When Laura Johnson’s father Bill, a healthy and active senior, went for a simple medical procedure, Laura’s gut instincts told her to miss work and go with him to keep him safe. 
But Bill told her he had a friend accompanying him and assured Laura he would be fine because “how bad could they mess this up”.
Tragically, Laura’s instincts were right. Her father was not safe in that hospital under their care. And the doctor responsible for Bill’s care, is the daughter of a doctor who is imprisoned for medical fraud. The medical apple does not fall far from the criminal tree.
Laura shares what happened to her father, how he was blamed when the procedure went wrong, and how staggering levels of medical incompetence lead to his early death.
Connect with Laura Johnson:
<a href='https://m.facebook.com/laura.g.johnson.7'>https://m.facebook.com/laura.g.johnson.7</a>
Be a podcast patron
Support <a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'>Medical Error Interviews on Patreon</a> by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  <a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'>RemediesPodcast@gmail.com</a> 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at <a href='https://remediescounseling.com'>Remedies Counseling</a> have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  <a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'>RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com</a>

Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the <a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'>first person living with HIV</a> to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (<a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'>myalgic encephalomyelitis</a>) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the <a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'>HIV Prevention Lab</a> at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, <a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'>here</a> and <a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'>here</a>. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit <a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'>Millions Missing Canada</a>, and on the Executive Committee of the <a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'>Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network</a>.
I am also a patient advisor for <a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'>Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council</a>, and member of <a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'>Patients for Patient Safety Canada</a>.
<a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'>Medical Error Interviews</a> podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.
My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.

<description>&lt;p&gt;When Laura Johnson’s father Bill, a healthy and active senior, went for a simple medical procedure, Laura’s gut instincts told her to miss work and go with him to keep him safe. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But Bill told her he had a friend accompanying him and assured Laura he would be fine because “how bad could they mess this up”.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Tragically, Laura’s instincts were right. Her father was not safe in that hospital under their care. And the doctor responsible for Bill’s care, is the daughter of a doctor who is imprisoned for medical fraud. The medical apple does not fall far from the criminal tree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Laura shares what happened to her father, how he was blamed when the procedure went wrong, and how staggering levels of medical incompetence lead to his early death.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Connect with Laura Johnson:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://m.facebook.com/laura.g.johnson.7'&gt;https://m.facebook.com/laura.g.johnson.7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be a podcast patron&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support &lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'&gt;Medical Error Interviews on Patreon&lt;/a&gt; by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be my Guest&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesPodcast@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Need a Counsellor?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Like me, many of my clients at &lt;a href='https://remediescounseling.com'&gt;Remedies Counseling&lt;/a&gt; have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Scott Simpson: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the &lt;a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'&gt;first person living with HIV&lt;/a&gt; to compete at the triathlon world championships.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with ME (&lt;a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'&gt;myalgic encephalomyelitis&lt;/a&gt;) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counseling / Research&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the &lt;a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'&gt;HIV Prevention Lab&lt;/a&gt; at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, &lt;a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient Advocacy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit &lt;a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'&gt;Millions Missing Canada&lt;/a&gt;, and on the Executive Committee of the &lt;a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'&gt;Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am also a patient advisor for &lt;a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'&gt;Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt;, and member of &lt;a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'&gt;Patients for Patient Safety Canada&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'&gt;Medical Error Interviews&lt;/a&gt; podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

When Laura Johnson’s father Bill, a healthy and active senior, went for a simple medical procedure, Laura’s gut instincts told her to miss work and go with him to keep him safe. 
But Bill told her he had a friend accompanying him and assured Laura he...

