From Dragonfly: Looking Out for South

I've mentioned the medical care and South before, but I have to write about this morning's reality. South has continued to have breathing issues. She has gone to sick call three times. They keep just sending her back to the unit with no real answers. This morning, I saw her by the bathrooms, literally about to pass out. I grabbed a chair and sat her down. She had tears in her eyes. She has NEVER cried before - not even when missing her family. She is a strong woman who tries not to show emotions. But this morning, the tears came. She told me that she is "just done." She had severely labored breathing and had been up since 3:30am without the ability to breath easily. She used a nebulizer and her inhaler, but neither was helping. I went to the C.O. on duty and asked him to help. I wanted to be able to take her to the medical clinic.

He said, "again?!?!" looking really annoyed. Since South keeps having this breathing trouble, he now thinks that South is trouble and FAKING! I can tell you, she is NOT FAKING. The woman went from being a strong, capable woman to frail  and ghostly within just the last two weeks. Each time we've taken her to the clinic, they spend some time observing her, see that her oxygen is falling into the 80's and her blood pressure is high, but then send her back to the unit. She had to borrow oxygen and a nebulizer.

The C.O. then turned to me and asked me, "what does she want? does she want to be moved? no one needs this much help - especially if they keep sending her back..." blah, blah, blah. I just looked at him and said, "I am not a doctor, but she can't breath. I just want to help her." He did not. He called the Physician's Assistant on duty and told him, "it's her again... she says she can't breath well... I think something else is wrong with her... she just keeps complaining..." I couldn't believe my ears. We are in a MEDICAL FACILITY. People here are sick, some are sick and the doctors are not giving them the right medications or they have flare ups. To see the staff here acting so callous just makes me sick. One woman died from negligence last week. But, this time, it's South.

I had to go to ANOTHER unit to beg for a wheel chair to take South to the clinic. Our C.O. would not help. Thank god the other C.O. took her/us seriously. South waited 15 minutes in the clinic before someone took her in the back to the observation room. At that point, I had to return the wheelchair to the unit I borrowed it from and then go to work (I will get written up if I am late, even if it was to help another inmate).

I just saw Star and another inmate in line for lunch. They said that South is back in our unit and on 24 hour oxygen now. She also has a walker with a seat. I'm glad they are doing something for her. They are also getting fluid out of her lungs somehow. It shouldn't have taken so long to help her, but I hope this all works. I pray that tomorrow morning I do not have to face my C.O. again. So disrespectful! We may be at a medical center, but people will do anything to avoid being seen medically here. I'm just going to put my prayers toward South and hope that she feels better soon. I'm afraid what will happen if her health continues to decrease.