Hopkins 24/7

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You decide the top 5 questions to ask for a video response by doctors!

After each episode, submit your questions about the show and then “vote up” the ones you want to see answered. The top five questions chosen by all of you will be answered by the doctors with a video response.

Voting Deadline for Episode 5 Q+A: July 28, 2008 at 11:11 pm

• Thank you for the post by "Prior Hopkins RN. Sneha Desai was attempting to place an arterial line (A-line) as previously mentioned. This line not a simple peripheral IV - the artery is actually punctured which is much more painful. Some local anesthetic may be used, but there is still a good amount of discomfort that can not be avoided. Like the previous poster stated, this procedure can be difficult and trainees (students and residents) will sometimes need to try a few times before successful placement. While some (probably a very small minority) may view Ms. Desai's inability to place the A-line in this case as some sort of reflection of her potential as a doctor, I think most would agree it has no bearing what so ever. Besides the necessary "book" knowledge regarding a procedure, all procedures require practice, practice, and more practice, in order to master. World renowned surgeons like Dr. Carson had to master "simple" tasks as knot tying and simple suturing (stitching) as begining medical students.
  
  As a resident, there is a first time for all procedures. The first time I try a procedure, it may not go as smoothly as it would for a more senior resident or attending. Though the patient may be upset with my attempt or the discomfort the procedure caused, I can't let the patient's frustrations stop me from performing my next attempt. I think that is what Ms. Desai was alluding to with her "I can't let the patient piss me off" comment.
  
  Dr. Desai (you were c/o 2008, correct?), good luck with your career.

  Submitted by: Resident Physician, 07/28/2008 23:03:50
• Lisa Miller you are a huge tool and should go back to poking dogs and not tell everyone how cool and awsome you are at inserting needles on a show website (sweet life). Stop commenting on Sneha Desai, its a learning process and thats the reason they decided to include her on the show. You act like doctors and medical professionals just pop out of knowhere without learning, but then again i guess there is an exception for you because you came out of the womb cutting off your own umbilcal cord and inserting IV fluids. That comment you made was truely sad and this is coming from a seventeen year old. Anyways, my question to Sneha Desai: Is there any point in your time being a student that you felt that you had doubts about? I've been around medicine for almost my whole life and have physician parents, which at times gives me an inside view into the downsides of being a medical professional. Is there any advice you can give to people out there who have a passion for science, healthcare, and helping others that would be something you can't see from the show that would perhaps strike down some of our doubts? Either way thank you and don't listen to what some idiot people have to say.

  Submitted by: Sam, 07/28/2008 18:09:30
• My dream is to one day become a physician(anesthesiologists) and dedicate myself to my patients but I also want to have a family and spend time with them. Do you believe that you spend enough time with your family to show them that you'll be there for them no matter what? What is the average time that you spend in the hospital and at home per week? Do you ever regret becoming a doctor?

  Submitted by: Aracely O, 07/28/2008 01:09:57
• I'm applying to the nursing program of my school, and I was wondering if any of the nurses or doctors that have posted here had any helpful hints of what I should take, if there are any programs that I could volunteer for that would be helpful, etc.
  
  Thank you!

  Submitted by: Courtney, 07/28/2008 00:14:20
• Could you guys please do a show on dysautonomia? It is becoming an epidemic and and most have never heard of it! Therefore, many people go years before figuring out what's wrong. I went 2 yrs... (which is minimal compared).The doctors know VERY little about this devastating disease. I am a 16 year-old girl and went to Mayo, where the doctors there only informed us of the stuff found online. Nothing against Mayo...it's a great place. The media needs to shed some light on it and the labs need to do more research. I know SO many people with this. It is so deadly.

  Submitted by: Jessica, 07/27/2008 22:42:46
• After watching the series, it seems to me that there is a two-tier level of care for patients. At teaching hospitals, is there a difference in tier of care for patients that are indigent vs. those that have insurance? It seems patients who are wealthy have more resources available to them, whereas those that are indigent are offered no choice other than to withdraw care.

  Submitted by: William Clark, 07/27/2008 22:02:46
• How do you view the episodes foll screen?

  Submitted by: Mickey Moore, 07/27/2008 21:06:34
• This comment is for Doc Tufaro I am also interested in your dual degree and would love to hear how you arrived at your goal. You have been my favorite phys to watch so far you just ooozzz compassion that's rare today.