When Laura Johnson’s father Bill, a healthy and active senior, went for a simple medical procedure, Laura’s gut instincts told her to miss work and go with him to keep him safe. 
But Bill told her he had a friend accompanying him and assured Laura he would be fine because “how bad could they mess this up”.
Tragically, Laura’s instincts were right. Her father was not safe in that hospital under their care. And the doctor responsible for Bill’s care, is the daughter of a doctor who is imprisoned for medical fraud. The medical apple does not fall far from the criminal tree.
Laura shares what happened to her father, how he was blamed when the procedure went wrong, and how staggering levels of medical incompetence lead to his early death.
Connect with Laura Johnson:
https://m.facebook.com/laura.g.johnson.7
Be a podcast patron
Support Medical Error Interviews on Patreon by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  RemediesPodcast@gmail.com 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at Remedies Counseling have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com

Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the first person living with HIV to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, here and here. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit Millions Missing Canada, and on the Executive Committee of the Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network.
I am also a patient advisor for Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, and member of Patients for Patient Safety Canada.
Medical Error Interviews podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.
My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.

Laura Johnson: Grievous medical incompetence kills her father...and how many more?

Medical error and harm can take many forms and occurs in almost every medical context, except perhaps during autopsies.  So when a medical error occurs during a joyous event like childbirth, it can not only impact the immediate experience, but may also cause lifelong suffering and disability.
This is what happened to Carol Sunnucks when she went to the hospital to give birth to her son Kai. It was a hard labour and they had to use a suction device to pull Kai out -- but the doctor failed to check Carol for internal damage after that difficult procedure. This would prove to be catastrophic to Carol’s health and future. 
To make matters exponentially worse, the medical error and the damage it was causing was not detected for so long that any hope of Carol recovering her normal bodily functions is seemingly gone.  
Layered on top of that is the betrayal Carol subsequently experienced by both the health care and legal systems.  Carol and I talk about her experiences and what she’s doing to make meaning out of someone else’s failure to do their job.
Connect with Carol Sunnucks
Facebook: <a href='https://www.facebook.com/carol.sunnucks.92'>https://www.facebook.com/carol.sunnucks.92</a>
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaibaby28
Email: CarolSunnucks@hotmail.co.uk

<description>&lt;p&gt;Medical error and harm can take many forms and occurs in almost every medical context, except perhaps during autopsies.  So when a medical error occurs during a joyous event like childbirth, it can not only impact the immediate experience, but may also cause lifelong suffering and disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is what happened to Carol Sunnucks when she went to the hospital to give birth to her son Kai. It was a hard labour and they had to use a suction device to pull Kai out -- but the doctor failed to check Carol for internal damage after that difficult procedure. This would prove to be catastrophic to Carol’s health and future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To make matters exponentially worse, the medical error and the damage it was causing was not detected for so long that any hope of Carol recovering her normal bodily functions is seemingly gone.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Layered on top of that is the betrayal Carol subsequently experienced by both the health care and legal systems.  Carol and I talk about her experiences and what she’s doing to make meaning out of someone else’s failure to do their job.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Connect with Carol Sunnucks&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Facebook: &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/carol.sunnucks.92'&gt;https://www.facebook.com/carol.sunnucks.92&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaibaby28&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Email: CarolSunnucks@hotmail.co.uk&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Medical error and harm can take many forms and occurs in almost every medical context, except perhaps during autopsies.  So when a medical error occurs during a joyous event like childbirth, it can not only impact the immediate experience, but may al...

Medical error and harm can take many forms and occurs in almost every medical context, except perhaps during autopsies.  So when a medical error occurs during a joyous event like childbirth, it can not only impact the immediate experience, but may also cause lifelong suffering and disability.
This is what happened to Carol Sunnucks when she went to the hospital to give birth to her son Kai. It was a hard labour and they had to use a suction device to pull Kai out -- but the doctor failed to check Carol for internal damage after that difficult procedure. This would prove to be catastrophic to Carol’s health and future. 
To make matters exponentially worse, the medical error and the damage it was causing was not detected for so long that any hope of Carol recovering her normal bodily functions is seemingly gone.  
Layered on top of that is the betrayal Carol subsequently experienced by both the health care and legal systems.  Carol and I talk about her experiences and what she’s doing to make meaning out of someone else’s failure to do their job.
Connect with Carol Sunnucks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.sunnucks.92
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaibaby28
Email: CarolSunnucks@hotmail.co.uk

