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Nerve damage??

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What is the name of your state?CA

Hello,
About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Leukemia. While preparing for chemo therapy, one of the doctor was putting a catheter through my right arm, above my elbow area, and it would go across my chest and end near my heart.
Anyway, while trying to put the catheter in my arm, he hit a nerve (I think?). I was under local anesthesia but felt a sharp and painfull (I yelled) electrical current like surging from the place where he inserted the catheter all the way down to my finger tips. So he looked for another spot to insert the catheter. After he finished, I complained that I feel like my finger tips have pins and needles. He said it should go away after 2-3 days.

It was there for 3 weeks!!! After that I couldn't put pressure on it because it felt like my fingers got jam between a door. Also I could stretch my arm because my fingers would hurt.
After I can put pressure and stretch my arm, my elbow area started to hurt. Up to this day, my elbow area hurts (going on 2years now). I've had my family doctor look at it and he gave me some pain relief medicine because he thought it is just tendonitis.

I really believe this is due to the incident with the catheter.

Can I do something about this if infact it was due to that?

thanks,
Joseph
 


vrzirn

Senior Member
The sequelae you are experiencing could be related to the insertion of the catheter. He probably did hit a nerve. However, it was not negligence nor malpractice. He had to feel for the vessel and it is not always right where you hope it will be.
You do not have a legitimate lawsuit. In addition, your surgical consent indicated the possible complications related to the procedure.
 
B

BADRAP

Guest
Correct...

vrzirn said:
The sequelae you are experiencing could be related to the insertion of the catheter. He probably did hit a nerve. However, it was not negligence nor malpractice. He had to feel for the vessel and it is not always right where you hope it will be.
You do not have a legitimate lawsuit. In addition, your surgical consent indicated the possible complications related to the procedure.
Sounds about right to me the consent form is the paper they gave you to sign after they gave you the valium and benadrill? it clears the hospital and staff of just about anything including death.
 

vrzirn

Senior Member
Whoa pony! Surgical consents are signed long before anyone gets to an OR and most certainly prior to the adminstration of any drugs.
 
B

BADRAP

Guest
Whoa pony LOL Ok I was kidding about that vrzirn they have you sign all the release forms at the pre cath about a month before you go in for the procedure but last time they did have me sign something after the nurse gave me a valium and benadrill I just found it and it was a patients rights form.

But then again this hospital isnt on my recomended list of good places to go I just have no choice at this time. but thats another story
 