  Submitted by: Amanda, 07/27/2008 19:34:28
• What you did to Mya's family (give them false hope after Dr. Ben Carson basically told them that for the most part, Mya had "passed on") was nothing short of cruel and inhumane. Your arrogance in questioning Dr. Carson's approach ("what he said was unfortunate...those would not have been the words I would have chosen") smacks of that competitive arrogance amongst doctors that has given surgery such a bad name. Dr. Fackler (Dr. F*cker really should be your name) what you came close to a medical ethics violation. I was very angry and troubled after viewing that segment of Episode Five.

  Submitted by: Rene B, 07/27/2008 19:22:20
• Dr Tufaro after seeing this last episode with you I just want to say that I found you expertise amazing. I'm like some of the other viewers can you tell us what exactly you had to go through to get to the positon you are now and how old you were when you acutally became a practicing phys. Was Hopkins your first postion?

  Submitted by: Kevin, 07/27/2008 11:12:54
• Is there any chance that this program will continue? This is the best show on television please continue with it. It's fantastic.

  Submitted by: Kim, 07/26/2008 23:57:41
• This is a question for the entire staff--Has there been any thoughts as to adding more episodes? This is a great series!

  Submitted by: fred, 07/26/2008 23:25:33
• I was a little disappointed with the amount of coverage of Dr. Carson. He is a world class pediatric neurosurgeon and more should have been shown about him other than delivering sad news to a family. Also, I noticed in several episodes that a child's parents are allowed to walk them into the operating room and stay with them until they are anesthesized. Is this standard policy for Hopkins or was this done for the TV show and why? I volunteer at a children's hospital and patient's family are not allowed into the ORs. I have been on both sides of the operating table and for numerous reasons feel that parents should not be allowed in the OR.

  Submitted by: Nicole, 07/26/2008 21:25:14
• Dr Tufaro WOW what a story you seem like an amazing guy I am also a older medical student (non traditional) seeking admission to my state school. Can you explain what course you took to get to your position.

  Submitted by: Kim, 07/26/2008 20:37:49
• To Terance: It appears that there is a lot of requests for this show to continue. I think it would be great if you did a series called "Hopkins Profiled".... Create episodes solely focused on specific units ie CCU (Profile Dr.Schulman & Dr.Wittstein), MICU, SICU (Profile Dr.Lipsett & Dr.Efron), WICU (Profile the Nurse Practitioners in this unit), PICU, NICU, ER, Psych, Intermediate Care, Rehab, JHOC etc... show what a day/week is like in each of these specific areas....Maybe even an episode showing where residents end up after they finish their time at Hopkins. I know there are HIPPA hoops to cross, but w/the popularity that this series has generated I think it would be great to focus on specific units the next time. Just an idea.
  
  On another note, the one specialty that this show REALLY leaves out of the picture but yet is vitally important to the success of the surgeons is Anesthesiology. Those guys & gals work really hard & yet their integral part of the picture is so often overlooked. Without them surgeons couldn't do their job, the two specialties really go hand in hand.

  Submitted by: Prior Hopkins RN, 07/26/2008 20:31:08
• I think that Sneha did the best job she could given the circumstance. She could have been dealing with a difficult vein that's really thin or it may have been rolling around. I think her attitude towards that patient my be due to her trying to hide her disappointment that she couldn't do it. Cut her some slack!! People learn more from their mistakes.

  Submitted by: David, 07/26/2008 13:51:51
• Will this continue as a regular series? I LOVE the show!!! Best thing I've seen since Lifeline years ago...in the 80's. Please continue it!!

  Submitted by: Judy Scott, 07/26/2008 12:24:03
• This program is wonderful and my family and I would love to see this show continued for the coming season. It is by and far the best show on TV. It makes watching TV not only enjoyable but educational. Continue the good work. WE can't bare to think of not having it continue. The filming with the Doctors and family is done with sensitivity. EXCELLENT!!!

  Submitted by: Judith Dolan, 07/26/2008 11:40:53
• Dr. Tufaro, I would just like to comment that your story is truly inspiring. As a nontraditional and somewhat older medical school applicant, I am motivated to stay focused on my dream of becoming a physician. I've had numerous people tell me that it can't be done, and your story along with others on "Hopkins" proves anyone with a dream can truly achieve if they have the desire and perseverance.