Carol Sunnucks: The joy of birth, the harm of medicine, the betrayal by the systems

Ashanti Daniel is one of those people who knew their career destiny as a child - and then made it come to fruition. As a nurse, Ashanti had the inside view of how the health care system operates - so when she got very sick and  was hospitalized multiple times, she thought that being a health care worker would afford her legitimacy in the eyes of her medical peers.  
But Ashanti quickly discovered that being a black woman with ‘normal’ results from routine medical tests, trumped years of working as a health care professional.
While medical gaslighting is endemic throughout the health care system, it is especially evident if you have a disease that has no biomarkers, and you are a female of colour.  Ask any one with a complex chronic illness, and you will most assuredly hear a story of doctors denying the patient experience of their own body, and instead attribute physical symptoms to psychological causes. And this is based on nothing except the doctor’s biases, prejudices and ego. For black female patients with a complex disease, it could be argued that the operationalized ‘standard of care’ is gaslighting. 
As Ashanti experienced, a doctor can write whatever they want about a patient in the medical records. It doesn’t have to be true. The amount of power doctors wield over people is the power of life and death. At their whim, they can deny testing, ignore a diagnosis, and label a person as mentally ill. In some jurisdictions, doctors can have a person committed to a mental hospital against their will.
The medical system is a pathological mess, driven and controlled by a god complex culture. Until doctors change their culture, there will continue to be -- as Long COVID patients are discovering en masse -- many doctors that inflict great harm by disbelieving patients.
Connect with Ashanti Daniel, RN
Instagram: @AshantiRN
Twitter: @AshantiRN
Linktr.ee: <a href='http://www.Linktr.ee/AshantiRN'>www.Linktr.ee/AshantiRN</a>
Be a podcast patron
Support <a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'>Medical Error Interviews on Patreon</a> by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
 
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  <a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'>RemediesPodcast@gmail.com</a> 
 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at <a href='https://remediescounseling.com'>Remedies Counseling</a> have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  <a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'>RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com</a>
 

Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the <a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'>first person living with HIV</a> to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (<a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'>myalgic encephalomyelitis</a>) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the <a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'>HIV Prevention Lab</a> at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, <a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'>here</a> and <a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'>here</a>. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit <a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'>Millions Missing Canada</a>, and on the Executive Committee of the <a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'>Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network</a>.
I am also a patient advisor for <a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'>Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council</a>, and member of <a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'>Patients for Patient Safety Canada</a>.
<a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'>Medical Error Interviews</a> podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.
My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Ashanti Daniel is one of those people who knew their career destiny as a child - and then made it come to fruition. As a nurse, Ashanti had the inside view of how the health care system operates - so when she got very sick and  was hospitalized multiple times, she thought that being a health care worker would afford her legitimacy in the eyes of her medical peers.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But Ashanti quickly discovered that being a black woman with ‘normal’ results from routine medical tests, trumped years of working as a health care professional.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While medical gaslighting is endemic throughout the health care system, it is especially evident if you have a disease that has no biomarkers, and you are a female of colour.  Ask any one with a complex chronic illness, and you will most assuredly hear a story of doctors denying the patient experience of their own body, and instead attribute physical symptoms to psychological causes. And this is based on nothing except the doctor’s biases, prejudices and ego. For black female patients with a complex disease, it could be argued that the operationalized ‘standard of care’ is gaslighting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As Ashanti experienced, a doctor can write whatever they want about a patient in the medical records. It doesn’t have to be true. The amount of power doctors wield over people is the power of life and death. At their whim, they can deny testing, ignore a diagnosis, and label a person as mentally ill. In some jurisdictions, doctors can have a person committed to a mental hospital against their will.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The medical system is a pathological mess, driven and controlled by a god complex culture. Until doctors change their culture, there will continue to be -- as Long COVID patients are discovering en masse -- many doctors that inflict great harm by disbelieving patients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Connect with Ashanti Daniel, RN&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Instagram: @AshantiRN&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Twitter: @AshantiRN&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Linktr.ee: &lt;a href='http://www.Linktr.ee/AshantiRN'&gt;www.Linktr.ee/AshantiRN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be a podcast patron&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support &lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'&gt;Medical Error Interviews on Patreon&lt;/a&gt; by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be my Guest&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesPodcast@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Need a Counsellor?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Like me, many of my clients at &lt;a href='https://remediescounseling.com'&gt;Remedies Counseling&lt;/a&gt; have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Scott Simpson: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the &lt;a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'&gt;first person living with HIV&lt;/a&gt; to compete at the triathlon world championships.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with ME (&lt;a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'&gt;myalgic encephalomyelitis&lt;/a&gt;) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counseling / Research&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the &lt;a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'&gt;HIV Prevention Lab&lt;/a&gt; at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, &lt;a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient Advocacy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit &lt;a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'&gt;Millions Missing Canada&lt;/a&gt;, and on the Executive Committee of the &lt;a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'&gt;Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am also a patient advisor for &lt;a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'&gt;Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt;, and member of &lt;a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'&gt;Patients for Patient Safety Canada&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'&gt;Medical Error Interviews&lt;/a&gt; podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Ashanti Daniel is one of those people who knew their career destiny as a child - and then made it come to fruition. As a nurse, Ashanti had the inside view of how the health care system operates - so when she got very sick and  was hospitalized multi...

