Going under anesthesia is frightening for a lot of reasons. You may be worried about feeling out of control of your body or being sick when you wake up. The possible side effects you are given don’t help with that fear either: grogginess, confusion, dry mouth, shivering, sore throat and pain at the surgery site. But the one side effect…
Deciding to have a child after suffering a spinal cord injury can be an extremely daunting task. However, you’re not going to allow your injury to destroy your dreams of having a family. Therefore, as long as your doctor is comfortable with you conceiving, carrying, and delivering your child—you’re going to do everything in your power to do just that.…
When you awoke, you were sitting in a hospital bed and a nurse was checking your vital signs. You had absolutely no idea what had happened. The last thing you remembered was getting ready to go to dinner with your wife. When the nurse noticed that you were awake, he immediately ran to get the doctor. When he returned, he…
Difficult or complicated deliveries can quickly cause your baby to become distressed. When this happens, your doctor must make immediate decisions to speed the birth along in order to get your baby out quickly. Unfortunately, these “life-saving” decisions, as well as the hasty way in which the decisions are carried out, can actually cause serious harm to you and your…
Rain, melting snow, and man-made flooding—such as testing or draining fire hydrants—can all cause treacherous wet-road conditions that can put you and your family at risk. When pavement gets wet, the water mixes with dirt, oil, and debris, creating a slippery sheet across the road. This sheet can cause your tires to lose traction and control, hurtling into other vehicles.…
It’s been a week since you helped your son move to George Mason. Although you know he has a lot on plate, you asked him to call you at least twice a week, and so far nothing. Is he okay? Did something happen? Finally, your phone rings, and it’s his cell. “Hi sweetie. How are you?” “Um. Hello. Is this…
Your surgery is scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow at Inova, and you’re extremely nervous. Your doctor assured you that it is a simple procedure and depending on how you feel tomorrow, you can decide whether you want a local, regional, or general anesthetic. Since the surgery isn’t too invasive, which one should you choose? Is one safer than the others?…
After your accident last year, which left you paralyzed from the waist down, the doctor informed you that the first year of recovery was going to be the hardest and most dangerous. He told you to take it one day at a time, and to always be mindful of any potential problems that could be life-threatening. Well, today is the…
It was all a blur. One second you were dropping your little boy off at Chesterbrook; the next you were getting a call that he was taken to Inova after falling off the swing set. The principal didn’t have much information other than he fell and hit his head. As you rushed to the emergency room, all you could think…
The news is still stunning. Your child was born, and you could not love her any more than you do. Yet, this was not what you imagined. You didn’t anticipate that the negligence of a doctor in a northern Virginia hospital would leave your child with a birth injury that would affect her, and you, forever. Focusing on the Future You may replay what…