D

died too soon

Guest
ER Care/ 1st post

State Ct.
My son was found with a blue and bloated distorted face,unresponsive with shallow respirations..
The EMS transported him to the local ER.Ariived at 6.21pm.Transport EMS sheet states priority 2
He had snorted heroin.
Admit sheet states/OD/Depression/Polysubstance Abuse/Sepsis.
6.30pm 0.2mg Narcan IVP given/with good effect.
My son said he had accidently taken 6 clonopine. He denied SI.
8pm he became unresponsive again/Narcan 0.4mg I/M given,with good effect.
9.45pm discharged to home ALONE.Diagnois Heroin OD.
10.27pm,my son was found still in the ER waiting room unresponsive with white powder around his nose.
On 2nd admit.Intake states Suicide Gesture/OD/Depression/Polysubstance Abuse.
Psych meds/Zyprexa/Seroquel/Clonopine/ are included on this 2nd admit/none on 1st admit(my son had been under a psyche Docs care for over a year+ for depression and psycotic behavior)
It was less than a week,since his release from a months stay at a State Psych Hospital.Diagnosis R/O Bipolar D/O
Being sent there from this ER in mention,after being 3 days in their ER for psychosis.It was the end of the year and his 30 days inpt hospital stay allowance had been used up by his insurance company,due to other psych admits thru the year.
He was under the active care of a psych Doc.
He was searched and several small blue packets of an unknown substance were found in his pockets.No mention of a body search on 1st admit are mentioned nor his clothes being removed from him on both admits are noted.
His elderly G/Mother told me several weeks later,that he had stopped by her house,very early in the morning and that he seemed dizzy and off balance,she had asked him to stay but after some conversation he left/he was fully clothed..
Charting and Glasgow Scale Rating contradict each other/both with same time of notation.One states alert and oriented,the other states confused and agitated.
11.40pm Narcan 0.4mg I/M given with "no response" noted in chart.
No other Narcan was given.
Vital signs only charted once on entry on 2nd admit/no 02 Sat taken/though V/S normal.02 Sat had plummeted to 60 on 1st admit.
At 12.15am,it is noted /pt ambulating with steady gait/no c/o of h/ache or dizziness/Pupils equal/awaiting Doctor's eval.No V/Signs were noted!
12.15am/charted walkout/called overhead x 3.
I spoke with my son early that same morning by phone,approx 9am,it was a brief conversation,he said he was tired,needed sleep because he had gone to the hospital that night for back pain.
He had a history of a laminectomy several years prior.
I tried to telephone him on 2 consecutive days/only to get the busy signal.
I thought he must be talking on the phone with someone.
On the 3rd day,I once again got the busy signal.
I drove over to his appt,it was dusk/the place was in total darkness and yet I still got the busy signal on my cell phone.
I banged and banged on his door to no avail.
I had the police/fireman break down his door.
Since,I had stopped off at my MIL's house on my way and she too said she had been getting the busy signal each time she had called him.
The odor was overpowering..Somehing that will stay with me forever!
I was not allowed to see my son.
They said,unless I had told them of my phone call with my Son,they would have placed his death as being the day before,due to the state of the decomposition of his body. The ME report of the autopsy was horrific to read!
They told me my son,must have died shortly after speaking with me.
He had used heroin again.Several packets were found around him.
I will never know,if this was accidental,or suicide.
The autopsy report says "Accidental Death"
Yet the ME,had no information of the occurences that took place prior his death.
My opinion is,that on my Son's 1st admit,he was given band-aid treatment stabilized and discharged too soon.
His insurance was listed as being an HMO.It is said they like quick discharges!
On his requiring a 2nd admit,it is my opinion that he should have been kept on observation,until he could have been evalutated by a psychiatrist,since they were aware they were dealing with a person,who was on psych meds, possibly unreliable and perhaps a danger to himself..
The ER Doc,was not specialised in psychiatric care.
I feel the police should have been notified and have tried to locate him,to bring him back into the ED.
Our Son was 38yrs old, the father of a 10yr old daughter.
Prior his illness,he had been a productive CPA.Receiving many accolades for his work performance,exceeding in all areas/thus giving him a significant pay increase.
He had much to live for!
Was he the subect of malpractice due to not being put on safety precautions and awaiting a psych eval,which would thereby have prevented his death,within hours of his walkout?
 

vrzirn

Senior Member
The answer to your question is, "No".
Rule Out is not a diagnosis. It is just an evaluation to rule out that particular disorder. Unfortunately, plain and simple, your son was a druggie. He threw away his life and left a family forever damaged by his behavior.
Heroin is something he sought out. It is not a prescription drug and sooner or later most druggies will OD on it. Usually it is because they have acquired some "****" (to use the vernacular) that is purer than that to which they were accustomed. Maybe a different dealer with a purer product. Maybe he forgot and took another hit too soon. It probably was an accident. Stories abound about people being found with the needle still in their arms; that is how fast it is.
I understand your pain but do not try to assign blame to others. It would have happened sooner or later given his history.
And, if you needed to vent, it is polite to begin your own thread rather than intrude on someone else's
.
 
