Undiagnosed Lyme disease causes problems for woman

On Behalf of | Dec 21, 2012 | Failure To Diagnose

It is extremely important for people to know their legal rights when it is believed a medical condition has been negligently misdiagnosed. Negligent doctors can sometimes be the cause of medical issues that continue to worsen. Those who have suffered may have the right to compensation for the problems they’ve had to deal with due to medical negligence.

An article detailed the plight of a woman with Lyme disease, a condition she believes was made worse by early misdiagnosis. The woman, 53, went to a clinic in early June for a rash on her back. According to the woman, she was seen by a nurse practitioner who dismissed her with an antibiotic for an infection. After that, the woman began to experience serious back pain that was so severe that she could not sleep. She also began feeling a tingling in her arms. Although this incident occurred in Minnesota, New Mexico residents may face similar situations.

Due to the pain, the woman then went to the emergency department, where she was given pain-killing medication. Later, a doctor suggested that she may have a herniated disc and prescribed her an alternative painkiller and muscle relaxant to help her sleep. Because of side effects, she ended up having blood samples taken. These samples showed elevated white blood cell counts and sodium levels well below what was normal. Even after a three-day hospital stay to stabilize her sodium levels, she was released from the hospital with no diagnosis.

She visited a doctor again, two days after the hospital released her, and based on a screening, was treated for Lyme disease. Due to the severity of the disease’s progression and mistake of the medical personnel, she has seen many doctors with experience in Lyme disease to help with her recovery after the medical error. She still has numbness in her left leg, according to the documents. The woman and her husband are challenging the thinking of medical providers in the area, since the state and surrounding region is known to harbor deer ticks that carry the disease.

Realizing when a doctor has not done his or her job is important; patients deserve quality care. Those who have experienced a misdiagnosis may have legal options.

Source: Princeton Union-Eagle, “Woman recalls ordeal with Lyme Disease, with misdiagnosis a problem,” Jeff Hage. Dec. 6, 2012

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