Cc: Michelle St.
Sauver, M.B.A.
Governor Mark
Dayton
I began asking for copies of my doctor’s reports in 2012
when I was still at Dr. Duthoy’s at Entira Family Clinics. My bank account, home internet, facebook and
email accounts had all been compromised (hacked) and I wanted to make sure my
health record remained intact. This was
especially important because after reporting the hacking, instead of being
taken seriously by law enforcement, my mental health was questioned.
I am in the midst of a legal challenge to fight any other
diagnosis than my long standing ones of depression and anxiety for which I am
accurately and appropriately medicated.
I keep a balanced life which consists of exercise, a healthy diet, work…(writing
and performing Comedy at local clubs as my disabilities allow 3x a week)…and
time spent with friends and my sons. I
manage my fibro-myalgia and migraines the best I can with Over the Counter pain
medication, warm showers, cold packs and meditation.
But I need to make sure all the medical records about me are
kept accurate. Due to a disagreement
with a family member, I was arrested in 2014.
My own public defender motioned to send me to the mental health and I
wanted to hire my own lawyer. I was
found not to have an understanding of the court process at first and placed on
civil commitment. I hired my own lawyer,
some of the charges were dropped and the civil commitment ended August 30,
2015.
In the process taking steps to protect myself from erroneous
information about my mental status getting into my records I need write this
letter. I have numerous problems with my
report from Dr. Michell from Monday, August 31.
His notes do not reflect our visit.
Following is a list of errors:
1.
I do not
just “believe” my clitoris was “excised” but Dr. Michell confirmed it was
missing (see attached) on my first visit to him in front of his assistant
Barb. He then proceeded tell me that “Some
cultures prefer it that way” and I said “Yes, but this was forced on me” and he
said “Well, that’s assault.”
2.
It was not my previous practitioner who told me
it was still “in situ” but an ER nurse while I was still bleeding somewhere
around November 19, 2014. She said I was
just having post-menopausal bleeding and she could still see my clitoris.
3.
I was never given a “bi-polar label”. I was prescribed Risperdal for possible “schizoaffective
disorder” but it gave me terrible side effects and Dr. Michell took me off of
it in May. The Psych admit was due to a
family matter when my mother had me arrested.
4.
Dr. Michell did not do ANY type of physical exam
on August 31.
I have been having A LOT of problems with
neck pain---my neck is not supple.
My range of motion is not good due to
fibro-myalgia.
Fibro-myalgia and migraine are my chronic
issues. I am prone almost all day about 2
days a week from either a fibro flare or migraine headache…that’s up to 8 days
a month….time I can’t use.
5.
I do NOT live in a Shelter. In fact, Dr. Michell and I had a light, lovely
conversation when he first sat down about how I was living in a Youth Hostel
and I got to meet people from all over the World….and how I had stayed in
Hostels in New York and Europe previously, and how this was much better than
being homeless and the same price as the Salvation Army. (I had previously sent a letter to him
regarding this change of housing in May, as part of my “team” including social
workers and my lawyer.)
6.
The Worst
thing is the assessment of my mood I did NOT admit to sadness and anxiety most
of the time. I refute that I appeared
anxious except for when I returned at the end after I saw that my “Viagra”
prescription had been prescribed for pulmonary hypertension. Instead of “decreased libido due to
clitorectomy” and asked that it be changed for legal purposes…and Dr. Michell
refused. I had to send a copy of the
office notes where he confirmed that he had seen my clitoris missing before he
would change the prescription for a pre-authorization for my insurance.
When I first got to that office with Dr.
Michell, we talked about the Youth Hostel, and how I was going to various clubs
and performing Comedy at open mic nights….and how this was a really enjoyable thing
in my life and I loved performing---that I had a gig at the House of Comedy at
the Mall of America the next evening.
This is not a discussion of “sadness and
anxiety”. It was a conversation about my
life and how I was Living it. My speech
was not pressured, my appearance not anxious and behavior not preoccupied. I spoke about my life….and then my health,
which has been affected by this enforced clitorectomy.
Most importantly, according to Dr. Michell’s
previous exam…I did not have a “normal” vulvar exam. It clearly states “Clitoris missing”
I think a good plan going forward would be
to exercise my patient right to have Dr. Michell’s assistant in the exam room
when we talk. That way nothing will get
miscommunicated.
I also think it’s important to have a
medication prescribed for the condition a person is diagnosed for….I would not
want a false diagnosis like “pulmonary hypertension” to get into my medical
record….as well as I do not want my clitorectomy invalidated by being
prescribed Viagra for another condition.
I would also appreciate filling out some
type of “depression scale” at each visit…so there is a record of how I am doing. (Previous clinic had this)
I was taught that I was a consumer of my
health care….and that I had the right to ask questions about my medical
records, make sure information was accurate and make sure I was receiving the
highest quality health care possible. No
one else is going to be attentive to these details if I don’t…and any
intelligent person with simple depression and anxiety who is not being Listened
to, but instead being “Labeled” would follow the same process as I am.
Thank you for your time with this matter,
Linda Ophoenix
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