Amazing to think that one little needle in 2007 has had such an effect on our lives.
It's about time Australia got it's act together (in so many ways) and provided immediate no-fault compensation to those who have adverse effects from immunisation. More info here in the Medical Journal of Australia. The MJA. They put forward a case for providing for those people instead of them having to go through an adversarial court case when they are already dealing with life changing circumstances.
This sounds fair.. don't you think??
No-fault compensation, based on the ethical principle of redistributive justice, should form a cornerstone of Australia’s immunisation strategy
This might also allow the 'treatment' of the patient to be more co-hesive. The Man in his clinical notes some ignorant Dr had the nerve to actually write that this condition which we now know is Transverse Myelitis, was 'ALL IN HIS HEAD'.
He was bundled off to see a Dr who specialised in Geriontology. Hmmmm at 41 years of age they sent him to see a Dr looking at the effects of aging. She took one look at him and told him he needed to see a Neurologist. That it was NOT in his head as his notes stated.
Maybe with a no-fault system he would not have been treated like a 'law suit waiting to happen'. Just maybe he might have had the medical tests and treatment that could have arrived at the diagnosis in a more timely manner. Rather than waiting from the injection in Feb 2007 to Diagnosis of TM in June 2011 while investigation after investigation occurred. Maybe his symptoms might have been treated more aggressively with the appropriate medication instead of 'paracetamol' for neuraligea
I know that he has a rare condition... but surely there is a checklist that Dr's go by... when a patient starts to present with (and I have only picked the symptoms he had.. not all the TM symptoms. Remembering also that at this point he WAS A PATIENT IN THE HOSPITAL. A major teaching hospital at that... and we are grateful (seriously) that he was still in the hospital after a nurse when flushing a canula the Dr's wanted remove created 30cm clot in his forearm. He didn't arrive with a full set of symptoms.. they were watching as it happened as it happened. They had front row seats..
sudden paresthesias - (abnormal sensations such as burning, tickling, pricking, or tingling) in the legs, sensory loss,
paraparesis (partial paralysis of the legs).
Paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower part of the trunk).
Urinary bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Muscle spasms, a general feeling of discomfort,
headache
fever
Oh and respiratory problems as well.
Add to that voice - vocal cords weren't working
Ear cramp... in the ear.
Are there THAT many conditions with the same symptoms? Really? AND AND AND... I've just put in the symptoms in an online diagnosis ... which I don't think is the right thing to do at all if you are experiencing any of these symptoms NOW.. I was just checking to see if it could come up with a diagnosis and YES.. acute Tranverse Myeltis is on the list.
So in my frustration... I managed with the same information and symptoms SPECIALISTS were seeing and hearing my husband complain of AS IT HAPPENED to get a diagnosis from a computer program..
Ok VENT over for today. I know he received the very best of care at the time. BUT how bloody frustrating it is to be in his shoes - our shoes. He might have received the injection but as a family WE are all victims/survivors of the adverse reaction he had.
