Costly diagnosis

Since Nov. 22 of last year, I have been taking two triple antibiotic drugs twice daily at a cost to me of $522 a month. This amount reflects a $99 discount from my prescription card issued by the American Association of Retired Persons. The money comes out of my pocket. I am told I will have to take these drugs for 12 to 18 months at least, possibly for life. My diagnosis? Bone infection (osteomyelitis) from an operation in an area hospital last year.

A recent newspaper article disclosed the sale of a Rhode Island mansion for a record-breaking $10.85 million, plus an adjoining nine-acre property for an additional $2.8 million, to the chief executive officer of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, who bought it for a vacation home. I thought they needed money for research. It is unconscionable that drug companies are allowed to advertise products that must be prescribed by a physician.

When I was operated on again last November, I was full of staph infection; They couldn’t sew me up. I had to heal from inside out. I am told staph is everywhere, but it should not be in an operating room. Causes include insufficient sterilization of instruments, improper washing of hands and a sneeze. Results include many deaths. Staph infections must be documented to alleviate this situation. If our operating rooms aren’t sterile, God help us all. Barbara L. Haskell Howland