In our last post we started a discussion on the different types of cases that may involve misdiagnosis. While a small misdiagnosis may be temporarily inconvenient and may cause some serious frustration, if an individual lives out their life not treating the proper condition, it can be devastating.
As an example we can discuss a story that comes from abroad. Back in 1972 a woman was pregnant and started feeling weakness down her left side. The following year the woman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a disease that affects the spinal cord and brain. Basically a person’s own immune system attacks a protective sheath in the body that causes communication issues between the brain and the body. Over time the condition can cause nerves to deteriorate and they may become permanently damaged. There is no cure for the condition, although there are some treatments that may help manage the symptoms.
As you can imagine, it would be difficult to get such a diagnosis. The woman trusted the doctors and actually went through a sterilization procedure at the recommendation of her neurologist. Unfortunately, years later an MRI scan showed that there was no evidence of MS in her body. Instead, the MRI pointed to a form of thrombosis.
Because of this untreated condition, the woman is unable to live independently. She needs help moving, using the bathroom, getting dressed and making meals.
It can understandably be frustrating to go many years treating one condition only to find out that you had another condition that should have been treated. In this case, the woman is filing a medical negligence claim. This may seem like a mistake that could easily happen but for this woman, who is now in a wheelchair, it is no small matter.
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