Need quick medical/legal advice.

[Smarmie Doofus]

19. Good questions, all.

Tests: AFAIK, just a cat scan so far. They've put off colonoscopy for 6 weeks as scan indicates a perforation or tear in colon which would be exacerbated by the stretching and bloating involved in colonoscopy.

There IS an infection now. Treating it w. antibiotics. (Which may be exacerbating the diarrehea.... the immediate problem .)

Severe pain has subsided w. the anti-bio treatment and he's off the morphine drip. He can walk to the bathroom ( 10 feet away) w.o too much difficulty now.

Long term options as explained to him are pretty much identical to what you say. No one mentioned 6 week stay in skilled facility. ( Nor will I, frankly. I'm too young to die.)

I believe they're prescribing 6 weeks of low-fiber diet plus continued anti-biotic regimen to eliminate infection. Then the colonoscopy to confirm what they already suspect and then the knife. ( This is HIS understanding of their explanation to HIM.)

Does that part make sense to you?

Again.... the overriding concern is: he really is not going to ever be able to pay this hospital for this kind of extensive treatment. And they MUST realize that. So.... is he really being given the best available medical advice?