  Submitted by: Derek, 07/26/2008 11:38:05
• Everyone keeps cutting on Ms.Desai and her inability to place an IV. If you actually are watching the footage and know anything about medicine she is attempting to place an Arterial line so that the pt's BP can be monitored constantly(A-line). This can be a difficult thing to do. I watched many of residents over the years not be successful at first try with this. Attempting to do it with cameras rolling has got to be added pressure as well. It's also very painful (sticking the radial artery) thus the reason why the pt is hurting so much. The med student's attitude is a little arrogant, but I am confident that over time that will change. I watched many med students/residents grow and change over their years. Hopkins is a wonderful institution..... and to the people commenting about the whole African American thing.... so sad... I treated every pt the same, some pt's can definitely be more difficult than others but the respect that nursing there has for ALL pts, well that is something that can't be disputed. Is it hard to care for a pt who's just received multiple gunshot wounds b/c they were trying to shoot someone else? You bet it is, but we still give them the same/best care that all other pt's are given.

  Submitted by: Prior Hopkins RN, 07/26/2008 10:24:32
• Yes, I realize that the ER gets a disproportionate number of behaviorally "difficult" patients, and Miss Desai's female patient needing a second IV was probably one of them. The patient already had one IV, so I can reasonably assume that she was not acutely dehydrated. The patient appeared (even with my lousy TV reception) to be peri-to-postmenopausal, with some loss of subcutaneous fat evident. That means that her veins would be at greater risk of rolling, but much more visible to the unaided eye. the patient wasn't grossly obese; it should have been a fairly routine IV insertion. MOST patients who have "difficult" veins will tell you about it, perhaps even that they have "tiny" or "hard to find" or "brittle" or "tough" veins, because that's what another medical professional said. It pays to ask and to listen, because knowing these things in advance makes finding and sticking a difficult vein easier. I'm neither a medical student or any other sort of medical professional, but I've done my share of phlebotomy in humans and animals, and I learned that even the most nervous patient didn't mind my own nervousness when I promised them that I wouldn't even pick up the needle (or IV catheter) until I found a vein I knew I could hit. I don't believe in "fishing" or "digging", and I never will. I missed exactly two veins in my hundred-odd draws and IV catheter insertions. I called on a far more experienced phlebotomist for exactly two patients, because I didn't feel confident that I'd found an appropriate vein. I NEVER "dug" or fished; I identified the vein and inserted the needle or catheter.
  
  Oh--and the bulk of my draws and sticks were on "difficult" patients: excessively rambunctious large dogs, cats slashing with razor claws, indigent and sometimes mentally ill humans.

  Submitted by: Lisa Miller, 07/26/2008 02:37:50
• Dr. Jallo - Just recently, you took a C2 spine benign tumor out of my brother's neck. I think that it was really special to watcn this episode and see how you are in the OR. But, my question is, What really made you take up in pedicactric Neurosurgery?. And what does it really feel like to have such little lives in your hands ? You saved my brother, and for doing that i cannot thank you enough.

  Submitted by: Josh Olszewski, 07/26/2008 02:26:22
• I've been interested in pediatric surgery since I was in preschool, when I had learned that a friend of mine had received a kidney and liver transplant as an infant. To this day, she lives with a full spirit and a full life. While my interest in practicing surgery has yet to be diminished, I've had some brief second thoughts. It is obviously not a job, but a lifestyle. You are committed to your patients, but is maintaining a family too much to ask for? As I watch this show, I haven't seen many doctors with a stable relationship. While I dream of helping children, I also dream of having a family. On average, how much time do you spend in a hospital per week? Do you feel that, when becoming a surgeon, it is more important to have the brains or the motivation? As I've mentioned before, I am very interested in working with children. When you pick(ed) your direction of medicine, did you choose it according to its demand or your own interest? I've struggled with some of these questions for years, and I hope some of them can be answered. Thanks for showing the real deal when it comes to working as a surgeon! I hope you continue the show.

  Submitted by: Veronica, 07/26/2008 01:10:15
• Come on people - remember this is edited footage and some comments may be taken out of context.
  In defense of Ms. Desai - there are many reasons that a blood draw can be difficult, one being dehydration. Veins can roll. Some people just have a bad entry site. As for the pain? Some have a higher tolerance others not so much and some patients are just more dramatic (which the camera loves). Having been on the receiving end of more than one difficult draw - it come at any time - even at a blood drive and I never cried, cursed or screamed........

