Medical Mistake Has Taken My Eyesight (Please Read)

A Medical Mistake Has Taken my Eyesight (Please Read)

Friends, colleagues, LinkedIn acquaintances, fellow employers and employees. I thank you for reading this most unfortunate event that happened to me. After some 35 years as safety professional of trying to do my best for both the employer and employee I have become lost for words.

The past few years have been quite difficult to say the least. The COVID epidemic ended my employment of 6 years with a great company that went under due to the Covid epidemic, I lost both my Father and Mother in-laws within a 4 month period only to lose my Mother 3 months after and the worst of all being permanently blinded in one eye due to medical mistake. The medical mistake was due to an injection which caused a stroke in the back of my left eye killing the supply of blood to my eye.

It all started when a small bump started in the middle of my forehead. I went to see my family doctor who referred me to a specialist whom in turn referred to a doctor in Edmonton, Alberta. It was diagnosed a varicose vein which wasn't serious, never hurt and since I had a job opportunity, I wanted to get rid of it because it looked funny. The doctor explained that it was a very easy fix, and that it only takes 10 minutes to perform the surgery. The surgery is very simple, inject a solution into the vein which swells the vein up and after two days the swelling transpires and your good to go. But this was not the case, in fact I almost died and was left permanently blind in one eye.

I went to the University of Edmonton hospital on Jan 11, 2023, for the simple procedure. I was not notified of any precautions to take nor was it mentioned there was any serious risks involved. The procedure was to be so simple that the only thing I was supposed to feel was the needle penetrating my forehead to release the injection. This was not the case.

After the needle injection was administered, I began to feel this very cold sensation then I felt a drip to the back of my left eye. I immediately started to lose vision in my left eye in which I yelled out " I am losing my vision" to the doctor in charge. He responded, "You are what?". The cold sensation turned into a most painful burning sensation at which time I lost all vision in my left eye. I screamed out "I can't see" and also ""my face is on fire". The doctor yelled at the accompanying nurse "was it 25 or 45 mills you administered". The doctor yelled at the nurses to put force on my forehead in which they did as hard as they possible could. I had a scab from this that covered my entire forehead for three months. Due to the worst pain, I have ever endured I was passing in and out of consciousness. The doctor kept saying "I don't know what to do" at which time because I thought I was dying asked for my son to come. The doctor told my son that he didn’t know what to do. I don't remember too much after that except being on my hands and knees dry heaving puking and numerous people wanting to look into my eye which was so painful. They sent me by ambulance to another hospital where my son explained that he counted 17 doctors in the room and no-one knew what to do.

I woke up in a isolation room at the U of A Hospital with my wife by my side - thank God. I spent the next three days performing every test known to man. They were trying to find another reason for why the stroke happened besides the injection in which they didn't. Meanwhile, my left eye continued to infect and my eye and face became more sorer and sorer. They sent me by ambulance to see an eye specialist in which the ambulance left me there. I had to call my wife to pick me up and take me back to the hospital.

My wife asked the Doctor to perform a CT scan because of the swelling and continuous puss coming from my eye. The doctor said it was part of the healing process in which we both disagreed. Every morning my eye was closed shut from the puss hardening and the doctor asking me if I can open my eye for him to check it. They gave me a cloth and told me to use bathroom water to clean the hardened puss away – it took me hours. My wife had asked for saline and gauze which they never gave us. My infection continued to grow.

I was given Tylenol and pain medicine the entire time I was there and released after only 6 days. Before the release my wife asked again for a CT scan because she told the doctor the infection was obvious. The doctor explained it was part of the healing process.

When I returned home after driving 1 ? hours from Edmonton I immediately began to get cold chills. My wife phoned the medical line which told her to take me back to the hospital. I went to the hospital near where I live and after waiting almost 6 hours seen a doctor. They immediately performed a CT scan and informed me that I had a very serious infection and that I needed to be hospitalized. I spent the next 2 weeks with 3 intravenous tubes of the strongest antibiotics in me and continuous blood tests. So many blood tests that they were having a difficult time finding a vein. They explained that they were not going to take any chances because of the seriousness of the infection. I finally started to heal after a week and was sent home the next week with a machine and two intravenous antibiotics to take. I remained on two antibiotics for the next two weeks.

I have complained to Health Services and asked them to carry out an investigation. Instead, they just asked questions and the answers received were all lies. The attending doctor from the U of A Hospital called me and suggested that I got the infection while I was driving home from Edmonton on the 1 ? drive. They made a big mistake and won’t admit to it. I have now escalated the investigation to the second level and probably receive the same kind of feedback which I will escalate to the third level and if I am not satisfied will involve the Ombudsman and Government.

This medical mistake has only happened 3 times in all medical history. It is like winning the lottery that nobody wants to claim but still must endure.

So here I am after 6 months, no job, no money and no sight in my left eye. I will be getting my driver’s license back in the next few weeks. I was driving School Bus to fill in the time void before the accident happened as I love kids and their safety. I am hoping and praying for help as this is all I have left. The funerals for my In-laws have taken my savings. The continuous hardships have taken my pride, dignity and dreams. I am prepared to work at whatever job so I can live again, feel again, be me again. I cannot give up, I just can’t.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

May God Bless

I Remain,

Don Andrechek

403 392-1360

[email protected]