News - NETWORK NEWS

Judith Day, our Network Director for Atlantic Provinces, 

publishes book: "Judging Judi"

JUDGING JUDI

Taking a Closer Look

My Personal Quest for Justice

My name is Judith Day.  I am a retired nurse educator.  After I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue syndrome and Multiple Chemical Intolerance, (FM/CFS/MCI), in 1998, I facilitated a Fibromyalgia Self-Help Group in Newfoundland and Labrador for over five years. Then in the spring of 2004 I moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick. I am presently volunteering my time with the National ME/FM Network, as Director of the Atlantic Provinces and Territories.

Before my current diagnosis, I was misdiagnosed as having Manic Depression, (Bipolar Disorder) at the age of 50 years old, and forced to take dangerous psycho-tropic drugs including Lithium for over a year, to the detriment of my health.

Even though I was experiencing side effects of moderate drug toxicity, my complaints were ignored by the treating psychiatrists, so the medications exacerbated my symptoms of FM/CFS/MCI. They caused seizure activity in my brain, recorded on EEGs and abnormal EKGs. I also have thyroid antibodies as my thyroid gland also took a beating while I was taking the Lithium.

Thyroid problems are common with Lithium and patients have to be checked frequently while taking this drug.  In my case this also was not done, while I was being reduced to a seriously ill invalid, with loss of both muscular strength and short-term memory.  Other serious side-effects of the drugs were passed off by the physicians as psychogenic, or “all in my head”.

I went through hell for over two years from May 1995 – to January 1998 fighting with psychiatrists, insisting something was seriously wrong with me as I was experiencing such profound fatigue, nausea, dizziness, vertigo, short term memory loss, plus muscle weakness and pain, which was diagnosed as depression instead of adverse drug reactions.  This drug treatment exacerbated my symptoms of ME/CFS/MCI.

I was so maltreated and abused by the medical establishment that I have made it my lifelong goal to help prevent others from having to experience what I did while misdiagnosed as a psychiatric patient.  As a result of that I lost my career, my credibility, and my life as I knew it before May 15, 1995.

I have also spoken before the Romanow hearings, regarding invisible illnesses like Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and how much money is wasted in our health care system when people are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and maltreated with dangerous drugs, without proper diagnosis and monitoring, which are making some people worse, not better, and sometimes even killing them.

During those hearings, I also stressed the importance of instituting computerized health histories so there would be a better way to trace mismanagement of patients, and the illness and deaths that result from this mismanagement

After I regained my health enough in 1997, to pose important questions re my diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and treatment, I discovered enough diagnostic and treatment errors on my records to launch a complaint.  After spending one year writing the Medical Board of Newfoundland and Labrador about this atrocity and getting nowhere, I retained a lawyer to help me through the court system and filed a statement of claim.

That year I spent $15,000 on legal fees and did not get past the letter writing or phone call phase. I was advised by my lawyer to drop the case as, psychiatry being so subjective; I would not have a chance to win.

For the next ten years, I continued my quest for justice alone, as I had lost everything, my health, my professional career and my ability to be gainfully employed.  I had nothing left to lose, except money, which I was willing to part with, as the seriousness of this negligence had to be brought to somebody’s attention through the courts.

If you were to ask me, what gave me the tenacity and courage to carry on with this lawsuit, despite ill health and adversity, I would tell you that it was not about the outcome, or the amount of money I might have gained, as I had very little chance of winning my court battle.  I also knew this case would bankrupt me, but I was willing to take that chance as I believed in myself and what happened to me was wrong.

If even one person can be spared from being maltreated like I was, by ensuring physicians are more accountable and conscientious regarding diagnosis and medical treatment of patients, especially psychiatry; (which is such an inexact science anyway) then my quest for justice will be worthwhile.  I lost this case, but I consider myself a winner for taking on such a monumental task.  In reality, I had nothing left to lose and everything to gain. This lawsuit will help me with closure, as my story is now in a book for everybody to read.

FM/ CFS/MCI are cruel illnesses because you look so healthy that people don't believe you are even sick.  There are many people with this condition being medicated or treated for mental illnesses though they are not mentally ill.  Such orthomolecular (drug) treatment based on unsound medicine is stealing people’s lives, without them knowing exactly what is going wrong.  In my case, if the physicians had to continue to forcefully medicate me with psychotropic drugs, I would possibly have died or be completely disabled, as I was so sensitive to the drugs and had such adverse reactions to them.

I hope you read my book and judge Judi for yourself.

How to Order:

From Google  or other search engine click the following link:

http://www.lulu.com/buy/index.php?cid=en_tab_buy

Key in “Judging Judi,” press “go.”   Scroll down until you see the book.  Press  ‘add to cart’ and pay by using credit card or pay pal.   You will receive your book in 3 to 5 days.

You may also order through the book stores, but at present it will take 6-8 weeks for delivery.

Cost $28.10

Thank You for your support!

Judith M. L. Day
280 Dunn’s Crossing
Fredericton, NB.  E3B 2A6
JMLD @nb.sympatico.ca
Ph/fax 1-506-454-5444 

Reception and Book Signing at my home Saturday, Sept. 17 after 5:30 PM

Acknowledgement

In my over 20 years of volunteer work in the world of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (ME/CFS and FM), I have met and been in contact with thousands of people.  Their stories always touch my heart as, without exception, their courage of having to deal with not only their illness but also the results of it, keep me focused.

Judi is such a person.  As ill as she was, she chose to stand up for what she believed was unfair not only for herself but for others.  She continued her fight for justice even when financially she was not able to do so.  She wanted to spare others from having to experience the lack of support and medical assistance she was entitled to.  When she could not afford professional legal help, she took it upon herself to become her own lawyer and taking her case through the many layers of legal appeals.

This latest challenge of writing a book is another way that Judi wants to help others avoid the pitfalls she had to endure and survive.

Lydia E. Neilson, MSM
Founder, Chief Executive Officer
National ME/FM Action Network