I’ve run into various failures of our healthcare system, sometimes for reasons I still do not understand.

In October of 2014, I entered Lutheran Hospital with chest pains. As a large black man, I would have thought that would naturally have thought this could be serious. As soon as I finished registering, filling out forms with personal information, suddenly three security guards appeared and ushered me out. There was no conversation, no explanation. They just made it clear I was not welcome. It was 3 a.m. 

I took two buses, the 22 then the 75 to get to Fairview General, another Cleveland Clinic facility. There I was seen by a doctor, diagnosed with acute bronchitis and prescribed antibiotics. It took a week to convalesce. Why the different treatment?  I have no idea but what if I didn’t have the bus fare?

In August of 2015 I entered the ER of University Hospital. I went there wanting a physical exam because I just felt so sick. Instead I got a psychiatric one with a diagnosis that everything was OK. That is kind of funny as University has me in their system as being bi-polar. In fact, I believe I began having a bi-polar episode because I was so upset with their treatment that as I was on a bus leaving, something easily triggered a fight with someone on that bus. That got me incarcerated for a year.

Some time later I found myself at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, a hospital for which I really do not care for. With their diagnosis of bi-polar they preceded to over medicate me with 4 pills of depakote. 4 of these will just put you in la la land and that is exactly what happened. When I got home, somehow I was motivated to pull a fire alarm. I was just that discombobulated. Arrested in Bedford, tried in Bedford, I spent 43 days in a county lockup. 

So what is the meaning of all this? Three hospital experiences-all bad. For one thing, it is so easy for these institutions to diagnose mental problems and then, basically all bets are off. Whatever happens, they can always blame the patient’s condition 

I wonder what would have happened in any of these scenarios if I had money and really good insurance?