“If I perform surgery on you and don’t find anything wrong, I am going to be very angry with you!” said a surgeon as he leaned over me while I lay in agonizing pain on a stretcher in the emergency room. All I remember is being very confused and wondering why he would say that to me. I had had this pain on and off for three years. Each time it was stronger and lasted longer. Tests were done; I was referred to specialists and was in an emergency room previously because of the same pain. Each time I received a strange look. I was even told, “It’s all in your head!”

But this time, the doctor admitted me to the hospital. I lay in bed for nearly two days with no pain medication, no water, and no food. “In case they had to take me to surgery”, was the explanation. On the third day, my abdomen rebounded and I was finally taken to surgery.

They found a cyst had caused one of my ovaries to twist, letting blood into the ovary but not letting it out. Over the three years, the cyst had grown to the size of my fist. This time the ovary remained twisted, became engorged with blood, and was about to rupture—causing the rebound response.

This missed diagnosis was the beginning of a long story and the first medical error. I experienced complications, nearly died, and have permanent damage due to the complications due to a second medical error. I will tell the rest of the story later in the book, to illustrate important points. What qualifies me to write this book and develop the guidelines and forms in it? If experience is the best teacher, I have had plenty to learn from, positive and negative, as a patient and as a patient advocate for others…

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To read more Click To Download “Meet The Author” Chapter Three

Click here for biography and a list of affiliations

Based on Margo’s experience as a patient, medical background and work experiences, she can help you learn how to make sense of family medical history and how to have better chronic disease management.  And based on her experience as a patient advocate she can help you learn how to better care for parent or other loved ones.

Page Last Updated February 22, 2011