Ashanti Daniel is one of those people who knew their career destiny as a child - and then made it come to fruition. As a nurse, Ashanti had the inside view of how the health care system operates - so when she got very sick and  was hospitalized multiple times, she thought that being a health care worker would afford her legitimacy in the eyes of her medical peers.  
But Ashanti quickly discovered that being a black woman with ‘normal’ results from routine medical tests, trumped years of working as a health care professional.
While medical gaslighting is endemic throughout the health care system, it is especially evident if you have a disease that has no biomarkers, and you are a female of colour.  Ask any one with a complex chronic illness, and you will most assuredly hear a story of doctors denying the patient experience of their own body, and instead attribute physical symptoms to psychological causes. And this is based on nothing except the doctor’s biases, prejudices and ego. For black female patients with a complex disease, it could be argued that the operationalized ‘standard of care’ is gaslighting. 
As Ashanti experienced, a doctor can write whatever they want about a patient in the medical records. It doesn’t have to be true. The amount of power doctors wield over people is the power of life and death. At their whim, they can deny testing, ignore a diagnosis, and label a person as mentally ill. In some jurisdictions, doctors can have a person committed to a mental hospital against their will.
The medical system is a pathological mess, driven and controlled by a god complex culture. Until doctors change their culture, there will continue to be -- as Long COVID patients are discovering en masse -- many doctors that inflict great harm by disbelieving patients.
Connect with Ashanti Daniel, RN
Instagram: @AshantiRN
Twitter: @AshantiRN
Linktr.ee: www.Linktr.ee/AshantiRN
Be a podcast patron
Support Medical Error Interviews on Patreon by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
 
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  RemediesPodcast@gmail.com 
 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at Remedies Counseling have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com

Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the first person living with HIV to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, here and here. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit Millions Mis

Ashanti Daniel, RN: Are nurses immune to doctors’ gaslighting? Not if you’re a black woman