  Submitted by: CC, 07/26/2008 00:29:19
• Can this show come back during the fall season? I know there are thousands of hours of footage. It would be great to have deeper profiles on many of the doctors.

  Submitted by: Susan, 07/25/2008 23:26:09
• I just hope this show doesn't give med students and teaching hospitals a bad name. Working with patients as a medical student is a near-holy privilege. I think that Desai was probably pissed and frustrated at herself and not at the patient. I am also a medical student and I feel horrible whenever I cause any of my patients pain, even when its expected ie. suturing, blood draws. If we get ridiculed/scorned by patients, it usually just embarrasses us. I guess am lucky so far not to have had any frustrating or upsetting experiences with patients. I still remember and offer thanks to a gentleman that needed and ABG late one call night, which I got 4 art sticks later (ouch!), but he didn't peep once. I learned how to draw arterial blood it that night and so every ABG I draw for the rest of my career, I owe to him. Thanks!

  Submitted by: Melissa Baker, 07/25/2008 22:47:51
• I think you are great DR. Tufaro I was wondering if you could tell me how old you were when you entered med school and what path you took post bac program? How long to complete all of your training etc.

  Submitted by: Kate, 07/25/2008 22:03:06
• I just watched the episode with 9 yr old Mya. I know towards the end they mentioned the family decided to take little Mya off life support. Did she eventually pass away?

  Submitted by: Terri, 07/25/2008 21:58:41
• Comment for the foul mouth James Fackler who doesn't even deserve to be called DR. You may want to consider another profession like working at a collection agency or somewhere that personality and compassion are not a virtue. I'm sure you wish you were half the phys DR. Ben Carson was

  Submitted by: Heather, 07/25/2008 18:49:23
• James Fackler-
  Seriously? "It is my opinion we should just let the child die," is one of the most cruel, insensitive, and completely abhorrent things I have ever heard uttered from someone's mouth. You are not only a disgrace to your profession, but to the entire human race. I hope your license is revoked.

  Submitted by: britt, 07/25/2008 18:08:29
• ABC Will you PLEASE continue this show?????????

  Submitted by: Jodi, 07/25/2008 17:42:21
• It is not really a question but a statement. I do not think that you protrayed Dr. Carson is a good light at all. He is the number one pediatric neurosurgeon in the country, possibly the world and the only thing that you showed about he was that he told the parents an incomplete truth. He deserves so much more than that.

  Submitted by: Karen, 07/25/2008 16:49:46
• The medical student, Ms. Desai, appears to have quite an ego for someone who has not earned her medical degree yet. She commented that a patient was trying to "piss" her off. I wish one of the supervising doctors had told Ms. Desai that it is her job to serve the patient, not the reverse with the patient serving her as a learning tool. The inexperience and lack of humility in many of the younger med students and younger doctors is a striking contrast to the wisdom and compassion of the older, more experienced doctors like Dr. Ben Carson and Dr. Tufaro.

  Submitted by: Maggie, 07/25/2008 15:34:17
• It seems to me that African-American or indigent patients are "experimented on" at Johns Hopkins in that it is often the medical student or resident that cares for the patient. On the other hand, if it is a Caucasian patient, it is the attending doctor who cares for the patient. Is this something that occurs at all teaching hopsitals?

  Submitted by: William Clark, 07/25/2008 14:51:41
• Why is it that almost everyone who is African American dies when they come to Hopkins for medical attention?
  I understand that the situations chosen may just be the most "dramatic" but come on...
  I also wonder why the overall attitude of the staff changes so drastically (for the worse) when working with these particular patients? I am a bit disappointed.

  Submitted by: Chanel, 07/25/2008 14:22:50
• As a young student just now applying to medical school I have to say that this show is quite possibly the best thing on television. I would like to know how you all deal with the angry comments? I understand that becoming a doctor takes quite a bit of work and between the long hours and dealing with death and severe injury on a regular basis is very stressful. Everyone needs to realize that humor is a major way doctors cope with these situations and sometimes develop a blunt nature because they find it is the best way to deal with these situations. The only problem I see with this show is that many people who do not understand what goes on away from the patients eyes in the hospital will somehow think that because doctors act this way that they don't care or empathize with the patients. Great Show! I wish it was on for a lot longer than just 6 episodes.

