CancerSurvivor
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Kansas
I underwent surgery to replace my humerus bone (elbow to shoulder) with a titanium rod. I have bone cancer and the Dr. said this would be the best bet to "contain the cancer and remove it totally". He has told me that I would have limited movement raising my arm but that would be the extent of loss of function.
During the surgery the the Dr. mistakenly severed a bloodvessel and nerve during the operation. While in recovery my arm and hand massively swole up and had my hand felt like it was on fire. Dr. couldn't figure out why my hand and arm up to my elbow were swelling so much, since the surgery was above the elbow. After the three days he said he was going to run a test and if it was inconclusive he was going to amputate. The test revealed the severed bloodvessel. Essentially my arm and hand was starving for blood for three days. They called in a vascular specialist in and they grafted an artery from my thigh to bypass the damaged bloodvessel.
The swelling of my hand stayed for weeks. After the swelling went down I had no use of it at all. I can't move any of my fingers or thumb. I went to a hand specialist and he said that the swelling "choked out" the nerve that ran down the inside of my arm to my hand, and would never regain the use of my hand. TheDr. never made any attempt at controlling the swelling either. No ice,cold packs, opening up the hand to relieve pressure(I am not kidding my hand was HUGE!)
Since all this my hand is pretty much shriveled up into a ball where the muscled have contracted. I constantly have "phantom pains" from the nerve damage. I have to take pills that deaden the nerve sensation, and pain meds.
Do any of you more knowledgible persons familiar with malpractice think I have something here? The Dr. that did this said "it can take two years before we really know". I have been told that the statute of limitations is two years to sue for malpractice. Do you think he is telling me to wait 2 years so I cant sue?
Thanks in advance,
CancerSurvivor
I underwent surgery to replace my humerus bone (elbow to shoulder) with a titanium rod. I have bone cancer and the Dr. said this would be the best bet to "contain the cancer and remove it totally". He has told me that I would have limited movement raising my arm but that would be the extent of loss of function.
During the surgery the the Dr. mistakenly severed a bloodvessel and nerve during the operation. While in recovery my arm and hand massively swole up and had my hand felt like it was on fire. Dr. couldn't figure out why my hand and arm up to my elbow were swelling so much, since the surgery was above the elbow. After the three days he said he was going to run a test and if it was inconclusive he was going to amputate. The test revealed the severed bloodvessel. Essentially my arm and hand was starving for blood for three days. They called in a vascular specialist in and they grafted an artery from my thigh to bypass the damaged bloodvessel.
The swelling of my hand stayed for weeks. After the swelling went down I had no use of it at all. I can't move any of my fingers or thumb. I went to a hand specialist and he said that the swelling "choked out" the nerve that ran down the inside of my arm to my hand, and would never regain the use of my hand. TheDr. never made any attempt at controlling the swelling either. No ice,cold packs, opening up the hand to relieve pressure(I am not kidding my hand was HUGE!)
Since all this my hand is pretty much shriveled up into a ball where the muscled have contracted. I constantly have "phantom pains" from the nerve damage. I have to take pills that deaden the nerve sensation, and pain meds.
Do any of you more knowledgible persons familiar with malpractice think I have something here? The Dr. that did this said "it can take two years before we really know". I have been told that the statute of limitations is two years to sue for malpractice. Do you think he is telling me to wait 2 years so I cant sue?
Thanks in advance,
CancerSurvivor
I was also holding out for a miracle hoping the Dr. was correct in the matter of my hand coming back around through therapy. Realization has set in that this is the way that I will be.