string two sentences together. His pain, physical and mental, has been overwhelming. My pain, physical and mental, yet for far different reasons, has been overwhelming.

But today, my husband said the words, “I’m a survivor” and that has made all the difference. Today it begins. “It” has yet to take true form, but we know it will be in the realm of helping people that have also been harmed. Our stories, especially combined, are long and arduous, but hopefully they can be of value. This isn’t about dwelling on the past…far from it, it is dwelling on the future, and reassuring others that there can be a future. There are many like us that have survived, or trying to survive, yet feel so alone in what they are going through, that they have no voice. It is small wonder, we have found that few will listen and even fewer will take action.

Our ordeal began with “Dr.” Philip G. Hunt, of Paducah KY, a supposed orthopedic surgeon that attempted to destroy our lives. He failed miserably; just as he failed at the two botched surgeries he performed on my husband at Lourdes Hospital and installing two MSSA-infected anchors that he left untreated for months, and trying to kill him with an overdose of prescriptions. My husband nearly lost his arm, and has been disabled. My husband nearly died in front of me; of all the terrible things that have happened to me, that is the one that will haunt me forever.

We know Hunt has harmed others; they are now finally coming forward. He’s done this for a long time. This has tormented us since it all happened, knowing the others were out there. I know all the sleepless nights my husband has endured in pain unable to think of anything else. 

Now we see a purpose, to implement change where we can, help others get through what we fought so hard to get through alone. And this was just one doctor. There are plenty of others. And there are many that are complicit in allowing it to happen. We will expose them too. All of them that refused to help, or even listen, should be ashamed of themselves, and should be brought to book for the harm they do. This is not what humanity is supposed to be.

Things have to change. Many things in not only the medical field but in the legal and law enforcement fields. Laws need changed. Many things that are far too numerous to cover in one post, or to change in a day. Some may not change at all. But we can start. If you don’t start, it never will start. We have to take things one day at a time, be patient. We’ve been patient and we can continue to be patient. Slow and steady can win the race. Hard work will win the day.

Join this journey with us; don’t worry, we will take breaks along the way. Living in the beautiful Shawnee Forest near the Ohio River saved our lives and allowed us to heal. Heal with us. Our poor neglected Shawnee Forest Diaries blog will see the light of day again. It isn’t all doom and gloom: the wonderful doctors (orthopedic surgeon Dr. Aaron Chamberlain and Dr. David Warren of Infectious Diseases) and their staffs from Washington University at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis MO saved my husband, so there are heroes in our stories too.

There have to be heroes; we just have to find them. It isn’t like the movies where they are summoned by lifting a red handset or shining a light in the sky. Underdog won’t always fly in to save us at the last second; we aren’t all Sweet Polly Purebred. But they’re there. We’re here, and we know you are too. So, it begins at last.  

Together we can make a difference. Let’s make that difference…together.