D

died too soon

Guest
To Joseph

Hi Joseph,
I am a newbe here.
Sorry for interupting the flow of your question.
I hope you are in remission,I know great strides have been made with leukemia.I am sorry you are having pain,I hope it resolves itself, time being a healer.
Informed consent,is a waiver of law suits against Surgeons.
Without them,I doubt if anyone would become a surgeon,since many unwanted things,may go wrong,during surgery and invasive procedures.
Even the best Docs have unforseen things occurr.
Was this made known to you,that this incident may be a possibilty of your procedure?
I hope,you do not mind,if I make a comment.
If so please excuse my lack of what is proper here.
Yet I have to make the comment,that I thought,that questions put forth here,were answered by a medical malpractice lawyer,with knowledge of medicine,also with people whom had had the same experiences swapping stories and offering knowledge to each other.
I think I am wrong on this,since it is obvious that vrzirn,has no medical background,which was evident re his response to my question.
He lacks the knowledge,that biploar disorder and substance abuse,most often go hand in hand.Since phychiatry is not a science and is still in its infancy.
Remedy and diagnosis are often diificult/time once again/is helpful to give correct diagnosis. Upon reading and educating myself about Biploar my son was certainly an excellent candidate,since he had all the manifestations of this diorder.
Patients who suffer from biploar disorder are usually of higher intelligence than the norm.They are aware of the havoc that their illness is destroying their life. Deep disabling depression,is usually more prevalent than mania.
It is a terrible life sentence.
It's ugly head rears up against its innocent victim at episotic times.Meds are not effective in some patients,though Lithium helps many for some relief.
Why substance abuse?/certainly not like for the kid out for partying,but for relief from being unable to function due to anxiety/depression/worry/finaces/inabilty to get out of bed due to being overtaken over sheer fatigue and exhaustion.
Heroin calms/Cocaine energizes/not a wise choice to use,but done in desperation.Leaving the person with guilt of illicit drug use.
Now having 2 battles to fight.
Plus having the stigma of being labled a mental patient.
It is an illness just like diabetes,but because,it is known their pancreas isn't producing enough insulin,which can be replaced by insulin therapy.
They are not stigmatized.At one time seizure patients also suffered this same
fate.Now it is understood that this condition is caused by misfiring of neurons in the brain,and we now have seizure meds,that enable these people to lead a fairly normal life style.
To use the word "Druggie" is judgmental and shows lack of knowledge.
Go to a professional site and inform yourself vrzirn.
McMan's Depression and Biploar web/is an excellent info site/it was put together by a professor who suffers from this condition.
A brilliant man.
Also,take the time to look up all the famous leaders/artists/actors/who have suffered from this condition.
Suicide has a high rate among those affeted by Bipolar Disoder.
To see my son go into such a deep depression and for him to be honest and tell me,he had started using drugs,since the meds weren't of any help,and the substances were his only relief.
Was heartbreaking.
I hope mental illness along with cancer.alzheimers and all other devasting conditions will one day,all be a part of history.
Until then all we can do,is give love and understanding to those people,who have to bear these burdens.
Be thankful every day,you are not stricken with such an illness.
If you are,you will become invisible to the world.A person of no worth!
vrzirn,I am not attacking you here,that is certainly not my intention.
Legally/the R/O may be correct as you stated/but that does not forgive the hospital permission to not keep my son on observation and have him evaluated in the morning by a psychiatrist.
They don't even have R/O bipolar in their charting.
People are people and such be treated with respect for life.Even if it did.it that any reason to allow a person on psyche meds not get good medical care.
What are you saying here re that remark!
If you want to be judgemental,I think,perhaps a beter place for you to focus your sites on are the preditators out there/selling drugs such as heroin,cocaine and other illegal substances not only to adults,but to little kids as young as 10 and up.
They are the evil ones.Blood sucking vampires.
How they sleep at night,I do not know/destroying lives as they do.
I am not a smoker or overweight/yet I see people who are unable to quit smoking or obese people somplete a diet after attempt after attempt.
Yet they too use the word "Druggie"/perhaps they should look at their own weakness first. Unknown to them they too,are addicts!
Re your remark,what my son did to his family,sounded like criticism!
We live on,he lies in his grave.He will never see his little girl he loved so much grow up,He had yet many things to do and see,being so young.
New cures and treatments are always coming down the pike,my son,if he had lived,may have been able to have benifit thru new discovery..
I have even read,they are on their way,to curing addiction.
My Great Grand/Father died very young in life of pneumonia,before the discovery of penicillin.Today,he would have hopefully survived.
Always keep hope alive!
Peace!
 
BADRAP said:
Sounds about right to me the consent form is the paper they gave you to sign after they gave you the valium and benadrill? it clears the hospital and staff of just about anything including death.
So does this mean no one has a case when it comes to doctors?
 
died too soon said:
Hi Joseph,
I am a newbe here.
Sorry for interupting the flow of your question.
I hope you are in remission,I know great strides have been made with leukemia.I am sorry you are having pain,I hope it resolves itself, time being a healer.
Yes, I am in remission. Actually, I was in remission for about 3yrs. Now it is back, a small trace of it.

Joseph
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
Joseph_free said:
Yes, I am in remission. Actually, I was in remission for about 3yrs. Now it is back, a small trace of it.

Joseph
But your nerve is better, thanks for the update on the other thread. Be sure to show your doctors that new article coming out on new testing on the other htread.
 
rmet4nzkx said:
But your nerve is better, thanks for the update on the other thread. Be sure to show your doctors that new article coming out on new testing on the other htread.
New testing? Is that the same as new diagnosis?

If so, it doesn't really help me? Does it?

Yes, the nerve is better and I have muscles again. I've been working out since. =)

Joseph
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
Joseph_free said:
New testing? Is that the same as new diagnosis?

If so, it doesn't really help me? Does it?

Yes, the nerve is better and I have muscles again. I've been working out since. =)

Joseph
The new testing can fine the cells hiding in unlikely places, maybe why it was difficult to diagnose it in the first place, go to the other thread it was the last article I posted. Just an abstract about to be published, can't get any more current than that.
 

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