  Submitted by: Jason Talmadge, 07/25/2008 13:38:44
• Sincere apologies to Dr Desai - It was clearly Dr. Fackler I referred to in my recent question.

  Submitted by: M. Cunningham, 07/25/2008 13:19:54
• My question is how did this guy ever get a job at St. Johns Hopkins Hospital?? Didn't catch the quick name shown on the bottom of the screen, I think it was Dr. Desai - his photo is first on this q&a page - I was outraged at his comment "in my opinion we should just let the child die." He should NEVER, never be allowed to view or practice HIS opinion. Thank goodness the other doctors disregarded his opinion and look what happened to the little boy - he ended up with a NEW heart and WALKED out of the hospital in just a few days. This guy should be in a lab somewhere - somewhere he has NO patient contact ! He obviously does NOT need to be a doctor, I wouldn't take my worst enemies dog to him. Seriously, hope he has a major change of opinion about life.

  Submitted by: M. Cunningham, 07/25/2008 12:10:04
• After training at Hopkins, one realizes this is not a place that breeds humility. I think this is apparent through Sneha Desai's comment. Were it not for the patient, we would not be there. I have a gut feeling that Dr. Fackler is more compassionate than we are led to believe based on the snippets of his interaction shown on the program. Good program.

  Submitted by: Joe, 07/25/2008 12:00:14
• I watched Hopkins last night for the second time. I cannot get this show out of my head. It is one of the best shows I have ever watched on television. Glimpsing into the private lives of the Drs. helps us all to realize they they are just human like anyone else. Don't stop that. The bantering, the mimicking, their occasional fallibility makes this show real. My question..Did I miss? What type of tumor does Tom have and is it malignent?

  Submitted by: Cynthia, 07/25/2008 11:53:36
• Why would one question Dr. Desai's empathy? Unless you are a medical student or a doctor you have no idea of how frustrating things can sometimes be. Attendings and residents expect you to do procedures and patients sometimes want nothing to do with you. As a medical student you are there to learn. Patients in teaching hospitals will often get a medical student doing procedures on them with residents watching and guiding them. There is a lot of pressure on a medical student, they do not want to hurt the patient (who may be crying, moving around or yelling etc, etc.), they want to get it done right the first time and they have their mentors watching them. Unless you have been in this position please do not pass judgement on medical students or residents

  Submitted by: Pj, 07/25/2008 11:43:42
• 1) Why is everyone calling that girl "Dr. Desai"? She's not a Dr., she's a medical student.
  
  2) Cut her some slack she's just trying to learn, and students at Hopkins are usually good at everything so it makes sense that they get pretty shaken up when they actually realize they aren't good at some things

  Submitted by: John, 07/25/2008 11:43:25
• RE: Maya. Why was the camera not turned away or turned off at the moment the parents were told their daughter was brain dead? I felt sympathy, of course, for their plight, but more strongly felt that I was intruding into their lives and their grief, and in so doing, being disrespectful. After realizing the family could have requested the camera be turned off, I contintued watching to find out what happened to that child and how her family dealt with the decision that had to be made. How is the family doing now? Thank you for the best show on TV.

  Submitted by: Florance , 07/25/2008 11:29:41
• Have you ever thought of doing a "wrap up" episode for all the patients pictured in these riveting episodes? Revisiting where they are now?
  Do you have enough film to make a go of a few more stories - this is the fastest hour on TV...... bravo.
  Thank you for showing both sides of the hospital community - what it takes, what is asked and what we could only imagine.
  Big thank you to all of the JH staff for their exposure.
  We are all human!

  Submitted by: CC, 07/25/2008 10:47:24
• Dr. Jallo - How on earth do you deal with parents of a child who choose to put off treatment for so long in a case such as this?
  I know with the scans now available, the rate of growth and spread must have been obvious. Would earlier treatment and chemo have made a difference in his current medical emergency? I was captivated, frustrated, and awed all in one.
  Thank you.
  

  Submitted by: CC, 07/25/2008 10:32:14
• Dr. Desai...are you going to go into research? hope so as you don't appear to have one shred of empathy. You sure fit the unfortunate stereotype. Shame on you.

