Tina with the Bad Break

Tina was diagnosed with cellulitis on her right leg and was hospitalized. Twenty-four days later, she was released to home health care. 

Tina was also diagnosed with peripheral vascular disease, which caused the swelling of her lower leg.

Tina was introduced to Julian, her physical therapy assistant.

Within five days, she was hospitalized for severe pain in her knee. Her temperature was one hundred and two degrees. The knee area was septic. She was in the hospital again for eleven days and then released to home health care.

Tina received at home treatment which included antibiotic solution delivered by IV for ten days.

Tina was receiving physical therapy when Hurricane Harvey came through. Julian resumed the PT sessions with Tina after the hurricane.

Julian helped Tina get supplemental oxygen. This took about a month before Tina would receive it.

Julian worked for a year with Tina. 

Lester, Tina’s husband, was a pallbearer at a funeral. They were running late. When they arrived at the funeral home, they were told that the body was at the other funeral home the company owned.

In a greater rush to get to the funeral, Tina fell backwards on the parking lot pavement. She pleaded with her husband to take her to the ER after the funeral. Lester said she probably only sprained it. After a few hours, her foot and ankle were swollen and Tina was in pain.

During physical therapy the next day, Julian made Tina walk on her hurt foot and ankle. He even made her do exercises on the step equipment with her inflamed foot. By now, Tina was in major pain.

Julian made Tina do physical therapy two more times after that. 

Tina was in excruciating pain for twelve days, then she walked into the bathroom and heard a loud pop. Immediately she could not stand on her foot at all.

Tina screamed for a wheelchair. Lester got her one. Her husband finally said, “I guess I’ll take you to the ER!”

Lester finally took Tina to the hospital, but only after a terribly painful shower which he demanded her to take.

In the emergency room, she was x-rayed and told that the bones in her ankle were definitely broken.

Tina wanted to be admitted to the hospital to repair her ankle.

“We can’t do that,” the nurse said. “Your insurance needs your personal care physician (PCP) to refer you to a surgeon in town. Besides, this city can’t do it because we don’t have a surgeon that specializes in this sort of serious injury. You have to call your PCP and find a surgeon that will do this.”

Tina was sent home in a wheelchair.

Tina called her primary care physician, whose office was approximately one hundred miles away. Unknown to her, he was having his own serious health problems and put her needs on the back burner. He allowed the office workers and the nurses to handle the patients’ needs. Seven days later, because she never received a referral to a surgeon, she dismissed that doctor. His secretary always said she would, “get to it soon.” She never did.

Tina’s surgeon had to be a specialized orthopedic ankle surgeon.

Tina went to a physician in her hometown. She got her referral to a surgeon in that same city that her former PCP lived. 

Thirty-seven days had passed before she saw the surgeon. He was amazed Tina had to wait so long due to insurance and doctors.  Dr. Jay said, “We’re doing surgery now.”  Dr. Jay put an external fixator on Tina’s right foot.  Dr. Jay said her ankle will be fixed, but it will not have any movement in it.  Dr. Jay had to re-break her ankle because it was healing incorrectly due to waiting so long to have surgery.  Tina had two surgeries done on her right ankle.  Tina was in the hospital twenty-eight days.  

During her stay at the hospital Julian (the physical therapy assistant) called her asking her to loan him $5,200.00.  Tina was on pain medication and antibiotics. She told him that she couldn’t make that decision right now due to being on medication.  Tina asked why he needed the money. Julian stated one of the patient’s told the nursing home where he worked that he did something inappropriate to her.  “That’s a lie but they are suspending my license for ninety days.  Then they will reinstate me.” 

Tina told Julian to talk to Lester, “but let me talk to him first.”  Julian agreed. 

Immediately Tina called her investment banker and told him the situation.  He told her not to do it.  Tina called Lester and told him what was going on and told him the investment banker said it is a bad idea to do this. Tina told Lester not to do it but it was his decision. 

Julian came to Lester’s house.  He loaned him the $5,200.00 with the stipulation that Julian would give physical therapy to Tina at forty-five dollars an hour until he has paid back the loan.  Julian drew up the agreement.  Lester and Julian signed it.

Lester called Tina in the hospital and told her he loaned the money to Julian.  She was not pleased!  

Julian started Tina’s physical therapy immediately after Tina got  out of the hospital.  The surgeon said don’t walk on her ankle, but Julian had her hopping on her left foot using a walker. The doctor said six weeks non-weight bearing, then x-rays, then put toe weight on it only.  

Julian wanted to work out with Tina two times a day for three days a week.  There were days working out with Julian Tina was in pain, but he wanted her to workout anyway.

Tina fell in the bathroom.  She  slipped on the wet floor, fell on her butt and injured her right ankle.  Lester helped her up.  Tina pulled herself up with a shower chair.  Tina went to see the surgeon.  He said she had a hairline fracture of her right ankle.  Dr. Jay said “That’s OK, It’s just a hairline fracture.”  Julian was beside himself when he heard the news!  Tina remained calm.

Julian found a job over one hundred miles away.  Later Tina found out Julian lost his license due to random drug testing which he did not pass.  Tina and her husband never were reimbursed for the full amount of the loan.