In the early hours of the 28th of July 2016, Colette McCulloch was hit and killed by a bus. Eighteen hours earlier Colette had walked out of the specialist care facility for autistic adults where she was being treated.
Throughout Colette’s short life, her parents Andy and Amanda, sought out medical professionals to try to explain and ease their younger daughter’s extraordinary mind. Since Colette’s death Andy and Amanda have been fighting various medical and legal authorities to uncover the failings in her care and treatment. 
In our interview, author Andy McCulloch tells the story of his daughter's life and untimely death: the years in which her autism went undiagnosed, her lifelong battle with eating disorders and the lack of support for her complex needs. In spite of these challenges, Colette forged a path to university to pursue her passion for literature and to have her writing published.
Over the past year Andy and Amanda have written a book about their family’s experience with the health care system titled “Why Can’t You Hear Me?” - and it includes some of Colette’s writing, where she articulates her experiences grappling with a world forever at odds with her. With this book, Colette’s dream of having her words published has come to fruition.
Colette's story is ultimately a call to action and a message of hope for a future in which autistic people will be better understood, appropriately cared for, and able to flourish.
Connect with Andy McCulloch:
Twitter: @AndyMcCulloch5
Buy his book: <a href='https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Cant-You-Hear-Understood/dp/1787755088'>Why Can’t You Hear Me?</a>
Be a podcast patron
Support <a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'>Medical Error Interviews on Patreon</a> by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  <a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'>RemediesPodcast@gmail.com</a> 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at <a href='https://remediescounseling.com'>Remedies Counseling</a> have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  <a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'>RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com</a>

Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the <a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'>first person living with HIV</a> to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (<a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'>myalgic encephalomyelitis</a>) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the <a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'>HIV Prevention Lab</a> at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, <a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'>here</a> and <a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'>here</a>. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit <a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'>Millions Missing Canada</a>, and on the Executive Committee of the <a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'>Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network</a>.
I am also a patient advisor for <a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'>Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council</a>, and member of <a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'>Patients for Patient Safety Canada</a>.
<a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'>Medical Error Interviews</a> podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.
My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In the early hours of the 28th of July 2016, Colette McCulloch was hit and killed by a bus. Eighteen hours earlier Colette had walked out of the specialist care facility for autistic adults where she was being treated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Throughout Colette’s short life, her parents Andy and Amanda, sought out medical professionals to try to explain and ease their younger daughter’s extraordinary mind. Since Colette’s death Andy and Amanda have been fighting various medical and legal authorities to uncover the failings in her care and treatment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In our interview, author Andy McCulloch tells the story of his daughter's life and untimely death: the years in which her autism went undiagnosed, her lifelong battle with eating disorders and the lack of support for her complex needs. In spite of these challenges, Colette forged a path to university to pursue her passion for literature and to have her writing published.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the past year Andy and Amanda have written a book about their family’s experience with the health care system titled “Why Can’t You Hear Me?” - and it includes some of Colette’s writing, where she articulates her experiences grappling with a world forever at odds with her. With this book, Colette’s dream of having her words published has come to fruition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Colette's story is ultimately a call to action and a message of hope for a future in which autistic people will be better understood, appropriately cared for, and able to flourish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Connect with Andy McCulloch:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Twitter: @AndyMcCulloch5&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Buy his book: &lt;a href='https://www.amazon.ca/Why-Cant-You-Hear-Understood/dp/1787755088'&gt;Why Can’t You Hear Me?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be a podcast patron&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support &lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'&gt;Medical Error Interviews on Patreon&lt;/a&gt; by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be my Guest&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesPodcast@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Need a Counsellor?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Like me, many of my clients at &lt;a href='https://remediescounseling.com'&gt;Remedies Counseling&lt;/a&gt; have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Scott Simpson: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the &lt;a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'&gt;first person living with HIV&lt;/a&gt; to compete at the triathlon world championships.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with ME (&lt;a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'&gt;myalgic encephalomyelitis&lt;/a&gt;) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counseling / Research&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the &lt;a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'&gt;HIV Prevention Lab&lt;/a&gt; at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, &lt;a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient Advocacy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit &lt;a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'&gt;Millions Missing Canada&lt;/a&gt;, and on the Executive Committee of the &lt;a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'&gt;Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am also a patient advisor for &lt;a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'&gt;Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt;, and member of &lt;a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'&gt;Patients for Patient Safety Canada&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'&gt;Medical Error Interviews&lt;/a&gt; podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

In the early hours of the 28th of July 2016, Colette McCulloch was hit and killed by a bus. Eighteen hours earlier Colette had walked out of the specialist care facility for autistic adults where she was being treated.
Throughout Colette’s short life...