  Submitted by: laurie beyoghlow, 07/25/2008 09:50:09
• I watched Hopkins for the first time last night (7/24) and I totally agree about the IV incident. No one wants to deal with that crap when they are sick and in pain. Also, why are doctors allowed to "mock" patients on camera? The man who got the brick in the face and his motorcycle stolen was probably in shock and in a lot of pain as well as really pissed off, and we have a doctor mocking him to other staff and a nurse telling him to be quiet.This is also my last time of watching this show.

  Submitted by: Maryanne Heinrich, 07/25/2008 09:26:22
• I wish to second Kim's comments regarding Dr. Desai's behavior when trying to start the IV. I had the exact same experience in 2006 just prior to my knee replacement surgery. I was very happy to undergo this procedure and I went from total calm to tears in 1 minute due to the inexperience of a nurse in the preop area. This woman refused to get another person to start my IV and caused me a great deal of pain. Shame on you Dr. Desai for your callous attitude and your thought that it was all about you and not about the patient!

  Submitted by: Susan, 07/25/2008 08:42:23
• I was just curious what most parents/loved ones think about the cameras being in their face all the time. I know that if I was in that type of situation I wouldn't want them there.
  
  I have a comment to make. It seams like this show is becoming more like one of the MTV Real World, Road Rule shows. It shows so much personal depth into the lives of the doctors/nurses. It's almost kind of sick after a while. I would like to see more of what is happening with the patient then the lives of the doctors/nurses. Granted a little is good because you get a good sense of who they are, but they deffinitly over do it in this show.
  
  Granted I will continue to watch it, and hope to look forward to it every thursday night. But enough with so much outside of the hospital drama with the doctors and nurses. It's about patients in need and what you have to do in order to save their lives and take care of the family.

  Submitted by: Laurie, 07/25/2008 08:33:35
• A CRY FOR HELP! I'M SO LOST! MY HUSBAND AND I HAS ONLY BEEN MARRIED A LITTLE OVER A YEAR 6/16 LONG STORY SHORT MY HUSBAND HAS A "AVM" WHICH HE'S KNOWN ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS. LATE JANUARY 08 HE WAS EXPERIECING MANY PROBLEMS. HE WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PENN HOSPITAL ON FEB. 08. THE DOCTOR INFORMED HIM THAT A VESSEL WAS DETACTING ITSELF FROM THE "AVM" AND WAS LEAKING. WE QUESTIONED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. HE REPLIED NO AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SURGEON FOR 3 WEEKS LATER. A WEEK AND A HALF LATER HE HEMORRHAGED. THEN WEEKS LATER SUFFERED ANOTHER BUT DIFFERENT HEMORRHAGE. SINCE THEN I/WE HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO AND NOT TO DO. THERE'S SO MUCH MORE.... PLEASE HELP!!!!

  Submitted by: Valerie Huster, 07/25/2008 05:08:23
• Is there any way that this show can stay on for a regular season? It is by far the best thing on television. Thank you for opening up your professional lives for viewers. It is so interesting, compelling, intelligent and captivating! Thanks for all your amazing work!

  Submitted by: Allison, 07/25/2008 04:15:24
• How long did Thomas' parents wait until they allowed him to have surgery? How much larger did the tumor grow in the meantime?

  Submitted by: Madeline, 07/25/2008 03:52:03
• How long after someone contracts HIV will it show up in a blood test?

  Submitted by: Dennis Kelly, 07/25/2008 02:57:18
• How long after someone contracts HIV will it show up in a blood test?

  Submitted by: Dennis Kelly, 07/25/2008 02:54:28
• On 07/24/08. I was quite concerned about the little girl that was in the swimming pool and her lungs was filled with water. Did she die? I missed that epiosode? When will this one air?

  Submitted by: helene, 07/25/2008 02:41:50
• In the era of nosocomial infections, why is your medical student only wearing sterile gloves and a mask to put in an arterial line? Should the area have not been draped? Should she have not been wearing a sterile gown?

  Submitted by: Kelly Robillard, 07/25/2008 02:01:03
• what type of cancer had emre had?

  Submitted by: abby, 07/25/2008 00:31:31
• Was Mya's families lives improved by the airing of this episode? Did they get any money for their new child's care or education? Is there anything viewers can do to help?
  
  If not, shame on you, because somebody is profiting from it. After watching that episode, determined that there would be a miracle or why on god's earth would you put that on television, I had at least a half-hour sob. My heart is broken. I will never watch another second of this show again.

