Calling Ryan's Rule changed Renee Williams's hospital treatment — and it's being used more

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-27/queensland-hospital-treatment-called-ryan-rule/101157236

Wow, this is scary, no reason given in the article for the doctors not responding either. Thank heavens this mother knew of Ryan’s Rule. The public have the right to an answer and a full investigation into every time this happens. What if people have never heard of Ryan’s Rule? It’s the first time that I have heard of it. I don’t know what the Australian Capital Territory has as an equivalent. I do know the Canberra hospital has a medical advocate though and we had to use the advocate once, or I would have been a window. 

Be informed and be empowered but please be respectful. When under duress it is difficult to maintain your composure especially in a life or death situation. 

Here is a link for Canberra information CARE. This includes mental health too. 

https://www.lawyersalliance.com.au/opinion/does-australia-need-ryans-rule

This is from 2016, I just hope it is useful in someone’s hour of need. There is a thing at the bottom of the article mentioning NSW, but not all of NSW was on board as of 2016. Why is it not national? 

Ryan’s Rule covers being in hospital and being cared for at home by hospital in the home medical professionals. 

https://www.kidspot.com.au/lifestyle/family-health/you-have-the-right-to-demand-medical-attention/news-story/191ff29e079769ec954201f54fecd923

This is from 2020, Victoria and Western Australia 

Doctors told Hans he was 'young and healthy'. Now he could have less than 12 months to live

https://www.9news.com.au/national/young-onset-bowel-cancer-australia-doctors-told-hans-he-was-young-and-healthy/0f59bc55-e29f-4c5c-b152-3267c90ae03c 

Another young person dismissed by doctors and has bowel cancer. I am absolutely disgusted at the arrogance of doctors these days. My blood boils with anger at this. How the hell do these bastards get away with this negligence in the 21st century? I am going to keep posting news articles about young people that are disregarded by their doctors to show how common this actually is, especially with young women. 

 My heart goes out to this poor young man and his wife. They should be enjoying life together not having to deal with this. They probably didn’t know there is a medical advocate in hospital to reach out to if you disagree with the doctor and want results. You can put doctors on notice and say you wish to invoke the equivalent of Ryan’s Rule in your state or territory. That will make them do something fast or else face legal action. This is a medical ruling when a person is facing a serious life and death situation in a hospital, medical centre or even hospital in the home, a mental health facility etc. The law steps in on your behalf to protect you and get the life saving treatment you need. Do not let doctors bully or intimidate you, stand your ground. 

My husband had to do this a few years ago, due to the egos of two doctors over who had the first dibs on treating him. Meanwhile my husband was deteriorating. All hell broke out as soon as the advocate stepped in. My husband was then rushed into theatre for surgery and then on a ventilator after that. I will never trust our local hospital now and any time that we have to go there I am watching them. I have no problem with the general nurses and doctors, they are usually wonderful hard working and dedicated to helping people. It’s the individuals that won’t listen that are the problem. 

Never, ever let doctor push you around. Ask questions and if need be ask for a second opinion. Do not be afraid to go over their heads in a serious situation. Egos and power tripping should never be tolerated. You should see how women get treated having a miscarriage. I have been there and stood up to them and was taken into theatre. I was 38 not a young woman going through a miscarriage that often get sent home to deal with the baby passing in the toilet. I kid you not. This was standard back in the late 1990’s not all miscarriages are easy and there is often tissue left inside that can cause infection. Public health leaves a lot to be desired at times again this is not the fault of the general staff, it’s upper management. 

https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/keep-patients-safe/deteriorating-patient-program/reach

Every state and territory has its own name for Ryan’s Rule. Read up on this and be informed on your rights. Even in a mental health situation, if you feel a loved one may try to harm themselves in hospital this law applies. Ryan’s Rule is not just for children, it’s for everyone. 

https://www.murphys-law.com.au/blog/ryans-rule-queensland/

Bowel cancer symptoms: ‘Fit and healthy’ Aussie shares the early warning signs that led to agonising diagnosis

 https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/bowel-cancer-symptoms-fit-and-healthy-aussie-shares-the-early-warning-signs-that-led-to-agonising-diagnosis-c-10842533

Please read the entire news report,  it is yet another example of  ignorance and arrogance from doctors, she is a woman so she isn’t taken seriously as usual. This poor young lady has been put through an  unnecessary ordeal adding more suffering to her misery. We see this arrogance so many times and women are up poop creek in the end because of this attitude with delayed medical treatment. Just because the doctor has never seen a case of bowel cancer in a young person doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Bowel cancer strikes at any age and to anyone and that is a fact.

She has a right to call Ryan’s rule (or whatever state/territory you live in calls their version) on this when she is unable to access proper care in the hospital given this is a life threatening condition, (passing copious amounts of blood). All doctors know about Ryan’s rule and it will make them think twice before dismissing a patient presenting with such symptoms. Be assertive if you know something is not right with your body, your life depends on it, be assertive but not rude. Just politely state that you would like a second opinion from someone else and preferably ask for a specialist in the area of health that your symptoms are aligned with, in her case a gastroenterologist. Given that she is constantly passing blood which is not normal, it should be setting off alarm bells with doctors immediately that alongside anaemia and her other symptoms. 

Even ulcerative colitis happens in young people and it has similar symptoms. My husband was 21 when he had it and he was one of the worst cases, his body would not respond to any treatment resulting in the removal of a large amount of intestines. Life after surgery has many complications too, it is not a walk in the park lifestyle I can assure you. Surgery to remove an ileostomy never lasts long either, within five years many people end up back with the ileostomy as was the case with my husband.Then the risk of a hernia in the years to come. Depending on the individual surgery may not be an option to repair a hernia, again as is the case with my husband he has three inoperable hernias. 

