It’s probably not in my best interest to use the exact name of a convicted-felon housed at the facility where I work, or to mention the specifics of his medical condition (we are not privy to that sort of information, unless spit on or bit); however, since it’s already been made public by none other than Prisoner Ivan Charles Hart himself (there, I said his name and not the six aliases on his rap sheet), I guess I’ll just blurt it out: HE HAS A FOOTBALL-SIZED ABDOMINAL HERNIA!
Now don’t get me wrong, if I were in Hart’s shoes and had the opportunity to use the Detroit Free Press as my healthcare advocate, I’d jump all over it. And even though Mr. Gerritt states that the Michigan Department of Corrections denied his request to photograph Hart’s stomach, guess what?—a non-credited picture somehow found its way into print. Again, if it were my hernia (heck, I had double-hernia surgery last spring) and if I had no way of paying for the surgery ($24,000 mesh screen to hold the organs in place), than I’d do whatever it takes to plead my case, including a smuggled photograph.
In the article, Dr. Jeffrey Stieve, MDOC’s chief medical officer says, “While it’s shocking to see because it’s so large, it’s a very safe hernia.” Also, he states that surgery would produce a risk of bowel adhesions (complications, I presume, from a colostomy bag on the other side of his stomach), but that if Prisoner Hart would like to pay for the surgery, healthcare would do it.
It isn’t until the end of Gerritt’s editorial that we learn the origin of Hart’s hernia: two abdominal surgeries (free of charge?) “for gun shot wounds he sustained in 2000 and 2008.” The colostomy bag came as a result of his 2008 gun shot wound. I’m fairly sure each surgery contributed in keeping Hart alive.
No where in Gerritt’s editorial does he mention Hart’s rap sheet. I’ll include it here:
October 20, 2000: Home Invasion (1st Degree).
March 7, 2008: Carrying a concealed weapon & Assault/Resisting a Police Officer.
May 18, 2008: Felony Firearms, Home Invasion (1st Degree) & Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
So, my question to you: Should my employer perform the surgery? Or should they continue to monitor his health for future complications?
*Side note: Two coworkers sustained injuries this week from a highly assaultive prisoner. One suffered a face bite, and the other suffered a thumb bite. Hope you guys have a speedy recovery.
