Posted on Sep 1, 2014
Were you ever seriously misdiagnosed while in the military? The problem is often more complex than you think.
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They are called medical practitioners, not God. In no way am I trying to take away from our dedicated, hard-working providers. Many times, even the physician's hands are tied by the administrators who limit their options. Limited facilities, budget constraints, SOP's, epic caseloads, deployments, and over a decade of war on 2 fronts. Do you have any horror stories or close calls that are worth sharing (without pointing fingers)?
I walked around with a severely damaged C3/4 vertebra for 15 months before the Army rotated the MRI image and found it. I couldn't move my neck, and if I sneezed or coughed I thought I was going to die. Once they found the problem I was in surgery within 24 hours. I still have nerve damage to both arms. Sometimes a second opinion can save your life.
I walked around with a severely damaged C3/4 vertebra for 15 months before the Army rotated the MRI image and found it. I couldn't move my neck, and if I sneezed or coughed I thought I was going to die. Once they found the problem I was in surgery within 24 hours. I still have nerve damage to both arms. Sometimes a second opinion can save your life.
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I was MediVac'd out of Iraq in Dec of 2009 for a ruptured disc in my lower back. I went to Landstuhl for initial eval and then sent on to Brooke Army Med Center (BAMC) for further eval. On the 5th of Jan 2010 the neurosurgeon performed a discectomy, laminectomy, and an Open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) fusing my L4-L5 vertebrae. This next part is a little hazy but when I awoke in the recovery room it felt like my right leg was going to explode. I was in the 7th level of Hell and screaming did no good. The nursing staff responded by giving me massive doses of morphine. I would drift in and out of consciousness waking only to scream while writhing in indescribable pain. I eventually went into acute respiratory failure and aspirated my own stomach fluids. I awoke to a crash team working to revive me. I had checked out of the net and only the quick thinking of a young 2LT nurse saved my life. He shot me up with Narcan which cancelled all the opiates out of my body. I remember this part very clearly. Two doctors were trying to determine if I'd had a heart attack, I was screaming and choking on my own puke, and an older woman nurse was whispering in my ear that everything would be alright. I asked for my wife and they said they'd sent her back to the hotel. I figured they didn't want her to see me die. Then someone pushed me forward to slide a film tray behind my back so they could take a chest x-ray and I felt a white hot stab of pain that went thru my entire body and I screamed so loud that I passed out. I next awoke 5 days later intubated in the ICU. The neurosurgeon had cork-screwed and crushed my L5 nerve root with a pedicle screw you'd have to see to believe. I would go on to have an additional 3 fusion surgeries (L4-S1) both Posterior and Anterior (back and front) and I have a spinal cord stimulator and an intrathecal pain pump to help me deal with lower back pain. I was eventually medically retired at 100% and I will face a lifelong challenge with basic activities of daily living.
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COL Roger Lintz
MAJ Wright,
Words cannot describe my complete and total sympathy for both you and your wife. Unfortunately having a serious major surgery that goes horribly wrong is like playing Russian roulette except when the gun goes off you don't die you only wish you were dead.
I failed to fuse 3 times so I understand exactly what that means as well as the 2nd and 3rd order effects it can have on pain. In my experience oral narcotics were not effective in the least other than to dull my senses and keep me in a constant fog but they did not stop the pain. Sadly, even having a spinal cord stimulator and an intrathecal morphine pain pump implanted has not stopped the pain but at least now its in the manageable range. I really hope your wife gets to that manageable state as well. As for you, I sincerely hope you get to the VA and get all the help you can get. You've earned it and you deserve it. All the best.
Roger
Words cannot describe my complete and total sympathy for both you and your wife. Unfortunately having a serious major surgery that goes horribly wrong is like playing Russian roulette except when the gun goes off you don't die you only wish you were dead.
I failed to fuse 3 times so I understand exactly what that means as well as the 2nd and 3rd order effects it can have on pain. In my experience oral narcotics were not effective in the least other than to dull my senses and keep me in a constant fog but they did not stop the pain. Sadly, even having a spinal cord stimulator and an intrathecal morphine pain pump implanted has not stopped the pain but at least now its in the manageable range. I really hope your wife gets to that manageable state as well. As for you, I sincerely hope you get to the VA and get all the help you can get. You've earned it and you deserve it. All the best.