Chron’s disease or the worst one Chron’s-Colotis is also a disease that happens to young people Chrons-Colitis can happen in any part of the digestive tract from the top to bottom. You don’t have to be in your 30’s to get this either there are much younger people who have this condition. 

Passing blood is not normal especially if it is on going, dark coloured blood is old blood that has been in the body a while, fresh blood is bright red. Don’t under state your symptoms when seeing a doctor or they will not take you seriously, give them plenty information to help them reach a correct diagnosis. 

Underplaying symptoms does not give the doctor enough information. Lay out your symptoms and how long they have been happening even the symptoms that you are not sure are related because they may well be very relevant. Your life may well be on the line. Stage three cancer is very serious, stage four is fatal. 

Bowel cancer is slow growing so you may be unaware of it until you start seeing signs, if it’s caught early enough the chances of survival are high. If the cancer is progressing and passes through the walls of the organ then that’s extremely serious. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353304

The symptoms for females is slightly different to males, you can google the symptoms and find other information that is not covered by this link.

 https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/women

This is Bowel Cancer Australia in women link, it mentions a 24 year old woman, like I said at the top about being young and female, the doctor didn’t know it happened in younger women. What sort of doctor doesn’t know this, not a very good one obviously. Assumption is the mother of all screw ups. Never assume anything, find facts and get results. This poor woman had all the damn symptoms when she presented to A and E each time and no doubt saw a different doctor each time she presented. I sure hope that she stays in remission and is able to enjoy the rest of her life with the family that she dreams to have. 

One final thought is; patients are a vital source of knowledge to assist doctors in the course of their careers. They meet a diverse range of people to garner information from, to assist them in recognising illnesses in patients they meet so everything is helpful one way or another. 

UPDATE: Teenager with bowel cancer, it doesn’t get rougher than that 😭 she is lucky it was picked up in time. Let’s hope she stays in remission and can lead a full and happy life. Alcohol definitely plays a large part in bowel cancer, excessive drinking makes you a high candidate for bowel cancer. 

https://www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au/2023/06/18/teen-diagnosed-with-cancer-urges-others-to-be-vigilant/

'Didn't really think it was much more than a normal bug': Mum's warning after son dies from meningitis

 https://www.9news.com.au/national/meningitis-sydney-mum-meningococcal-warning-after-son-dies-exclusive/ffb7d74b-fd56-4fe0-9d7b-a7e05cc61b18

What a terrible tragedy, luckily mum is a nurse, however the poor little soul didn’t make it. Please read the entire article because it tells you the symptoms to look out for. Do not be dismissed by a doctor if you think they are misdiagnosing, you can invoke the state that you live in’s version of Ryan’s Rule. That sets off alarm bells in the medical system so be aware of your rights in health matters. If there is no equivalent of this law then there is a medical advocate to call or the minister of health. 

https://psychictarotreadingwithalexfulford.blogspot.com/search?q=Ryan%E2%80%99s+rule

My sincere condolences to the family and other families that lose a loved one.

This is the list of state and territory equivalents, so learn your rights and stand your ground because a life may be in the balance, this covers mental health issues and also hospital in the home. This article is from 2016 so things may have improved where you live, but there is also the minister of health and your local mp to contact. If you feel that you are not being listened to and your loved one is in danger of dying then be empowered to stand up for their rights. 

https://www.lawyersalliance.com.au/opinion/does-australia-need-ryans-rule  

 This is the link to the little Ryan’s coroner’s inquest. I found this highly distressing reading but necessary reading to understand what happened.

My husband almost died through medical negligence four years ago here in Canberra and had to call in the medical advocate from the hospital (CARE plan) or he could have died from a severe infection while doctors argued over who had the right to operate on him. So I am very cautious when dealing with the medical industry and the Canberra hospital has been in the news a lot due to deaths and other issues over recent years.  Most of the time doctors are very good but there are times too, when things go very wrong so I want people to be informed and empowered to take a stand when necessary. Be respectful and also informed on your rights. A life can be lost quickly if you are not paying attention to the signs and symptoms on time. 

Canberra health services link. https://www.canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au/

https://www.courts.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/107536/cif-saunders-rc-20111007.pdf

NSW, health REACH Keep Patients Safe link below.

https://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/keep-patients-safe/reach

Family of five-year-old Rozalia Spadafora, who died at Canberra Hospital, speaks out

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-28/act-family-of-five-year-old-girl-died-at-canberra-hospital-speak/101276188?utm_medium=social&utm_content=sf259187688&utm_campaign=abc_canberra&utm_source=m.facebook.com&sf259187688=1&fbclid=IwAR3hrpyOQaA_c6z8mBQ_M1Y91n0jaLuCTWFpk_uzryKD6gu8s5a2WaMdDIw

Another disgrace from the Canberra hospital. Another reason for invoking Ryan’s Rule, things should have been escalated. Absolutely horrific, this hospital is like a second rate hospital and nothing changes. 

You vote labor this is what you get! Twenty years of screw ups. If the public are so keen on having a labor government this will keep happening. 

Update: This was on tv tonight on A current affairs, not once did I hear them mention your right to ask for the medical advocate at the Canberra hospital. Why not? This is every patient’s basic right is a hospital if you are unhappy with the way you or your loved one is being treated and that includes hospital in the home. Learn your rights please don’t be afraid to be heard and demand proper medical care and answers. A life may well hang in the balance, speaking from personal experience!