Nightmare from Hell
Hi!!
My name is Mary Widboom and I am a junior member of SCI. I thought other
psychiatric survivors would benefit from my story as it also relates to multiple
chemical allergic reactions that are misdiagnosed as mental illness. The
following is my testimony that was read on my behalf on February 6, 2002, at the
Minnesota Senate Health and Family Security Committee meeting. We hear this was
a precedent as no one has ever been allowed to present testimony in absentia. I
am basically homebound as my allergic reactions to chemicals such as perfumes,
cologne, etc., are completely life threatening.
NIGHTMARE FROM HELL
I feel compelled to tell my story so that people who suffer from allergic
reactions/sensitivity to chemicals and the resulting chemical injury are made
aware of what can happen to them when their symptoms are misdiagnosed as "mental
illness."
From 1993-1998 I was exposed to many chemicals in my place of employment at a
local research hospital. In fact, I was known by my supervisor as the "CANARY
IN THE MINE SHAFT." These exposures include but are not limited to perfumes,
varnish, latex paint, oil based paint, mineral spirits, carpet glue and the
worst exposures I had were to pesticides. The pesticide exposures caused me to
have very immediate symptoms as well as bronchitis that lasted from September
1998-April 1999. While employed there, I reported this hospital to the EEOC and
later to the US EPA.
During that time I also became depressed when I learned I could no longer work
as with each exposure my reactions to chemicals were worsening and had become
completely life threatening. In fact, with each exposure my symptoms included
and still do anaphylaxis, asthma, laryngeal swelling, facial and eye swelling,
hives, tachycardia, extreme weakness, fatigue, disorientation, lack of oxygen,
shortness of breath, neurological tremors and the list goes on and on. It
normally took, and still does, a shot of Benadryl and Epinephrine to bring me
around and this has always been done by a physician either in an Emergency Room
or clinic. I have since learned that overexposure to pesticides can lead to
depression as well.
My physician prescribed Zoloft for the depression. I was also taking Ritalin
for Narcolepsy. To add insult to injury, I was also taking Bromocriptine for a
prolactin-producing pituitary tumor. This cocktail of drugs caused me to have a
very severe drug interaction which ultimately lead to my hospitalization.
When I passed out one night at my kitchen table and my family called 911, they
never realized what a terrible ordeal/nightmare would follow for me. The police
arrived first and without our knowledge contacted a crisis unit, and I was taken
to a major metropolitan hospital instead of to the hospital I normally went to
which is only 5-7 minutes from our home. I have since learned that the State of
Minnesota has had in place for several years an Active Surveillance System, and
its protocol is nearly identical to the chain of events that happened to me.
A physician at this hospital found my diagnosis of allergic reactions to
chemicals (which I have had for over 10 years) to be "controversial." I was
eventually placed in a locked psychiatric ward and believe me THERE IS NOT A
MORE DESPICABLE HOSPITAL WARD THAN THAT. I was kept on that ward for a total of
14 days which was through the Christmas and New Year holidays, 1999.
Immediately upon my admission to the ward, my daughter and husband informed my
nurse that I had life threatening allergic reactions to latex. Notwithstanding,
that very nurse came in my room and using latex gloves ripped out an emergency
stent that had been placed in my arm by the ER and was supposed to remain in my
arm during my entire hospitalization. The nurse not only ignored my husband's
and daughter's warning regarding my allergy to latex, she also ignored the two
fluorescent green wrist bands that had been placed on me and the fluorescent
green sign above my bed which clearly indicated allergy to latex. Needless to
say, the allergic reaction, without question, was life threatening. As my
asthma attack worsened and hives worsened, I pleaded for medical help, but to no
avail. I indicated I needed Benadryl and Epinephrine. I was ignored and
accused of acting out and faking. As my face swelled up and my eyes swelled
shut and my throat was swelling, I began having extreme difficulty breathing. I
again asked for help, but to no avail, and was again accused of acting out and
faking. I was coughing so hard and choking on all the phlegm from the asthma
attack, I was so weak I could no longer hold up my head or breathe, and I
collapsed at the table. According to my medical record, I turned dusky blue and
lost all feces and urine. The medical record failed to mention that I also lost
secretions from my lungs all over the table.
SO HOW CLOSE TO DEATH DID I COME??
Believe me - I saw the light and there is
nothing on earth to compare it to. My personal physician told me that it was
nothing short of a miracle that I lived through it. Also, many people who
witnessed what happened to me told my husband, without my knowledge, that I had
died at the table that night and they couldn't understand how I was still alive.
When the nurse and nursing assistant forcefully pulled my chair out from the
table, my arms went up and my legs went out and they were rigid. The nurse
screamed at me again about faking and acting out. As a result of what happened
at the table and the fact that I could not hold onto pills or water, I was very
forcefully taken to the seclusion room and then to my total shock, placed in
five point leather and chain restraints. I was very forcefully shot up with
double doses of Ativan and Haldol. Although I pleaded for water, I was never
given so much as a drop the entire night and I was kept in those restraints
until the following morning. As I lay tummy down in the five point leather and
chain restraints, I was constantly told "We told you, you would be sorry and so
will your family." I had bruises on my upper arm from being forcefully escorted
to seclusion. The left wrist restraint was placed so tight that I ended up with
a bruise for approximately four weeks. The final restraint which was over my
back and under my abdomen was placed so tight by two men and it was very
painful. The result of the final restraint has caused my abdomen to grow
approximately 10-11" since that time. My personal physician felt it was because
I had just had a hysterectomy only three months before and I was not completely
healed from that.
