Growing up in Atlanta I always thought that Emory was the best hospital, no longer. I'll try to relay my experience as short as I can since I spent 2 1/2 months in the hospital/rehab facilities. I went to Emory because it is close to my home.

1) Being a teaching hospital every doctors visit along came several interns/students to look over his shoulder. Felt like I was on display at a carnival.

2) They discovered very large thymoma - had successful thymectomy. Great surgeon. After about a week or so they wanted to start me on radiation treatment. When my husband asked what the pathology report said they indicated that they assumed that it was cancerous because of the size. After reading the pathology report, turns out it was not cancerous.

3) Neuro wanted to send me to rehab before the surgeon thought I should go. After a few days in rehab the symptoms of Stiff Person Syndrome started. Neuro didn't know what was happening, the PT doctor diagnosed this.

4) After an act of congress I was transferred back to the hospital where they started mestinon treatment. Thank God my husband stayed with me during that night because he had researched mestinon and knew that they were giving it to me too fast. Some time during the early morning hours I couldn't breath and my lips were turning blue. My lungs were drowning in saliva. Ended up in CCICU being intubated and filled with so many drugs there were seven IV poles by my bed (no lie). I also almost had congestive heart failure and they didn't know if I would survive. Obviously I did.

5) Then they wanted to insert a feeding tube in my stomach because I wasn't eating. Found out a couple of days later that they had pierced my colon and I had emergency colon repair surgery.

6) At one point while still in the hospital, I called the nurses station around 5:00 AM for help to go to the bedside toilet. Assistant and nurse came in, nurse stayed at the door, and assistant helped me. They both left and told me to press the call button on the side of the bed and they would return. Well the button didn't work and it was obvious that no one was going to return. When I finally heard someone in the hall outside my room I started yelling for help.

7) After release from hospital, neuro wanted me to have plasma exchange. After the second treatment, the nurse was removing one of the needles and my blood shot up into her eye. Of course she was not wearing eye protection. On my next visit she wanted my approval to have my blood tested for hepititus C and HIV at the hospital's cost to make sure she wasn't infected.

8) On my last visit to the neuro once out of hospital (went every three months) he coldly told me that there was nothing more that he could do for me and that he couldn't cure me. Boy what a slap in the face.

I am now with a neuro at Piedmont Hospital where I should have gone from the beginning and I am so pleased. I have heard from several people that they would never go to Emory.

Just wanted to give you some of the "highlights" of my experience. Hope you have a better one.

Southern Bell