In the early hours of the 28th of July 2016, Colette McCulloch was hit and killed by a bus. Eighteen hours earlier Colette had walked out of the specialist care facility for autistic adults where she was being treated.
Throughout Colette’s short life, her parents Andy and Amanda, sought out medical professionals to try to explain and ease their younger daughter’s extraordinary mind. Since Colette’s death Andy and Amanda have been fighting various medical and legal authorities to uncover the failings in her care and treatment. 
In our interview, author Andy McCulloch tells the story of his daughter's life and untimely death: the years in which her autism went undiagnosed, her lifelong battle with eating disorders and the lack of support for her complex needs. In spite of these challenges, Colette forged a path to university to pursue her passion for literature and to have her writing published.
Over the past year Andy and Amanda have written a book about their family’s experience with the health care system titled “Why Can’t You Hear Me?” - and it includes some of Colette’s writing, where she articulates her experiences grappling with a world forever at odds with her. With this book, Colette’s dream of having her words published has come to fruition.
Colette's story is ultimately a call to action and a message of hope for a future in which autistic people will be better understood, appropriately cared for, and able to flourish.
Connect with Andy McCulloch:
Twitter: @AndyMcCulloch5
Buy his book: Why Can’t You Hear Me?
Be a podcast patron
Support Medical Error Interviews on Patreon by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  RemediesPodcast@gmail.com 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at Remedies Counseling have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com

Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the first person living with HIV to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, here and here. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit Millions Missing Canada, and on the Executive Committee of the Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network.
I am also a patient advisor for Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, and member of Patients for Patient Safety Canada.
Medical Error Interviews podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses

Andy McCulloch’s daughter Colette: Why Can’t You Hear Me? An inquest into medical negligence

