I recall that Dr. Timothy Flood -- my former retina doctor -- was rather “fartutzt” (a wonderful Yiddish word meaning “done up,” or disturbed) when he asked me what kind of work I did, and I told him I was a retired lawyer.
I should have paid better attention to his nervous reaction! I don't know what he was thinking but he definitely looked disturbed!
And I should have been even more perturbed when he said he wanted me to sign a paper saying I would not sue him! I told him I would not do so and that this request was certainly against public policy.
But the request was certainly odd, and I should have paid more attention to to it. In fact, I should have just walked right out the door at that point!
Today, thinking back to the entire scenario, in which he also carelessly purveyed the misleading information that I had the retinal condition he was treating because I was "on Prolia," I cannot help wondering if he had made similarly inaccurate comments to other patients, who, like me, may have relied on his expertise to their sorrow!
Mistakenly believing at the time that he knew what he was talking about, I acted on his comment, and believing Prolia could threaten my eyesight, I skipped some Prolia shots. This, in turn, left me at extreme risk for the three painful and disabling vertebral fractures I subsequently suffered.
Today I cannot help wondering if incidents like this have left him on the receiving end of some legal actions!
I'm only grateful that another ophthalmologist/eye surgeon, and a personal friend, who after expressing shock that any eye doctor would make such a comment, assured me that the macular degeneration for which Dr. Flood was treating me at the time was associated with osteoporosis itself, and not with Prolia. Otherwise even more damage may have occurred!
But while I was grateful for this correct information (which apparently Dr. Flood did not have despite his many years of advanced training), I still live with the daily pain and disability I attribute to trusting Dr. Timothy Flood!
But have no fear, Dr. Flood! I have no intention of suing you. Why? Because NO amount a court might award me in this he-said-she-said situation could begin to compensate for the pain, immobility, and most of all the loss of the travel and other good times with friends and family that I was so eagerly anticipating in retirement.
And bringing such a legal action (as much has you may deserve it, Dr. Flood) could complicate my medical care in the future!
So rest easy, Dr. Timothy Flood! You can keep your money and go on with your life just as if this never happened. How delightful for you that you needn't give a thought about the ruination your carelessly inaccurate words made in the life of a patient who trusted you!
###