"In July of 2024, Butler had surgery in Redding to remove the blockage in his urethra. But the pain and discomfort continued through the summer. In September, he was admitted for three days to the emergency room in nearby Weaverville with a severe urinary tract infection. Frost said that during this time she tried to call her dad's urologist several times to reschedule a follow-up appointment he missed while in the hospital, but she could only reach an answering machine."
"His grandson Jake Ritter said he could spend hours talking and fishing with his grandfather. His Papa was happiest fishing. But the last months of his life brought Butler little joy. Butler's physician assistant in Weaverville called several times too, but no luck, Frost said. The physician assistant "literally threw her hands in the air and said, 'I can't get any response.'" That was one of the few times Frost saw her dad cry. "My dad never cried. He was a cowboy.""
"By mid-fall, the infections, desperation and heavy antibiotics use were changing her dad's mental state, Frost said. He wasn't interested in fishing. Or watching his 49ers. Or spending time with his wild mustang, Spade, or with the guys down at the Tangle Blue Saloon, where he would order a shot of whisky with a coke back. His cabin grew darker; he no longer drew his camo-print curtains open."
Jeffrey Butler underwent surgery in July 2024 to remove a urethral blockage but continued to experience pain and discomfort through the summer. In September he spent three days in a Weaverville emergency room with a severe urinary tract infection. Family members and a Weaverville physician assistant repeatedly tried to reach his urologist to reschedule a missed follow-up appointment but reached only an answering machine. Infections, heavy antibiotic use and worsening health led to mental and physical decline: loss of interest in hobbies, withdrawal from social life, a darker home environment, and nearly 100 pounds of weight loss over about a year.
#urinary-tract-infection #surgery-complications #missed-medical-follow-up #mental-and-physical-decline
Read at Kqed
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]