Neck Pain: Cervical
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March 17, 2010 - 10:14pm
This is So Crazy
I am getting ready next week to see a 2nd neurosurgeon for a 2nd opinion on another surgery I am 1 1/2 years out of surgery for 3 disc replacement and barely any fusion dr said,he said i have degenerative disc disease, fibro, and 2 more bulging discs in neck, along with spinal cord compression, well duh!!! so he said not much he can do unless I want another surgery and even then he can't help the cord compression.
So I went today to pick up a disk with all tests on it he has ever done...and I get home and decide to show my husband my hardware..lol..and get a BIG surprise..along with my pictures, I have over 650 mri's ct.s and xrays that belong to other patients of this radiology dept. along with names , acct #'s dob.s and physician names and even surgery notes that accompany these...... needless to say I am blown away, I drove 2 hours to get these because they WOULD NOT mail them to me , then they charged me 25.00 for them.. and now they make a BIG mistake like this????!!!!!!
SO here's my question, do I contact the hospital radiology dept, administration, someone in HIPPA or what the heck do I do??? anyone? help please?
I have to go see my surgeon next week and I don't want to walk in there with all this on a disc for him to see, but i dont' want to driv another 2 hours to get it again either.
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Wow that's wild. I would call Radiology dept. and tell them to send a courier cab with the right CD disc and when he delivers it you can hand that one over. You shouldn't have to go back. I hope it works out and best wishes with your Dr. appointment. Charry
Any answers I have is not medical advice only a Doctor can help you with that. Just sharing my personal experience as a fellow Spine Health member only. Mild DDD of complete lumbar area with recent healing of L5-S1 HD and annular tear.Leg &foot weakness nerve compression L4-L5.Mod. disc changes C5-C7 nerve impingement sore elbow and numb hand. Sept. 2011 MRI L4-L5 disc bulge and L5 facet joint and narrowing. Meds-Oxycontin 80mg,Cymbalta,Lyrica, Flexeril,Naproxen,Serax. Platinum Infrared heating pad. ER and Oncology trained and Cardiology RN on Disability. Keep the faith.
that's a big error on their part. Agree with Charry that you need to contact the radiology department. I would ask them to send you a new one express mail, explain you drove 2 hours to get this one. If they give you a hard time, the option of contacting HIPPA is a good one.
Take care,
Marianne
Please click on my picture for medical/surgical history
Call the radiology department that did this and explain as Mari said and see if that gets you anywhere. If it don't call the hospital and ask to speak to someone who deals with patients issues. They should have a ombudsman person available. That is someone who resolves disputes with a facility and the patients. In my experience they are very helpful and if can't help they will get you to the right person to address the issue.
I am glad to see you are going to see another surgeon messing around with a cord compression is not a good idea. By the way welcome to spine-health. Let us know how it works out.
I work in a health insurance company and what you are describing is a hippa violation that by law has to be reported to the government. Once that info is compromised the patients involved have to be notified. I wouldn't trust the radiology department and possibly not even the hospital.
Call the hospital's hippa compliance office. They should handle picking up that disk and getting you your disk. If they give you any problem or try to push you off I would call your state health department.
I know this seems like a pain but if you were on that disk wouldnt you want it handled correctly?
I agree - the hippa law has been broken. If this were me on those reports/films I would not be happy with a "oops my bad" on the hospital end. They need to be made to be more responsible and to answer for this breach.
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disk, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 49 - Here to find & offer support. Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
Definitely a HIPPA violation. Contact the facilities HIPPA compliance person or medical records dept. If all else fails contact the State Health Dept like someone else said.
I wouldnt use this facility again either if it was me but I am sure you probably already decided that.
One level ACDF Feb 2009. Had epidural and dr placed too much medication in too small of a space causing me numbness and pain on the opposite side. This led to a second ACDF Jan 8th 2010, fused two more levels. Now fused C4 thru C7 and still have pain in both shoulders and arms plus numbness from the neck down on the left side of my body.
I contacted their administrative dept. today and spoke with their HIPPA official..needless to say after them refusing to mail me my original disc and charging me 25.00 for it, now they wanted me to overnight this one back to them marked confidential to her directly, and sign a confidentiality agreement saying that I won't talk about what was on the disc to anyone? and they are now willing to mail me a replacement once they receive the one I have back. this woman has called me 5 times today, and I told her I live 25 miles from the post office and had no plans to drive to town today so no i wouldn't be mailing them this disc today. I already drove several hours yesterday to get a disc that I cant use. and now they're trying to cover their butts.
I am in extreme pain the ride over there was awful, I take topamax only and nothing for pain because I am allergic to hydrocodone, and my primary doesn't like to experiment with other stuff he says, and the area i'm in has a pain management area that is so full of ppl misusing it for addiction its not even funny. so i'm trying to make it til I go to see the neurosurgeon at the end of the month, but my husband called me at lunch today and I was crying and could barely talk to him I was in so much pain in my neck and shoulders, and the headaches, I can barely lift my arms to wash my hair, and did I mention I have a 3 year old...lol..I also have muscle spasms so bad in the shoulder area i can be laying down and my left shoulder will literally jump up by itself, my left side is affected, numbness in fingers, arm, tingling, I have 10mg flexeril for muscle spasms but have been on them for 2 years now and cant tell that they do anything, they sent me home on darvon after my surgery for pain and that's all i have ever taken.because of the hydrocodone allergy they act like their afraid of anything else, they did give me a morphine shot after surgery though.
I don't know what to do the pain is awful.
You must live near me and have my doctors! I hope you can find some help. Have you tried Tramadol?
I know how frustrating it is being in pain and feeling like no one will help. I can't believe that hospital! Well, yeah I can. lol.
Good luck
Debbie
ACDF C5-6 October 4, 2010
They have some nerve. Tell that woman to issue a call tag for the package. UPS or FedEx will come to your house with the label to put on the package and take it away. It's a little pricey for them but nothing compared to what this mistake will cost them.
It amazes me how stupid some people are. Hell she should have sent a security guard from the hospital to come pick that up!! At the same time he could have had you sign the privacy agreement.
I have to agree with Kris, they can send someone out. This was their mistake not yours. I know how painful a car ride can be and you already made the drive once.
I would make sure you keep a log of all phone calls and conversations so you are covered on your end in case this gets brought further.
It would be expensive but they can send a courier too. We do it all of the time at my work.
I got one of my reports today that I hve to take to the specialist and wondering if anyone else has this?
It states flattening and mild reversal of the cervical lordosis, also generalized desiccation of the cervical discs.
There is a broad based protrusion of the C4 disc with cord compression and the secondary central canal stenosis, Subtle cord signal changes are present at this level suggesting edema. disc prtrusion does extend below the C4 disc opposite the superior end plate of C4.
Small broad based protusions of C5 & C6 discs
Impression:
Dehydration, Cervical Discs, Flattening & Reversal of cervical AP curve.
Significant broad based protrusion c4 disc with cord compression, edema, and secondary spinal stenosisi.
mild broad based protrusions of c5& c6.