On a chilly January morning, anesthesiologist Dr. Jenna Reiner made her
daily drive to St. Augustine hospital, completely unaware that her life
was about to change forever. One of the surgical technicians in her
hospital has been stealing syringes, and infecting patients with
hepatitis C. The battle against the thieving surgical technician was
only the beginning. Jenna Reiner was about to begin the fight of her
life – the fight for her reputation, her pride, and her sanity.
Beautifully composed, and inspired by real-life events, It’s Nothing
Personal is a riveting, suspenseful, and emotional thriller that tells
the story of faith and fortitude when an innocent woman finds herself
surrounded by corruption and greed.
My Story
By
Kate O’Reilley
It
was a cold winter day in 2009 when my life changed forever, however, it
would be months before I figured that out. On that fateful day, a
drug-addicted surgical scrub tech assigned to my operating room
purportedly stole syringes of fentanyl, a potent intravenous narcotic,
from my anesthesia cart. According to news reports, investigative
summaries, and the scrub tech’s confession, once she took the syringes,
she used them on herself.
It’s
hard to fathom, but that’s not even the really sick and twisted part to
this tale. The scrub tech had hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that
attacks and, sometimes, destroys the liver. She knew she was positive
for the virus. Yet, after injecting herself with a drug that was
intended for a vulnerable and innocent patient, she chose to refill the
syringe, with saline and replace it in my cart. The syringe was
contaminated.
There
was no way I could have known that she had tampered with my drugs. The
syringes were in the same place where I left them, and both fentanyl
and saline look identical. So, on that unfortunate day, I allegedly
injected a mixture of saline and hepatitis C into my patient’s
bloodstream, instead of a painkiller.
The
following summer, the story made local and national headlines. At
least 5,000 patients were at risk for having been exposed to the virus.
Every anesthesiologist in my group secretly prayed that they weren’t
involved. I too selfishly hoped that the fiasco would involve somebody
else – anybody else – besides me.
A
few months later, I received notice that I was being sued, along with
the hospital. The ensuing two years was by far the most painful,
mortifying, demoralizing, and caustic event of my life. Of course I
grieved for the patient, but I had to do so in silence because any
discussion of the event was forbidden, on the advice of my attorneys.
Never before would I have imagined the depths of shame, guilt, and
self-doubt that I was capable of inflicting upon myself.
As
the malpractice case evolved, the patient’s lawyers got nastier and
greedier. My initial feelings of compassion and empathy dissolved into
rage and betrayal. I suffered through an eight-hour deposition with
hostile attorneys where I was belittled, ridiculed, verbally abused, and
intimidated.
Months
later, I was emotionally beaten down, and I made the painful decision
to settle. At that point, it was no longer about right versus wrong. I
just wanted the nightmare to end. It was at that time, in the middle
of settlement negotiations, that I was featured on the local television
news station, only to be followed a week later by a front-page headline
in the local paper. Statements that I had made during my deposition
were taken out of context. The public commenters on the stories cried
for my crucifixion. The timing of the stories and their prejudicial
slant reeked of a couple of reporters on the take. I was made to look
like a cold, heartless, reckless villain, and the patient was the
innocent victim of my blatant negligence. That wasn’t the reality, but I
was forbidden to speak out in order to defend myself . . . on the
advice of counsel.
I
never got my day in court or my opportunity to explain that I’m not a
monster. I wish I could have explained that, before this happened, I
was a caring, compassionate, skilled, and highly qualified physician.
The manner in which I secured and stored my narcotics was identical to
the manner in which at least 95% of my colleagues handled theirs. We
were all taught during residency that the operating room was a secure
environment. There were no rules or policies in place at any of the
hospitals at which I practiced at that time dictating how narcotics
should be secured. It wasn’t until after the event, and a national
spotlight highlighted the issue, that strict rules were established and
policies were rigidly enforced. Anyone who claims otherwise is
deceitful and more interested in self-preservation than the truth.
Now,
sadly, I am a shadow of my former self. With respect to the practice
of medicine, I’m bitter, defensive, cynical, and wounded. I need to
stress that in no way is this article intended to take away from the
fact that a patient was hurt and suffered while under my care. The
circumstances under which this occurred, though, were extreme. I was as
much of a victim of the scrub tech’s crime as my patient. We just
endured different kinds of injuries. Mine were of the heart and soul
and will never heal.
Once
the malpractice case came to a conclusion, friends and family urged me
to tell my story. From my grief and devastation, the words poured from
my soul, and It’s Nothing Personal was born.
One
of the most frequent questions I am asked is if the writing process was
cathartic. Surprisingly, it was not. Researching the story opened old
wounds and even inflicted new ones. What was cathartic, however, was
being able to take the ordeal and mold it into a story. I finally got
to be the puppet master. Imagining what could have been, instead of
what actually was, left me invigorated.
ABOUT KATE O’REILLEY
Kate O’Reilley is a physician, specializing in anesthesiology. In late 2009, Kate was plunged into a painful battle in a high-profile, medicalKate’s second book, In Good Hands, is a moving, gripping, and tragic story of an anesthesiologist who dispenses her own version of justice after being the innocent victim of a brutal crime.
Kate currently resides in Colorado with her husband and beautiful daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys running, writing, reading, and spending time with her family. Her vacations are always spent in Hawaii, a place that Kate and her family hold dear to their hearts. Having lived on Oahu while her daughter was young, Kate and her family relish the day when they can return to the islands permanently.
Ruth,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me on my book blog tour. It is an honor to be here.
Love,
Kate
Very interesting...
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