Joined: 07 Jan 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Spanaway WA
Nowhere to Turn-broken Femur Titanium Rod Cram 1.5" Int Posted: 01-07-06 22:24pm
Hi there, I would appreciate any advice
you may have for me, this is my last
chance to get a desperately needed surgery
and I don't know what else to do or where
to turn. I'm 32 and don't want to limp
and spend the rest of my life in this kind
of pain.
I was t boned at 80mph on oct 31, 2004.
I broke my femur and the trauma Dr. Put a
titanium rod in. It seemed to be fine so
he sent me back to work 3 months later.
The day he signed my work release he had
taken an x-ray. Looking back, that xray
shows that the breakage had already
started (and the rod had begun to stick
out the top of my femur by 1/2".
Standing on the healing bone all day at
work (even though I was only working 18hrs
a week) caused the bones to actually crush
together leaving the rod nowhere to go but
jamming into my hip now by 1-1/2".
My Dr. Told me that I needed a rod
replacement surgery but they wouldn't do
it until I put half the money down because
i'm uninsured. He only did the original
surgery because he was the trauma Dr.
Called to the er that night.
Besides this, despite my constant
complaining about my knee to my p.T. And
to my ortho dr, it took me going to
another dr and him sending me out for an
mri which found that I also had a torn
miniscus in my knee the whole time.
Anyways, I just filed chapter 13 debt
reorganization bankruptcy on the first
$90,000 medical bills and i'm still in
need of another surgery. I make too much
for public assistance even though it's
barely enough to survive - I can only
stand to work 3 days a week with the
constant pain.
The man that hit me was only insured for
the wa state minimum of $25,000, so him
paying for the surgery isn't one of my
options. My first visitor at the
hospital was a police officer that is a
friend of mine, he told me that the the
cop was brand new and only gave this
driver a negligent instead of an
appropriate reckless driving ticket, he
also wasn't tested for dwi. If he would
have been ticketed correctly, I would have
been eligible for victims of violent crime
compensation.
I'm really starting to worry that I may
not be able to get this badly needed
surgery. I would be so grateful if anyone
knows of any programs for someone in my
situation. I have all of my xrays on hand
if that helps any.
Thanks in advance,
tara
|
Tamadrummer
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 710 Location: Zephyrhills,Fl
Posted: 01-07-06 22:50pm
You may want to try to find a malpractice
attorney. It appears as though you were
sent back to work with a poorly healing
bone fracture and since the surgeon that
did the original surgery is also the same
doc that sent you to work after misreading
the films and not seeing the break in your
last x-ray prior to release.
You need to go in and check out your films
without telling them your intent to use
this as evidence in a malpractice suit.
You cannot be help responsible for the
actions the started with being t-boned,
than a rookie police officer giving a
lighter ticket than he should have, than a
surgeon that will not help you because you
are underinsured and so you got the bare
minimum he had to give you post accident
and now you cannot work, need more surgery
and do not have the proper insurance to
help. This injury wont be covered when
you do get insurance because it happend
while you were non-insured.
An attorney and his/her prefered
physicians are about the only way you are
going to get this taken care of. Since
you know suing the guy that hit you isn't
going to help and since the doctor is
actually reponsible for your further
injuries, his malpractice insurance is
what you can hope for to help you get
fixed.