Implanting plastic mesh inside our bodies doesn’t sound like a smart thing -- and it wouldn’t have happened to Michelle Hedgcoth if a previous medical error hadn’t damaged her body.
Michelle was a healthy and happy career woman when she gave birth - but the doctor, who had given Michelle an episiotomy, failed to sew her back up after the baby was delivered. This failure would have devastating consequences on every aspect of Michelle’s life.
In an effort to ‘fix’ their mistake, doctors performed a surgery to implant plastic mesh into Michelle’s abdomen. Plastic mesh that can disintegrate releasing toxic and sickening poisons -- plastic mesh that can twist, break apart and pierce internal organs -- plastic mesh that can attach itself to organs so that it can never be detached.
In this interview, Michelle tells us what happened to her in the health care system, the impact it has had on her body, her health, her family, her career, and what she is doing today to make others aware of the dangers of mesh implants.
Connect with Michelle Hedgcoth:
Twitter: @WCmeshfighter
Facebook: WestCoastMeshFighter  https://www.facebook.com/Westcoastmeshfighter
Instagram:  WestCoastMeshFighter  https://www.instagram.com/westcoastmeshfighter/?hl=en
Website:  <a href='https://t.co/7T21XCg3Ul?amp=1'>http://WestCoastMeshFighter.com</a>
Be a podcast patron
Support <a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'>Medical Error Interviews on Patreon</a> by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  <a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'>RemediesPodcast@gmail.com</a> 
 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at <a href='https://remediescounseling.com'>Remedies Counseling</a> have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  <a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'>RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com</a>
Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the <a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'>first person living with HIV</a> to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (<a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'>myalgic encephalomyelitis</a>) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the <a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'>HIV Prevention Lab</a> at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, <a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'>here</a> and <a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'>here</a>. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit <a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'>Millions Missing Canada</a>, and on the Executive Committee of the <a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'>Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network</a>.
I am also a patient advisor for <a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'>Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council</a>, and member of <a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'>Patients for Patient Safety Canada</a>.
<a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'>Medical Error Interviews</a> podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.
My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Implanting plastic mesh inside our bodies doesn’t sound like a smart thing -- and it wouldn’t have happened to Michelle Hedgcoth if a previous medical error hadn’t damaged her body.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Michelle was a healthy and happy career woman when she gave birth - but the doctor, who had given Michelle an episiotomy, failed to sew her back up after the baby was delivered. This failure would have devastating consequences on every aspect of Michelle’s life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In an effort to ‘fix’ their mistake, doctors performed a surgery to implant plastic mesh into Michelle’s abdomen. Plastic mesh that can disintegrate releasing toxic and sickening poisons -- plastic mesh that can twist, break apart and pierce internal organs -- plastic mesh that can attach itself to organs so that it can never be detached.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In this interview, Michelle tells us what happened to her in the health care system, the impact it has had on her body, her health, her family, her career, and what she is doing today to make others aware of the dangers of mesh implants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Connect with Michelle Hedgcoth:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Twitter: @WCmeshfighter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Facebook: WestCoastMeshFighter  https://www.facebook.com/Westcoastmeshfighter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Instagram:  WestCoastMeshFighter  https://www.instagram.com/westcoastmeshfighter/?hl=en&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Website:  &lt;a href='https://t.co/7T21XCg3Ul?amp=1'&gt;http://WestCoastMeshFighter.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be a podcast patron&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Support &lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq'&gt;Medical Error Interviews on Patreon&lt;/a&gt; by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be my Guest&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesPodcast@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesPodcast@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Need a Counsellor?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Like me, many of my clients at &lt;a href='https://remediescounseling.com'&gt;Remedies Counseling&lt;/a&gt; have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  &lt;a href='mailto:RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com'&gt;RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Scott Simpson: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the &lt;a href='https://dignitasinternational.org/2006/08/30/antiretroviral-drugs-keep-hiv-positive-triathlete-on-track-for-world-event-canadian-press/'&gt;first person living with HIV&lt;/a&gt; to compete at the triathlon world championships.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been living with ME (&lt;a href='https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Myalgic_encephalomyelitis'&gt;myalgic encephalomyelitis&lt;/a&gt;) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Counseling / Research&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the &lt;a href='https://hivprevlab.ca'&gt;HIV Prevention Lab&lt;/a&gt; at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, &lt;a href='https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0152762'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289366372_Gay_Poz_Sex_A_Sexual_Health_Promotion_Intervention_for_HIV-Positive_Gay_and_Bisexual_Men'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patient Advocacy&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit &lt;a href='https://www.millionsmissingcanada.ca'&gt;Millions Missing Canada&lt;/a&gt;, and on the Executive Committee of the &lt;a href='https://www.canada.ca/en/institutes-health-research/news/2019/08/government-of-canada-invests-14m-in-biomedical-research-to-improve-the-quality-of-life-of-people-living-with-myalgic-encephalomyelitis.html'&gt;Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am also a patient advisor for &lt;a href='https://www.hqontario.ca/Patient-Partnering/Health-Quality-Ontarios-Patient-Family-and-Public-Advisors-Council'&gt;Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt;, and member of &lt;a href='https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/About/Programs/PPSC/Pages/default.aspx'&gt;Patients for Patient Safety Canada&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://medicalerrorinterviews.podbean.com'&gt;Medical Error Interviews&lt;/a&gt; podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the snow off the sidewalk.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Implanting plastic mesh inside our bodies doesn’t sound like a smart thing -- and it wouldn’t have happened to Michelle Hedgcoth if a previous medical error hadn’t damaged her body.
Michelle was a healthy and happy career woman when she gave birth - ...

