Alicia The Warrior

www.myspace.com/aliciarcole

Corporate Greed + Public Apathy = UnSafe Healthcare

  • Alicia Cole

  • Female
  • www.AliciaCole.com, California, US

201717955||11111|http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/100/m_d0ea73e641a3cdd6c9eeac6b3a9fb913.gif

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Details

  • Status: Single
  • Religion: Christian - other
  • Zodiac Sign: Cancer
  • Education: Grad / professional school
  • Occupation: Actress turn Patient Advocate

Schools

Companies

  • Alliance for Safety Awareness for Patients

    • www.PatientSafetyASAP.org, US
    • Founder & President

Blurbs

About me:

I can’t believe I finally did this.  It only took my friend Stacy two years to convince me this was a good thing.  It might be wrong of me, but every time I thought of ‘MySpace’ it was followed by visions of Dateline: to Catch a Predator!  Oh well, things change… so here I am.

Also there is nothing like being on bed rest and confined to the house for most of the last year to make you appreciate surfing the Internet! Thank God for laptops.

On to the part ‘About Me.’ until last summer I was a working actress. (Not a celebrity mind you, but one of those faces you see from time to time and you think you know that person.  That was me.)  Things were going really great.  I stayed very busy with a mixture of television work, commercials, voiceover and print ads.   I LOVE WHAT I DO!!   It’s new and different every day and I work with fun and creative people.  Best of all the food is free!!

I was having a good year last year. I played a waitress in a national Budweiser campaign directed by the infamous commercial icon Joe Pitka. That was a full circle moment because I’ve wanted to work with Mr. Pitka every since I saw him profiled on 60 Minutes years ago. I had also scored a full campaign playing a doctor in the state of California’s fight against childhood obesity. You could not drive anywhere without seeing my billboards plastered all over the state.If you turned on the radio there I was.And I was happy that my commercial ran all day, but I was especially proud that it ran at least three times during most Oprah Winfrey shows.

It was a really busy time. So when I found out I would need to have minor surgery to remove two uterine fibroids, I tried to time it to be in, out and fully recovered in time for the new television season.  What’s that old joke, “How do you make God laugh…You make plans!”  Truer words were never spoken.

Now a myomectomy is a fairly common and routine procedure where the doctor does a hairline incision, basically a C-section, goes into the uterus and removes the benign growths. “No big deal you’ll be home in two days, three at the max.”

NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! My two day stay in Providence St. Joseph hospital turned into a month long nightmare in the ICU and another  arduous month on the 7th. floor.  I am still at home on minimal activity and bed rest healing as I type – 10 months later!

I contracted what is known in medical terminology as a Nosocomial infection. Nosocomial infections are those which are a result of treatment in a hospital, but secondary to the patient's original condition. Infections are considered nosocomial if they first appear 48 hours or more after hospital admission.  Of course, I was lucky enough to get the very worst of all of these…NECROTIZING FASCIITIS.  You may have heard of it as MAN-EATING FLESH DISEASE!  It is a very rare and extremely deadly condition which if undiagnosed eats its victims alive from the inside out in hours. This was further complicated by a severe case of Sepsis brought on by infection in my bloodstream from toxin-producing bacteria. Sepsis alone can result in severe complications - low blood pressure, low blood flow, and the failure of vital organs, such as the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver.  With my white blood cell count at 35,000, I was in a very dangerous state. Septic shock is the most common cause of death in intensive care units.

My mother was actually the one who spotted the first signs of the disease and we later learned that if she had not stood her ground and insisted the doctor come back to the hospital and check out the black dot suddenly on my stomach. I would have been dead or too far-gone by the time he check on me the next morning!!!  The disease eats you alive just that fast.

As it was, by the time Dr. Pearson got back to St. Joseph, the tiny black dot had grown into a quarter sized pustule.  When I have more time I will tell you how the doctor assisted by MY MOTHER opened up my incision, cut apart 2 rows of sutures and began to squeeze out puss and drainage right there in the room.  NO ANESTESIA!  Can you say P-A-I-N?

And thus began the multiple surgeries to strategically cut away my abdomen and left butt check in an effort to cut out the disease.  I looked like I had been attacked by a great white shark.  Thankfully, my Mom & Dad are retired and were with me through the whole ordeal.  I think it may even have been harder on them because they had to stand by and watch.  At least I got to be drugged!!  (Stay tuned to my Blog and I’ll tell you what it really feels like to go through drug withdrawal!)
 

Of course now we know that the Centers for Disease Control estimate that over 90,000 people a year die from infections they get while they're in the hospital.  This is outrageous! Thank God I survived!!  And I have all of my limbs.  One horrible thing about NF is that most of the survivors end up amputees. It likes to eat limbs.  Fortunately, the doctors were able to stop it about an inch & a half past the crease of my left leg!

You would think that this would be the end of the story, but unfortunately it was the very beginning of my education into the broken medical and legal system we have in the State of California.  I have had to fight with the hospital’s home healthcare agency for proper wound care supplies.  I had to fight the insurance company to cover my treatment at the wound care center – they kept denying my treatment as “cosmetic”.  Thankfully the President of Screen Actors Guild stepped in and some of that got resolved.  I was verbally attacked to the point of tears by one of the nurses in my doctor’s office demanding to know; “Who are you mad at?” “How are you making ends meet?”  “Are you going to sue the hospital?”  Needless to say after that I cut all ties with any of the doctors affiliated with Providence Saint Joseph!

Right now I am still healing and trying to take care of myself.  My wound is not completely closed and every time I am just a little active, holes in the new skin open up.