  Submitted by: Audrey Crane, 07/25/2008 00:09:59
• There is a video on this site in which Dr. Fackler provides the context for the quotes he made in Episode 4 that led to some controversy regarding Peyton's care.

  Submitted by: Terence Wrong, 07/25/2008 00:02:09
• Was Mya's family approached about organ donation? Having been in a similar situation, donating our son's organs helped us greatly in dealing with our grief and made some good come from such a tragic loss.

  Submitted by: Debby, 07/24/2008 23:55:38
• Dr. Fackler,
  
  In the episode with Peyton, you're seen with another doctor debating the possible outcome of Peyton's condition (life or death). You very bluntly said that if there was scarring on his heart, then he should be allowed to die. In this episode, you believe that the previous doctor was not blunt enough with explaining that while Mya is "alive/breathing," she is essentially a vegetable as she will never recover any higher brain functions (or any brain stem function). Do patients and colleagues see your actions/communication style as being cold? Or do most people appreciate your bluntness/clarity? Having personally experienced both styles of communication (breaking bad news gently and bluntly), I found the "gentler" approach confusing as I only "heard" the parts I wanted to hear. So this is in no way a criticism of your speaking style. Although after watching one of the doctors tear into his medical students in this episode, I realize most doctors have a thick skin.
  
  

  Submitted by: illiniwu, 07/24/2008 23:47:30
• Unfortunately, the elderly gentleman in Episode 4 passed away. Regarding Mya, after further tests showed almost no brain activity whatsover, her family did eventually decide that disconnecting life support was what they needed to do.

  Submitted by: Terence Wrong, 07/24/2008 23:41:58
• I was extremely moved by the story of Maya's. It was very unfortunate that her life ended that way. What I was more moved by was the lack of compassion and the brash 'bedside manor' of Dr. Fackler. What type of sensitivity training do doctors at Hopkins regularly attend and is it ongoing? Though Dr. Fackler did not agree with what Dr. Carson told Maya's parents, he did so (at least on TV) with more compassion that did Dr. Fackler. It is a well known fact that is more about how a message is said rather than what is exactly stated that sends the true meaning of the message.

  Submitted by: K.Henry, 07/24/2008 23:35:22
• what did happened to dear little
  Mya ?

  Submitted by: anne barnier , 07/24/2008 23:32:43
• After seeing the heart wrenching story about Mya, I couldn't help but think what decision I would have made if that was one day my own child. I was left with a puzzle of confusion of the differences in brain function. I know there is, being brain dead, having partial or little brain function, and having full brain function. From what I thought I understood, patients in the past have had partial brain function and with time for the brain to heal, either being in a medically induced coma or unconscious, have made a full or nearly full recovery. Obviously if completely no brain function I understood there is no hope, however I am terrified of the fact I don't know at what point there is and isn't hope with partial brain function. Medically how do you know and what point that there can be no recovery made in the ability for the brain to function and/or what level of function will be left? Also is this judgement always 100 percent correct or can the brain recover when thought not to? I'm so confused at something that is so crucial, I feel, to understand. =/

  Submitted by: Katie, 07/24/2008 23:26:57
• Did Mya's Mom go on to successfully deliver her baby? If so, what did she have? More importantly, ... how is Mya's family?

  Submitted by: Chris, 07/24/2008 23:19:39
• There is no closed caption on video responses and I can't hear them. Can someone tell me what happened to the old man in episode 4 that fell? Thanks

  Submitted by: Laura, 07/24/2008 23:17:52
• I believe I seen Dr. Londner working at Lansdowne ER in Loudoun County because I transport to that hospital a lot. Is this true?

  Submitted by: Beth, 07/24/2008 23:06:44
• What eventually happend to Mya the young girl in the pool

  Submitted by: Robin, 07/24/2008 23:03:54
• Why would you question Dr. Carson's answer to the family of Mya, when he told them the same thing you ended saying with less feeling. They understood from him that she wasn't going to make it. but your'e comment about doing all you can to save her was not the right answer because that was when they decided to find a way to keep her with through 24/7 care.

  Submitted by: Donna Burroughs, 07/24/2008 23:02:44
• Dr. Desai,
  
  Do you really believe that the patient (needle) was trying to piss you off? Do you have empathy for your patients pain? If not, why are you becoming a doctor?

  Submitted by: kim, 07/24/2008 22:25:58

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