Roger
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COL Roger Lintz
SSG LoGiudice, (Doc)
Sadly I was never offered decompression therapy prior to my surgery. I was treated briefly by a Navy Chiropractor but my back was so messed up even he was unable to help much. After I was evacuated out of theater to Brooke Army Med Center I underwent a Provocative Discography exam and let me tell you that was utter and complete B.S. For those who don't know what the procedure consists of I'll briefly explain. The doctor administers a local anesthesia and then inserts large needles into the disc space of all of my lumbar vertebrae. He then systematically pressurizes each vertebrae until he can replicate your back pain. When he hit my L5 I almost passed out and screamed like I'd just been bayonetted. I had a grade V Dallas tear of the disc with extravasation into the intrathecal disc space. It was ruptured and collapsed. Why they couldn't have done an MRI or CT with contrast is beyond me. Oh well I digress. Thanks for the info Doc. For those who still have hope I would highly recommend this decompression therapy. If it works and you can tolerate the pain why take the risk, IMHO.
Sadly I was never offered decompression therapy prior to my surgery. I was treated briefly by a Navy Chiropractor but my back was so messed up even he was unable to help much. After I was evacuated out of theater to Brooke Army Med Center I underwent a Provocative Discography exam and let me tell you that was utter and complete B.S. For those who don't know what the procedure consists of I'll briefly explain. The doctor administers a local anesthesia and then inserts large needles into the disc space of all of my lumbar vertebrae. He then systematically pressurizes each vertebrae until he can replicate your back pain. When he hit my L5 I almost passed out and screamed like I'd just been bayonetted. I had a grade V Dallas tear of the disc with extravasation into the intrathecal disc space. It was ruptured and collapsed. Why they couldn't have done an MRI or CT with contrast is beyond me. Oh well I digress. Thanks for the info Doc. For those who still have hope I would highly recommend this decompression therapy. If it works and you can tolerate the pain why take the risk, IMHO.
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Sgt Packy Flickinger
Col Roger Lintz (sorry the @ thing isn't working) cutting back on beer is almost a downvoteable offence. Maybe even an article 92 hearing. ;)
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Back. right after 9/11, the Army had a catch-all diagnosis for soldiers seeing a mental health professional: personality disorder. Today, many of those soldiers would be considered a PTSD case.
Husband was discharged with it. RE code 3. Been re-diagnosed several times with no such disorder.A great soldier with multiple awards, prior Spec Ops selection, and dropped like a hot potato. No chance of reentry because he must appeal directly to the Board in D.C for change of code.
*sigh* A second opinion can save your life. Yes. And sometimes, it comes too late.
Glad somebody caught your issue in time. Spinal problems are nothing to play "hit and miss" about!
Husband was discharged with it. RE code 3. Been re-diagnosed several times with no such disorder.A great soldier with multiple awards, prior Spec Ops selection, and dropped like a hot potato. No chance of reentry because he must appeal directly to the Board in D.C for change of code.
*sigh* A second opinion can save your life. Yes. And sometimes, it comes too late.
Glad somebody caught your issue in time. Spinal problems are nothing to play "hit and miss" about!
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Cpl Dennis F.
SGT (Join to see) Thanks. Ooooooooo redheads get me in trouble. Pretty ones get me in LOTS of trouble;)
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Cpl Dennis F.
SFC Mark Merino I believe that Clyde, my gunner's letter to the VA sealed the deal for me. The last line was ".....for Dennis Vietnam was 15 minutes ago." Sadly true. My statement package was about 50 pages long with crew letters, 3 private Drs. letters and recently declassified after action reports. Even though I am now covered I am still appealing for the mine damage to my back just cause they screwed me for so long and I am in daily pain of varying levels. Never give in!
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SFC Mark Merino
Cpl Dennis F. PLEASE get an advocate like the American Legion. Never try this crap on your own. They have too many ways to screw you. The service officers from the Legion or the VFW, DAV, etc have lawyers and they have been sent to DC for training. They might even be able to do some things retroactive. If there is a way, they will find it. I knew a guy who paid a lawyer to help him and the American Legion did more for me...faster....FREE....and they didn't get 30% of my back pay. Be patient. Be real patient. If you get with the VA there, get them to send you to a residential PTSD program. It is mostly Vietnam vets and about 25% more recent vets. You won't get screwed financially either, they will pay you for 100% disability for every month you are in the program (since you obviously can't be working). It saved my life brother. I was drinking a bottle a day and FEARED going to sleep. You deserve peace.
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