The following day and for several days after, as a result of the double doses of
Ativan and Haldol, I was not even able to hold up my head. I had extreme
tremors and shaking. I couldn't hold my mouth straight. I wasn't able to speak
clearly as I was having trouble with my tongue. I could barely walk without
assistance. Also to add insult to injury, as I indicated I had a prolactin
producing pituitary tumor, and the neuroleptic drugs I was forcefully given
placed me at serious risk as these drugs are known to increase prolactin and the
list goes on and on.
Three nights later, I was placed in five point leather and chain restraints
again. This time it was for going into a patient's room to help her get some
water. I didn't know I could not go into another patient's room as I had never
been told what the rules were.
On the 6th day, I found a form on my nightstand that indicated I was going to be
committed. This was extremely shocking and upsetting -- I couldn't even
believe what I was reading. I had never been informed of this, although the
form indicated I had. I was actually served commitment papers in front of many
people, including my family, by a sheriff and told I would have to appear before
a judge and that I was to have a court appointed attorney. My family could not
believe what was happening.
The first time I went before the judge, the court appointed attorney told me I
was not allowed to speak to the judge. However, I indicated to him that I would
speak to the judge if he spoke to me. The second time I appeared before the
judge I was coerced into signing a form admitting I was mentally ill. I was
told by the court appointed attorney that if I did not agree to waive my right
to a hearing and sign the form that I was mentally ill, "we will send you to
Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center today and you will be placed on forced
drug therapy." I asked him who "we" were. I said, I thought you were court
appointed to help me. Although I did not want to sign the form because it was
not true, I definitely did not want to be sent to Anoka and my husband of 30
years was crying so hard - - I don't want you to go. I couldn't stand to be
away from my husband and family any longer because as I indicated, I had already
been away from them for 14 days, through the holidays.
To my further surprise, the judge was my saving grace - he too suffered from
allergic reactions to perfume, cologne, etc., and he told me so. Isn't it
amazing that I am placed on a six month stay of commitment and the orders
indicated that I was to follow all doctor's orders regarding multiple chemical
sensitivity, the very "controversial diagnosis" I was hospitalized for in the
first place. The social worker assigned to meet with me every month did not
understand why I was even placed on a six month stay, let alone committed to
Anoka. He said the medical records did not substantiate any of it. The
psychiatrist lied on the commitment statement and the social worker at the
hospital did as well. The psychiatrist indicated that I refused to sign the
form for taking neuroleptic drugs which was a complete lie as I have a copy of
the signed form. That is only the beginning of lies and falsification of
records that were done. In fact, I had mentioned to a nursing assistant that
once I was discharged, I was going to write many letters about the abusive
treatment I had received. He responded, "It won't do you any good. Your
medical records are changing even as we speak." When I obtained my medical
records, I knew exactly what he was referring to.
What I have learned since that time through much research, etc., is that this is
happening more and more. People are put into lock up units for nothing; and it
is only to get people labeled as mentally ill, forced onto mind altering and
brain damaging psychiatric drugs, and medical records are falsified in an
attempt to have people committed so that they will be court ordered to take
these drugs. All of this is done to discredit people, especially whistle
blowers, activists, etc. This is nothing but a total scam and, without
question, insurance fraud; and we all wonder why our health insurance rates have
gone up so much!!
Besides my strong faith in God, my inner strength and my sense of humor, the one
thing that I had going for me is that I had worked in a Psychiatry Department
for approximately five years; and I knew that everything these cruel, savage and
inhumane people did to me was illegal and downright criminal. I have written
many letters of complaints and most of these are ignored by the State of
Minnesota. I will continue to write letters until there is no one left to write
to. Many representatives and senators who have heard my story are absolutely
appalled, shocked and extremely concerned about the abuse and torture in the
mental health system, but they seem to be at a loss as to what to do.
It is well known, especially by the perfume and chemical industries that many
chemicals can cause neurological damage as well as alter our emotions and brain
chemistry in an adverse way. It is my belief that anyone who suffers from
MCS/allergic reactions is at risk to be abused by the bio-psychiatric and
pharmaceutical industries who could be covering up for the industrial
community. This is all done because if the truth were really known; and the
majority of people knew how adversely affected they are by the chemicals/toxins
that they use socially, or are forced to use, or have been placed covertly in
our environment, the chemical industry as a whole would be involved in serious
class action civil lawsuits. These lawsuits would make the tobacco industry
litigation seem trivial.
How and why can a true medical condition such as allergic reactions/sensitivity
to chemicals be misdiagnosed as "mental illness"? How and why, on God's green
earth, can abuse and torture be called treatment for any so called "mental
illness?
I pray daily for the safety of innocent victims who are criminally misdiagnosed
with "mental illness" and who have the unfortunate circumstance of ending up in
locked psychiatric units. I am appalled at the legislation that was passed at
the 11th hour of the 2001 Special Session. I am further concerned by Senate
File 2457 as inpatient services at a community hospital or any mental health
facility has the potential for much abuse, torture and fraud due to failure to
investigate and correct this corrupt system.
