Military Medical Misdiagnosis/Malpractice

[DSchaeffer]

10 years ago (3/98) we were hit by a drunk driver, she had no insurance so USAA settled for the limit of our policy (less than 1 years pay as a CNA).
I was transported to a local AF base where the EMT stated to the triage nurse that I was "fine" as she had seen me "run approximately 40 yards back to our vehicle without seeming defect". What she failed to tell them was that after doing so I was doubled up in the back of my demolished van with back spasms that hurt so badly I was throwing up. I waited on the back board and gurney, in the open hallway, ignored for almost 2 hours when my husband finally arrived and basically asked "what the hell?". They did routine xrays and sent me home with a sheet for care of muscle spasms, a "look out for" symptoms sheet and a script for motrin and robaxin for 5 days.

That was the beginning of a nightmare that went something like this:

1> After going back in about a week later complaining of increased low back pain with "fire ants" in my left hip radiating to my knee I was told that I was fine, that all I wanted was the money (what money?) and to go home and work in the garden I was "just stiff". They gave me a script for lortab and flexeril and sent me home.
2> I went back in complaining of weakness in my left leg and no relief from the pain and spasms. They sent me to P/T and slightly increased the medications.
3> After going through the revolving doors of doctors, nurse practioners, and PA's I was sent to a pain management clinic for "better medications" and was put on morphine based medications, valium and Lyrica.
4> I was still not getting relief so I was still "complaining", which earned me a "drug seeking" notation in my medical history and referral to a "specialized pain management in-patient facility". Well, after checking in we discovered it was NOT what they said it was.. it was a drug and alcohol rehab facility! Unfortunately, by the ime I was done with "supervised withdrawal symptoms" (fun times!) I learned that if I checked out I would be responsible for the bill to that point! By the time I was released, these "counselors" had convinced me that I was a drug addict in denial AND being told repeatedly that my marriage was a "fantasy" because "no-one has a partner or relationship that good". My response.. "maybe yours wasn't, but mine is".
5> Still having the same problems I went back and was sent to the base neurologist. This doctor orders an MRI, sees nothing so he tells us I have permanent nerve damage (based on the radiating pain etc), that nothing can be done and I will be on medications the rest of my life, re-enter the morphine medications, valium and lyrica in ever increasing doses.
6> After 8 years of this I asked for an off-base PCM. After 1 1/2 months of waiting I finally had a GOOD dotor. He got me into a pain management specialist at a sports medicine specialty clinic near us, who got me a referral to an excellent neurosurgeon.
The surgeon ordered another MRI with and without contrast, and still couldn't find the answer so he ordered a discogram (oh my goodness this is PAINFUL!!) which finally gave him the answer, at this point I had been in bed for almost a year. A week later he had approval from Tricare to fuse my L5-S1 disc and flex-fuse L4-5. I spend 3 days in the hospital, 6 weeks in the brace and after 12 weeks was released pain free and OFF the medications. The surgeon told us he was sorry I had suffered so long, and that it was needless as the damage could have been repaired "long" ago.

I lost 10 years of employment, education possibilities, playing with our 12 grandchildren, and being a "productive" housewife and partner for my husband (of 20 years next month). I still have residual nerve damage and weakness in my left leg, but I have a life again, something I thought I would never have. In fact about 6 weeks before the surgery I had told my hubby "I don't want to be here anymore".. meaning alive. That is what living with horrible chronic pain and being told "nothing is wrong with you" for so long can do to a person.

I spoke with an attorney about a possible misdiagnosis/malpractice suit against the base, but was told I was "beyond Florida's 2/4 year statute of limitations". How was I supposed to know WHAT was actually wrong AND that I was misdiagnosed?? Anyway, a moot point now.

*Word of advice to military members and their spouses, You CAN sue the military for medical malpractice/misdiagnosis without threat to your (or your spouses) career. Just be certain of your state's statute of limitations!!!!!

I hope this little bit of venting saves someone else from the same painful experience and gives them the option I didn't know about.

[Monsterlove]

Sounds like whiplash and it's not detected with the regular tests that you had. Hope you are doing better; if not, it may be settled in but you can get some treatment via alternate therapies. I'm all for natural hot springs and soaks. Check out your area. A good chiropractor should be able to give you some help, too.

[DSchaeffer]

Monster-
Whiplash??? Apparently you didn't read the entire post or you didn't understand what I wrote. I now have a fusion at L5-S1 and a flex fuse at L4-5, that is in the lumbar area (at the tailbone area) and no where near my neck. And it took a discogram to find the damage, a crushed disc and a damaged one. It had nothing to do with whiplash and all a chiropractor would have done was to possibly make the inobvious damage worse. Your reply reminds me of the military docs, no offence, but you didn't "listen' (read in this case) any better than they did.

