Health Horror Stories
"These stories of health abuse are not independently verified by the editors of this website. However, all of the women have agreed to a HIPPA release to any qualified attorney willing to take their case, or to an investigative reporter from the media."
I was hooked up to a broken EKG machine during my heart attack!
Dateline Santa Maria: This is L.B.’s story, corroborated by her daughter.
“I am a 50-year-old woman with a history of hypertension. In the last 2 years at Santa Maria, I have struggled with Medical to get my blood pressure under control. My everyday range, with medication, is 188-195 over 92-114.
In 2014 I had a full hysterectomy which exacerbated my blood pressure because of lack of estrogen. I was prescribed estrogen following surgery. Recently, I was running out and was unable to get more, even though the Rx showed approved refills. The computer system would not renew it. [See story about the outdated computer system here.]
While I was waiting for the computer to release my estrogen Rx, the provider substituted clonidine, an anti-hypertensive used to curb hot flashes. This drug has a “rebound” effect and stopping it increases blood pressure.
After 4 days without proper meds, I felt my cheeks turn numb, and my chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. I was at work in the education room when I rose to get help. My daughter saw me clutch my chest and left arm as I collapsed on the floor.
When I woke up I was hooked up to a machine and oxygen was being administered. I recall a nurse on the phone telling someone “Yes, she is in tachycardia, and her oxygen level is 60.” When the provider saw that, he cranked up the O2 machine to max. At some point, I remember throwing up.
Mr. R (the provider) looked at my EKG tape and concluded I was NOT having a heart attack. He told me this episode was probably just stress and anxiety, combined with being without estrogen. I was prescribed an anti-nausea pill and 3-days bed rest.
In the seven days after this event, medical never once followed up to take my blood pressure. Another week went by, still with no blood pressure monitoring. I confronted Mr. R on his way home on a Friday and he told me that he’d left instructions for B/P reading and to go tell the nurse to take my reading throughout the weekend. Not only was my B/P dangerously high, but my resting heart rate was in the 112-137 range.
When I finally saw Mr. R again, we reviewed the EKG tapes from August 27 and noticed that the tape had “LV5 error – normal” printed on it. So he had me tested again, even though I felt no symptoms. The EKG spit out another LV5 error. Mr.R googled it and learned that it indicates “connections or leads damaged or broken.”
He yelled for Nurse F, who actually laughed and said, “Oh, that old thing doesn’t work. It’s busted. The new EKG machine is still in the box.” The staff had no idea they had been using a broken machine.
I have 5 more years before my release date, but I think they will kill me before then.”
They Said I was Faking My Broken Leg – by D.M.
Dateline Lumley: A 62-year-old woman wrote, “I fell down the stairs and my leg really, really hurt. Because I have a high tolerance for pain I thought it was just bruised. I refused initial treatment because I couldn’t afford the $4.00 to see medical.
The pain got worse instead of better. I finally had to ask the yard officers to take me to medical. They informed me that I was “faking it.” I submitted an emergency HNR and was taken to X-ray. The moment the X-ray was developed that called 911 because my femur was broken in two places.
You Wouldn’t Wish it on a Dog – Sold
In the good old summertime…
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I was in prison for 17years and have seen so many people die in front of me It’s traumatic and I have PTSD from it. Medical never helped me for my heart problems, never took tests, just told me I have congested heart failure and didn’t do anything for me. I saw it every day. They never helped us, made us always feel like we were lying and would send us away. Making people work in the kitchen who have scoliosis, heart problems, people who have AIDS and Hep C as well as other STDs. There’s rat poop on our kitchen food, birds all over our trays that we eat off of making us all even sicker, black mold everywhere. We can’t breathe in our cells due to all the mold and crud in our walls, vents, and coolers. They are trying to kill us – they don’t care and the money they get for us does not go to us. There is so much more.
I’ve been sexually attacked by the CO police officers twice. I have my whole life to account for in there and I’m surprised I made it out after 17years. They have medium inmates on max yards getting assaulted and they don’t care. They say it is due to no room. They also send you to max yard as punishment without ever getting tickets. It’s all retaliation. They will ruin your life if you don’t do what they want. They make up lies, yep the sergeants, if you refuse to work because you don’t feel good. I heard a Sergeant say “Oh you’re going to hurt yourself” then cuff her up and put her in isolation when the girl never said it. I’ve seen it all, believe that.
Hi Cynthia! I’m not sure if you’ll see this but I am so sorry for what you went through. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your story. I would love to ask you questions as I am exploring ideas for my doctoral capstone and am interested in issues in the AZ Women’s Prison. Is there any way we could talk further?
That was my friend 😭 she was cool ag and funny. I feel bad I had to leave San Carlos for Cruz. But fck their medical center, the whole prison is fucked up and corrupted. I’ve been out for 8 months now and I still remember everything like yesterday especially with health care. Like can the prison do an upgrade and fix their shit or will more ppl have to die like my friend here? It’s fucked up because I knew she was having a hard time in the beginning getting her shots. We both came from the same county. She wasn’t even a criminal like person. She was fun, bright and very smart, like she could’ve went to college. She had alot planned for herself…damn I love Jowell thank for the laughs and being a loyal friend. Rest in Paradise
Yeah, she was a very cool person to know. She would hug you when she saw you with a big smile. She was always cool to everyone, no hate or anger in her heart but she probably did towards ADOC health employees
I was incarcerated for 9 years and just released March 2024. In 2019, my stomach swelled up and I looked 9 months pregnant. They told me I had impacted stool and had me drink a laxative. The pain got worse, I couldn’t breath or walk and this went on for 2 months. My family contacted the ACLU and prison and finally in February 2020 I was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian cancer. I was in the hospital for 10 days and started chemo. I went back to the prison and was expecting chemo every 3 weeks. It took over a 3 weeks for me to get scheduled for my next chemo. In May, I had just came back from chemo and was told I was packing up and being sent to San Carlos. I had to load and unload all of my belongings after a day of chemo and was being transferred to a yard with 1300 women. I then had surgery to remove the cancer in July and once released from the hospital was sent to Maria and put in a cell, by myself with no A/C. I had to move everything by myself and carry a chair out to take a shower. I had an incision from belly button to my pubic bone. Finally after 2 weeks, I was sent back to Carlos. I was told later that I had peritoneal cancer and not ovarian, after I had had a complete hysterectomy. I never had a follow up PET scan to make sure the cancer was gone. In March of 2023, I started seeing a new oncologist, Dr. Benjamin and he finally ordered a PET scan and saw that I had cancer again in the same area of my stomach. I had surgery again in May and started six rounds of chemo. Between the medical Dr’s John and Johnson my medical treatment at the prison was horrible. They didn’t give me anything but Tylenol and Excedrin for the pain and I had to fight to get an extra mattress and extra milk for protein shakes. If I didn’t have my family to support me and stand up for me I would have died. I applied for clemency 2 times and because I wasn’t dying in 3 months, I was refused. Something needs to change with the health system and prison.