Patient in disbelief over surgery - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

LucyFan · 08-12-2003, 08:02 PM

Here's the story:

Aug. 11 -- After 67-year-old Hurshell Ralls went into surgery for bladder cancer, he came out of surgery missing more than he ever expected. His penis and testicles were gone.

"My wife had to hold my hand in the bed there. And she said 'Honey it's over. They got all the cancer.' And she waited a few minutes and then said 'But they had to remove your penis.' And I was one mad dude, you know," Ralls said on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.

Ralls, a mechanic, says doctors never warned him or his wife that amputation of the penis and testicles might have been part of surgery before he went in for the procedure in November 1999. Ralls filed a negligence lawsuit against the Clinics of North Texas in Wichita Falls, and the doctors who operated on him. The civil case is set for trial Aug. 25.

"It was never even discussed. And I felt like he ought to have at least told us that this might be a possibility so that we could have talked it over even before he was admitted to the hospital," said Thelma Ralls, his wife. In a February deposition, Ralls' doctor said that he determined the cancer had spread to the penis while he was removing Ralls' bladder. Doctors did not send a tissue sample to the lab until after the surgery. A Dallas doctor who examined cell slides later found that Ralls did not have penile cancer.

The Ralls' case may sound outrageous, but for cancer patients across the country, medical errors are something they — and many other hospital patients — face with alarming frequency.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reported in 2001 that 95 percent of doctors have witnessed a major medical mistake, and that many of them involved cancer. When Johns Hopkins reviewed tissue samples from thousands of cancer patients around the country, they found one out of every 71 cases was misdiagnosed.

How would you feel if you were that man?

Czas na Zywiec · 08-12-2003, 08:11 PM

O_O

Hollow · 08-12-2003, 08:16 PM

im hungry.

fr00ti · 08-12-2003, 08:26 PM

Brian · 08-12-2003, 08:27 PM

bandito · 08-12-2003, 08:53 PM

Sexless

TJL · 08-12-2003, 08:59 PM

Yikes. That's a darn shame.

-*Leah*- · 08-12-2003, 09:09 PM

I would sue the doctors too. Poor Man!

Max Whittaker · 08-12-2003, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ~°Sarah°~
im hungry.

How can you be hungry after reading something like that!?

I want to know.... ... ... how does he urinate now?

Poor guy.

If I was the man, I wouldn't have opted for sergury. I would have taken natural treatment. So this wouldn't even be an issue for me!

Rockapella722 · 08-13-2003, 12:15 AM

If I was that man, I'd be more than thrilled. He's now a woman!

Kay Scarpetta · 08-13-2003, 08:34 AM

That's horrible. For the poor guy, I mean.

Tuesday Weld · 08-13-2003, 09:27 AM

How awful.He should sue.

PZelda · 08-13-2003, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Max Whittaker
How can you be hungry after reading something like that!?

I want to know.... ... ... how does he urinate now? Poor guy.

If I was the man, I wouldn't have opted for sergury. I would have taken natural treatment. So this wouldn't even be an issue for me!

I was wondering how he urinates now... I wonder if he has a vagina instead. And if he has to sit down to pee.

Poor guy...

webuster · 08-13-2003, 03:08 PM

We could use this time to come up with our nice sick little double entendres- like those you'd expect on Pee Wee Herman, Austin powers or the Tonight Show.
This is probably what will happen on the news

I bet the guys lawyers will be very 'hard on' the surgeons that did this.

Seriously though- this is a real mess up and he should sue. Surgeons are getting much more careless now- but then everyone is careless now.

I'm also wondering how he'll pee- well I suppose the tube the pee comes out of- that is probably there (though alot shorter) so he probably has like a half vagina- or a vagina wannabe if you wasnt to call it that.