Still all in all, I am truly Blessed.  Everyday that I wake up, I thank God.  I know that he was there with me in the ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death’ and my parents were ‘the rod and the staff’ he sent to comfort me.  No matter what you are going through in your life trust that GOD will never leave you nor forsake you.  Just be still and listen and let him do his thing!

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Who I'd like to meet:

People who truly have a heart of compassion to care about someone other than themself and their immediate family. People who take a stand for our HUMAN family...even when it is not popular.

I welcome all SURVIVORS OF HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS and their families. I salute Survivors of all types. Because in today's world, sometimes you deserve at pat on the back for just making it through another day!

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Comments

Displaying 25 of 91 comments
  • Apr 19 2009 7:03 AM

    Hey, sending you some new artwork and hope your weekend is indeed grOOvin' my friend!!! Much Luv!! ~Steve

    Prints of my artwork are available at www.artwanted.com/farrartimages
  • Apr 22 2009 6:41 PM

    Hello and Happy Earth Day my friend!! Much Luv!! ~S

    www.artwanted.com/farrartimages
  • Mar 23 2009 4:43 PM

    Hey!! thanks for joining my circle of friends! Feel free to stop by ANYTIME and just drop a line.

    Once again, thanks..

    Lets change the music scene.

    Jeremiah Bonds
    God Bless
  • Tim

    Apr 9 2009 6:34 PM

    Photobucket

    Cheers :)

    Tim
  • Feb 27 2009 7:35 AM

    Just wanted to stop by and say

    GO TO PROFILELUST.COM

    I hope this finds you well and that you

    GO TO PROFILELUST.COM


    Much Love and Many Hugs,
    Esta
  • Sep 25 2008 4:20 AM

    Aww thanks for adding my music profile! Hope you doin alright!
  • Jul 13 2008 11:09 PM

    Way to go on those Los Angeles Times articles, my friend! I'm so glad you are getting so much press! Not just because it helps raise awareness for other unsuspecting patients (or future patients) but because I truely feel your efforts WILL CHANGE this god-awful health care system we all must rely upon! Kudos to you.

    Your wonderful articles make my chessy tabloid-esque spot in CHAT magazine look just like a cheesy tabloid!!! LOL! ANYWAY, I TRUELY ADMIRE YOUR EFFORTS, ALICIA, YOU ARE A WARRIOR INDEED! -Doreen
  • Jul 4 2008 2:20 PM

    Thanks for the request, Alicia! We are delighted to add you as a friend.

  • May 18 2008 8:25 PM

    great week

    Much Love and Many Hugs,
    Esta
  • Apr 18 2008 2:35 PM

    FEEL BETTER
    Notice that the bandage covers his jaw so this bear means business! Hoping today is a better day!
  • Mar 30 2008 4:04 PM

    hey girl! hope everything's going good! :)

    SHOWING SOME LOVE
  • Mar 6 2008 11:52 AM

    Thanks for the comment

    Please have a look at our new web site and tell us what you think

    http://www. thepatientsvoice. org

    Rgds

    Belinda
  • Tim

    Jan 26 2008 3:57 PM

    Hi Alicia!

    I just wanted to thank you for all your work making people aware of this issue.

    It is a problem in America and Europe alike.

    Kindest Regards

    Tim
  • Jan 26 2008 1:01 PM

  • Jan 1 2008 3:52 PM

    My Happy New Year wish for you
    Is for your best year yet,
    A year where life is peaceful,
    And what you want, you get.

    A year in which you cherish
    The past year’s memories,
    And live your life each new day
    Full of bright expectancies.

    I wish for you a holiday
    With happiness galore;
    And when it’s done, I wish you
    Happy New Year, and many more.

    Many Blessings and Hugs
    Esta
  • Jan 1 2008 12:07 AM

    be happy.
    be healthy.
    be prosperous.
    Happy New Year cousin
  • Dec 31 2007 10:33 PM

    Thank you for adding me. I assume it was due to my blog re: MRSA. I'm happy you survived. So many do not. Please keep up your work getting the word out. Please feel free to comment my page whenever you like.
  • Dec 31 2007 7:04 AM

    Have a Great Year Alicia!!! With Lots of Blessings!!!!
  • Dec 26 2007 4:14 PM

    I hope you had a wonderful holiday and wish your whole family the same. I am trying to keep warm. :) I love the updates to your page!
  • Dec 17 2007 6:25 PM

    Thank you so much for being part of a wonderful evening! You know we'll share leftovers together soon. :) I hope your Monday starts the week off right!
  • Dec 5 2007 6:53 PM

    Thank you for always helping me find my strength! You continue you to amaze me each and every day. Sending you good wishes for a great day!
  • Nov 12 2007 9:05 PM

    I took your idea and had some on Saturday. :)
    Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
  • Nov 1 2007 10:33 AM

    myspace comments
    More eComments Hoping you have a blessed day ... your friend, Nellah
  • Oct 31 2007 1:08 PM

    Thanks for the request Alicia! Keep up the good work!

    Ruth
  • Oct 31 2007 8:31 AM

    Thank you!! Today I was told that I don't need Physical Therapy anymore! My determination and unwillingness to accept defeat has brought me to a point where the doctors know that I will go to the gym and do my stretches and make this a non-issue. If anyone is unwilling to do Physical Therapy through all of this, (if they have joints that don't want to stretch,) they are deciding to be disabled for life. If you survive this you are stronger than that. Period.
    “Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.” If people do half of what their therapists tell them to do they will be ahead of the game.
    Congratulations on you success and thank you!