Gary, Judy and Annie, 2006
(Image by courtesy of Judy White) Details DMCA
JB: Simply unnerving.
JW: Last month when they did a quick check of Gary's eyes, they told him he has cataracts in both eyes and that they plan to .... do NOTHING. The BOPers certainly don't care if Gary dies, so the loss of his sight also means nothing to them.
JB: Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?
JW: I'm afraid not. As you know, the BOP documented in Gary's prison medical record about three years ago that they believe he has prostate cancer, yet they have done nothing whatsoever to address or resolve the problem. As I said, Gary must take prescription medications to treat symptoms, which are unreliably provided. When they have periodically performed blood tests, they won't give Gary the test results without him filing written requests or complaints or, sometimes, the intervention of an attorney, and even then, they have been proven to have lied. One example is when they told Gary verbally that there was no blood in his urine, but when he was finally able to obtain his own test results, the opposite was true. His PSA has risen alarmingly. The BOPers have denied that fact, documented by their own lab test results. Additionally, because of the prostate medications Gary takes, according to the label directions, they are not correctly reading the test results. The directions state that while taking the medication, to get an accurate reading the patient's PSA test level must be doubled because of the effect of the medication making the PSA level show at only half of what the actual level is.
Knowing Gary's PSA is very high is alarming enough, but it is terrifying to know that the blood in his urine is now visible and getting worse. Every medical protocol states that blood in a patient's urine demands further testing. But not for Gary, as the BOP just continues to ignore and demonstrate deliberate indifference to clear and urgent medical problems. Gary and I were discussing the situation last weekend, with renewed and determined efforts to save his life to begin first thing Monday. The truth is that if Gary was not locked away from being able to get competent medical care, the problems never would have progressed to this point, as he would have been seen and treated long ago. If he was not in prison, the blood in his urine would have resulted in a trip to the hospital emergency room, where he would have been admitted for testing and treatment. It is beyond despair that the BOP prefers to make Gary suffer and possibly die, even as we have friends who have had prostate cancer that has been caught early and successfully treated, and they have continued to live full lives.
Before 6:00 Monday morning, the earliest permissible time, Gary was in line to again attempt to get desperately-needed medical care. Along with the other prisoners, he waited. And waited. Around 11:30, they were all told to go away, to return to their housing units or jobs, all unseen and untreated. The prison medical employee - not a medical doctor - who was supposed to screen prisoners seeking medical care had never appeared. As the week has passed without Gary receiving any medical care while continuing to pass increasing amounts of blood, I have e-mailed the prison, the regional and Washington offices pleading for help for Gary. After I had sent a message on Thursday literally begging, Gary was summoned to medical. But rather than receive medical care, the prison medical administrative employee was rather nasty and mean to Gary, telling Gary that he was "busy" and had to stop whatever he was "busy" doing to "answer" my e-mails, then told Gary he had no chance of getting a medical furlough.
Never mind that however "busy" any of them had been, they had not been "busy" providing or securing help for Gary, who has a very urgent need for medical help - an emergency. Never mind federal law and BOP rules and policies. And never mind that I have never e-mailed, called or communicated with that employee in any manner, nor have I ever received an "answer" from him. What he was conveying to Gary was what has been conveyed to both of us since Gary self-surrendered on September 29, 2010 at which time the BOP's medical abuse began, and I began trying to get help to stop the abuse and obtain proper medical care for my husband - they do not want to hear from me, they do not want to hear about abuse of prisoners, and they particularly do not want the public to know how federal prisoners are mistreated, abused, and die from prison employees' withholding of medical care, Eighth Amendment violations, and other acts and omissions that harm prisoners (and their family members).
JB: How beyond frustrating. What can anyone do about this kind of treatment (or the lack thereof, actually)?
JW: I will always remember the BOP regional employee in Atlanta telling me years ago when I was also frightened about Gary's condition and survival because of medical abuse, that "we" - the BOP - "don't want your husband to die; that's a lot of paperwork for us." To the BOP, all Gary is is a number and a lot of paperwork. But to me and our children, Gary is everything. He is a wonderful, kind, loving man, a husband, father, singer, artist, musician. To answer your question - what can anyone do - I suppose the only answer and the only choice we have is whatever it takes. Gary's life is in imminent danger because of years of medical abuse by the BOP, all fully documented, completely known, deliberate, intentional, with foreseeable results. We will not just let Gary die or continue to be harmed without doing whatever it takes to save him.
JB: Thanks so much for talking with me again, Judy. I always appreciate your taking the time to fill us in on that tax dollar sinkhole: our federal prisons.
***
All of this is particularly relevant since Mr. Obama is going to be visiting a federal prison next week, a first for an American president. Presumably, he will get an airbrushed version of prison life, but it's a start. Politico story on this upcoming event.
* Judy White series, in its entirety:
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
4
4
2