°Bubbly Blonde° · 08-13-2003, 03:11 PM

I feel bad for him and his wife

08-12-2003, 08:02 PM	#1
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	Patient in disbelief over surgery Here's the story: Aug. 11 -- After 67-year-old Hurshell Ralls went into surgery for bladder cancer, he came out of surgery missing more than he ever expected. His penis and testicles were gone. "My wife had to hold my hand in the bed there. And she said 'Honey it's over. They got all the cancer.' And she waited a few minutes and then said 'But they had to remove your penis.' And I was one mad dude, you know," Ralls said on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America. Ralls, a mechanic, says doctors never warned him or his wife that amputation of the penis and testicles might have been part of surgery before he went in for the procedure in November 1999. Ralls filed a negligence lawsuit against the Clinics of North Texas in Wichita Falls, and the doctors who operated on him. The civil case is set for trial Aug. 25. "It was never even discussed. And I felt like he ought to have at least told us that this might be a possibility so that we could have talked it over even before he was admitted to the hospital," said Thelma Ralls, his wife. In a February deposition, Ralls' doctor said that he determined the cancer had spread to the penis while he was removing Ralls' bladder. Doctors did not send a tissue sample to the lab until after the surgery. A Dallas doctor who examined cell slides later found that Ralls did not have penile cancer. The Ralls' case may sound outrageous, but for cancer patients across the country, medical errors are something they — and many other hospital patients — face with alarming frequency. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reported in 2001 that 95 percent of doctors have witnessed a major medical mistake, and that many of them involved cancer. When Johns Hopkins reviewed tissue samples from thousands of cancer patients around the country, they found one out of every 71 cases was misdiagnosed. How would you feel if you were that man?

08-12-2003, 08:26 PM	#4
fr00ti Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 16, 2002 Posts: 12,846
	__________________ ...

08-12-2003, 08:53 PM	#6
bandito Going Topless Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Location: The Steel City Posts: 6,320	Sexless
	__________________ bandito

08-12-2003, 08:59 PM	#7
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	Yikes. That's a darn shame.
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08-12-2003, 09:09 PM	#8
-Leah- Back for More Forum Fanatic Join Date: Jan 15, 2003 Posts: 10,563	I would sue the doctors too. Poor Man!
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08-12-2003, 08:11 PM	#2
Czas na Zywiec what up Forum Star Join Date: Jun 28, 2001 Location: Southwest Side, Chicago Posts: 18,398	O_O

08-12-2003, 08:16 PM	#3
Hollow Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 16, 2001 Posts: 30,406	im hungry.

08-12-2003, 08:27 PM	#5
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451

08-13-2003, 12:15 AM	#10
Rockapella722 .B.A.D.G.E.R. .G.I.R.L. Senior Member Join Date: Oct 28, 2001 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 1,489	If I was that man, I'd be more than thrilled. He's now a woman!
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08-13-2003, 08:34 AM	#11
Kay Scarpetta Defy Gravity 8.26.05 Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 04, 2001 Location: La Vie Boheme Posts: 28,013	That's horrible. For the poor guy, I mean.
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08-13-2003, 09:27 AM	#12
Tuesday Weld I missed you all. hugs Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 02, 2003 Location: Having a great time. Posts: 22,285	How awful.He should sue.
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08-13-2003, 03:08 PM	#14
webuster Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 26, 2002 Posts: 2,150	We could use this time to come up with our nice sick little double entendres- like those you'd expect on Pee Wee Herman, Austin powers or the Tonight Show. This is probably what will happen on the news I bet the guys lawyers will be very 'hard on' the surgeons that did this. Seriously though- this is a real mess up and he should sue. Surgeons are getting much more careless now- but then everyone is careless now. I'm also wondering how he'll pee- well I suppose the tube the pee comes out of- that is probably there (though alot shorter) so he probably has like a half vagina- or a vagina wannabe if you wasnt to call it that.

08-13-2003, 03:11 PM	#15
°Bubbly Blonde° <3 Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 25, 2001 Location: Playboy Mansion Posts: 5,876	I feel bad for him and his wife
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