Implanting plastic mesh inside our bodies doesn’t sound like a smart thing -- and it wouldn’t have happened to Michelle Hedgcoth if a previous medical error hadn’t damaged her body.
Michelle was a healthy and happy career woman when she gave birth - but the doctor, who had given Michelle an episiotomy, failed to sew her back up after the baby was delivered. This failure would have devastating consequences on every aspect of Michelle’s life.
In an effort to ‘fix’ their mistake, doctors performed a surgery to implant plastic mesh into Michelle’s abdomen. Plastic mesh that can disintegrate releasing toxic and sickening poisons -- plastic mesh that can twist, break apart and pierce internal organs -- plastic mesh that can attach itself to organs so that it can never be detached.
In this interview, Michelle tells us what happened to her in the health care system, the impact it has had on her body, her health, her family, her career, and what she is doing today to make others aware of the dangers of mesh implants.
Connect with Michelle Hedgcoth:
Twitter: @WCmeshfighter
Facebook: WestCoastMeshFighter  https://www.facebook.com/Westcoastmeshfighter
Instagram:  WestCoastMeshFighter  https://www.instagram.com/westcoastmeshfighter/?hl=en
Website:  http://WestCoastMeshFighter.com
Be a podcast patron
Support Medical Error Interviews on Patreon by becoming a Patron for $2 / month for audio versions. 
Premium Patrons get access to video versions of podcasts for $5 / month.
Be my Guest
I am always looking for guests to share their medical error experiences so we help bring awareness and make patients safer.
If you are a survivor, a victim’s surviving family member, a health care worker, advocate, researcher or policy maker and you would like to share your experiences, please send me an email with a brief description:  RemediesPodcast@gmail.com 
 
Need a Counsellor?
Like me, many of my clients at Remedies Counseling have experienced the often devastating effects of medical error.
If you need a counsellor for your experience with medical error, or living with a chronic illness(es), I offer online video counseling appointments.
**For my health and life balance, I limit my number of counseling clients.** 
Email me to learn more or book an appointment:  RemediesOnlineCounseling@gmail.com
Scott Simpson: 
Counsellor + Patient Advocate + (former) Triathlete
I am a counsellor, patient advocate, and - before I became sick and disabled - a passionate triathlete. Work hard. Train hard. Rest hard.
I have been living with HIV since 1998. I was the first person living with HIV to compete at the triathlon world championships.
Thanks to research and access to medications, HIV is not a problem in my life.
I have been living with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since 2012, and thanks in part to medical error, it is a big problem in my life.
Counseling / Research
I first became aware of the ubiquitousness of medical error during a decade of community based research working with the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, where I co-authored two research papers on a counseling intervention for people living with HIV, here and here. 
Patient participants would often report varying degrees of medical neglect, error and harms as part of their counseling sessions.
Patient Advocacy
I am co-founder of the ME patient advocacy non-profit Millions Missing Canada, and on the Executive Committee of the Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network.
I am also a patient advisor for Health Quality Ontario’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, and member of Patients for Patient Safety Canada.
Medical Error Interviews podcast and vidcast emerged to give voice to victims, witnesses and participants in this hidden epidemic so we can create change toward a safer health care system.
My golden retriever Gladys is a constant source of love and joy. I hope to be well enough again one day to race triathlons again. Or even shovel the sno

Michelle Hedgcoth: How transvaginal mesh ruined my body and my career - but not my spirit

Interviews with survivors, victims' families, policy makers, and health care workers. What went wrong? How can we make health care safer?  Host Scott Simpson, uses his counselling skills to evoke the secrets, stories and solutions.  https://www.patreon.com/rss/MedicalErrorInterviews?auth=2eY8hVY9bd5o78a8cmpNSURYZ2VrqXrq

Medical error is the 3rd leading cause of death. Governments, hospitals and physician organizations work hard to keep the data about medical harm covered up. Medical Error Interviews shares the stories of victims and survivors to make the system safer.

Medical Error Interviews

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