I documented my husband’s illness and hospital stay and subsequent death over the last two months of his life. I documented for my own knowledge, to keep a record for legality purposes, and generally to keep the medical community on their toes. It was the only way I could keep my sanity in the sea of information that was constantly shifting and altering daily. Medications that worked, medications that made him sick, switching of meds altogether or just from liquid to pill format, etc… Who the nurse, doctor, time in- time out, specific situations that arose, diagnosis given, decisions made.
This is experience-based art. My experience, frustrations, gratifications with the medical community. My experience is my own and one I am sure can be shared by others that have been through this experience. My frustration at not being able to make a difference in whether he lived or died.
Being human, only being able to take so much. I did not leave my husbands side except for short periods to walk around or eat. I left him in the hospital only once or twice alone overnight.
We met several nurses and doctors and interns along our journey through almost every floor and department, except maternity. In fact, I actually had to enter the hospital via maternity ward one night when the main entrance was locked down after 9pm. They lock down the front entrance due to vagrancy and vandals.
I did watch several parents load their new arrivals into their vehicles and drive away as I stood there knowing that would never happen to us and that we were on the downward slope as opposed to the upward climb of life.
As family arrived in a staggered fashion, from all over the United States, I was the one who filled them in on David’s prognosis. First, David’s mom and dad and Brother, then David’s Daughter and ex-wife. Then my mom, which first denied that it was so, and then just knew that if we prayed to God hard enough that we could change the outcome. Extreme will at its most decadent, human’s believe if they pray hard enough that they can change the way time plays out. Everyone says it can happen, they know someone who it happened to, someone who was saved by mass prayer. So you hope that maybe there is something to it, you bargain with God for the life of your loved one, you try to be unselfish and hope that something you offer will be tempting enough to God to barter for an extension on your loved ones life.
Why do this? To understand rather than be understood. Sharing this experience might help others.
Breathing treatment, Pic line, Clearing the line, Bp level, Pulmonary embolism
Phlebotomist, Oncologist, Malignant tumor, Necropsies tumors
Small ileum, Intestines, Colon, Morphine, Cancer, Terminal, Stage 4
Asacol, Sulphasilazine, Prednisone, Fentynal patches, Dulotted
Bowel-resection, Cumadin, Heparin, RT’s, RN’s, Charge nurse
Floor supervisor, Transfusions, DNR
Reproducing the notebook in its entirety, in the beginning, then including the stats maybe- either inter dispersed though out or at the end with propaganda type poster style.
Documentation, re-creation through words, sounds, visual clues of this experience. Film to include images of interior of hospital. Time may be represented by a digital image of time running backwards on screen.
Where does light fit into this? In the end, was there a tunnel of light to walk into? I don’t know, that is a lingering question. What was that like? Although I was in the room, my experience was different than that of the actual death experience Natural Light: There are few places where I recognize light during my stay at the hospital. Once in a moonlite night, once in a sunrise, once in the light shining into the room of the hospital from the window and shimmering onto the walls. These experiences were small bits of joy, in an extremely painful time.
There are various reasons as to why a misdiagnosis can occur including errors by doctors, specialists, and laboratory tests. The patient can also contribute to an error in various ways. 
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/intro/overview.htm
Various studies have been performed about medical errors. A phone survey by the National Patient Safety Foundation found that 42% of people believed they had experienced a medical error personally or to a relative or friend. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports on two studies estimating the hospital deaths due to medical errors at 44,000 to 98,000 annually, which would place medical errors in the top ten causes of death in the USA. Barbara Starfield's article in JAMA places the estimates even higher, citing a total of 225,000 deaths due to iatrogenic causes, which would place health-caused deaths as the 3rd leading cause of death in the USA. Holland et al (1997) estimates as many as 1 million patients are injured while in the hospital and approximately 180,000 die as a result, with the majority due to medication adverse reactions.
Twelve people at a time are ushered into a room and asked to remain silent and to sit down. Upon sitting they are welcomed by a narrator and hear, in a calming female voice which resembles an instruction voice on a Disney ride, “Welcome to the “Near Death Experience”. We ask that you please refrain from talking. In front of you is a personal journal. We invite you to look through the journal while experiencing the audio-visual presentation of this exhibition. Thank you for your cooperation.” (*Show audio-visual presentation 5-10 minutes long) The same female voice continues, “Thank you for visiting the “Near Death Experience”, the journal in front of you is a gift, please remove it as you exit the room.”
The room is set for a small meeting with a “U” shape table configuration, seating for twelve, conference set up/fresh water and plastic cups on each table. At each place setting there is a journal/catalog and syringe of saline. The lighting type is office-style fluorescent tube lighting hanging in the center of conference table area and the level is low. Facing the conference table is a film screen with no lighting near it. Projection is hung from the ceiling and facing the screen.
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