I somehow managed not to hear about this at all, but Christina Stephens, one of JT’s co-bloggers both here and at Patheos, was in a terrible accident and is going to have her lower leg amputated. She will be off work for a couple months and could use some help. One of the amazing things about the secular community is how generous people have been to me and many, many others. If you can afford it, please help Christina out.
Feb 14 2013
Christina Stephens Needs Some Help
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Ichthyic
February 15, 2013 at 1:51 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
damn, poor kid!
that was some might poor ER diagnosis, to have sent her home on the first day having totally missed the real damage to the foot.
Also, I watched the video of her changing the dressing on the foot.
I’ve seen rattlesnake bites that look much better than that!
ouch.
OUCH.
seriously, for those sensitive to seeing traumatic injuries…. do NOT watch that video.
Ed Brayton
February 15, 2013 at 4:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Yeah, I didn’t even try to watch the video. No one gets queasier than I do at the sight of such things. I’m amazed at Christina’s upbeat attitude about all of this. She’s far stronger than I could ever be.
joachim
February 15, 2013 at 5:35 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
That intial superficial treatment at the ER was a shocker.
She needs a Med Mal Lawyer…one who does Only Med Mal and has a track record…because this is going to cost far more than she imagines.
And also because of her decision to go with the more radical amputation seems partly influenced by financial considerations…rapid action by a real Med Mal Lawyer might be able to get immediate help. She says she is “OK” with the more radical procedure but I wonder if she has been fully informed about the prosthesis she is talking about?
Even the best, and most expensive, cause problems for years. I hope she talks to someone who deals with these kinds of cases and does not just trust the doctors.
Ben P
February 15, 2013 at 7:52 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I changed jobs recently and work as an attorney for a state agency now, but in my last job a decent part of the practice was defending med-mal cases.
There’s other factors that would play in a med-mal case, but just from the side presented here that sounds pretty bad. We defended a hospital on one not unlike that at all except it was a knee injury and the doctor missed tissue damage that ultimately required a below the knee amputation, the doctor and his insurance carrier settled out of that one right away. (The claim against the hospital was related to hiring the doctor).
However, she needs to move fast. In missouri she’d only have two years, and unfortunately, in Missouri, there’s a $350,000 cap in non-economic damages, as well as lots of other restrictions on med-mal cases. (2005 tort reform laws) That may make finding an attorney who will take a med-mal case quite difficult.
Ben P
February 15, 2013 at 7:53 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
That said, I know a very good med-mal attorney in Northeast Arkansas who could probably refer someone in Missouri to her. If there’s interest I can email that information.
Ichthyic
February 15, 2013 at 8:46 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ben, you should contact Christina directly with that info, in case she doesn’t catch the thread here.
davem
February 16, 2013 at 12:14 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’m amazed at Christina’s upbeat attitude
I’ve just spent 6 weeks in hospital (Dog bless the NHS – no bills!), in an orthopaedic ward. Most people around me were very upbeat, even those with newly-amputated legs. Once you’ve done something like that to yourself, you just get on with it – no use crying over spilt milk. Only the geriatric patients took it badly.