[Monsterlove]

What do you expect online, other than a place to vent? Sorry I missed the details, but I work 60 hours a week and do this for fun. It could have initially been whiplash, along with the other damage. I agree that you don't always get good care at the military hospitals, but you are bound by the statute of limitations.
Try EFT for your ongoing frustations and anger:

www.emofree.com

[DSchaeffer]

Monster, it is a place to vent and to pass on information. There was never any problem with my neck, so I have no clue where you came up with whiplash. So, no that was never the problem. I understand that I am bound by the limitaions, it was merely my way of warning others about those limitaions so the same thing doesn't happen to them.
I am glad you are able to work 60 hours a week, hopefully at something you enjoy. As far as doing this for fun, that is a good thing too, but before you respond take the time to actually read what is being said/vented so that your reply is at least somewhat relevent. In this case it wasn't, either time.

Sounds like Monster is a corpsman. 8-10 weeks of school doesn't qualify you to make medical speculations. It barely qualifies you to draw blood properly. Get out from behind the desk and go to combat. And if you are going to reply to a post, read the entire post.

And that's why so many military members end up with such screwed up medical care. Speculation after not reading or taking in all the facts. In the civilian world, we call it "grab assing in the dark".

[cove61]

I am so sorry for your pain and suffering. Sometimes, it is very hard to get a diagnosis involoving trauma that doesn't show up in tests, then you get shuffled from doctor to doctor. But, please don't say all military hospital/physicians give crappy care because that is not true. Nearly all of military healthcare facilities are JCAHO accrediated as well various other federal and military accrediations to insured patients do get quality care. If a patient has a complaint. they can go to the Customer Advocate or go directly to the hospital commander to complain about their care. The EMT@ the ER was out of line and obviously needs remedial training! Plus, numerous civilian physicians/ providers in military towns are ex-military too.

Unfortunately, in your case as well as others, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". I had a similar case but involving my son who was sent to a MD downtown who never follow-up on an X-ray; my son went to see his military doctor 10 months later who wanted to know why he was never treated and his wrist was still broken. Guess what? He's had a bone graft and a screw fixation for the scaphoid fracture and the ortho surgeon says he will never have full range of motion, plus he will probably need a joint replacement when he is older....

Now sueing the miltary, yes dependents have always had that right and they can also sue in behalf of their sponsor if they believe the sponsor was injuried by mistreatment or not meeting standard of care..

[Monsterlove]

I have reviewed my original response and agree with myself. I still think your original damage was whiplash, undiagnosed, left to progress to premature disc degeneration. Please read:

http://www.spineuniverse.com/display...rticle819.html

http://www.adlergiersch.com/personal...uring-whiplash

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pic...4&blobtype=pdf

[DSchaeffer]

Cove61, I am very sorry about your son, that is a miserable injury to deal with as well! I don't believe I said all military hositals or doctors were a problem, for the most part they are not. I was merely relating an issue I experienced. We did go to the Patient Care Advisor, to the Patient Advocate and eventually to the hospital commander with the problem. After trying to deal with them I moved to an off-base provider, and that is when I was taken seriously. The member can also bring suit as long as the injury and mistreatment or misdiagnosis is not directly related to their military service.

My dear Monster, you can be dilutional all you wish. You are NOT a medical professional (obviously), nor are you apparently capable of understanding a post. I was not asking for a diagnosis or second opinion from anyone, the injury had already been addressed and finally treated properly. I merely wanted to inform others of my problems within the mlitary medical community <venting> and the erroneous idea that we cannot sue the military hospitals and/or doctors that mistreat and misdiagnose us. Plus the state statute of limitations warning should they decide to look into a suit.
Your links are not relevent to my case, and as you only know minimal information about the mechanics and means of my injury plus little to nothing of the extensive battery of tests I have undergone it does not surprise me. You do not have suffcient information to form a cognative diagnosis let alone suggest treatment of any kind. You don't listen/read when someone says you are wrong, nor apparently are you capable of even entertaining the idea that you might be. It makes about as much sense as me posting various psychiatric links to diagnosis' I feel are relevent to you based on your posts and then arguing that I am right. Post "for fun" elsewhere dear, or at least make your responses relevent to the post.

I'm not a doctor or anything... but I am diagnosing MONSTER as crazy! In this case, don't think you have to be a doctor to make that diagnosis.

My husband had a massive heart attack because he wasn't listened to! He was kicked out of the doctor's office because he was taking up too much of the doctor's time. Was told if he wanted to discuss more than one problem he would need to make another appointment. Well, two weeks later and another doctor's appt and still no relief from severe chest pain, high blood pressure, sweating profusely, etc... and within 48 hours of the second appt a massive heart attack. WHY? Because two doctors failed to listen to him!!!! Rather than an EKG or a listen to his heart... the doctor prescribed Allegra and nose spray for allergies! Ridiculous! Now he has permanent damage to over 1/2 of his heart and will be on 10-12 meds for the rest of his life. Needless to say, our lives are forever changed!!