Had a terrible experience with a spinal injection....

by Otony, Tuesday, May 05, 2020, 11:09 (1445 days ago) @ cable

......but it really had more to do with the doctor’s addiction, rather than his competence.

I had two ruptured discs (L4, L5) along with stinosis (spelling?). My “doctor”, who died soon thereafter of an overdose while sitting on a toilet in the clinic, was a drug addict. This may or may not have been known by the clinic management and staff. It certainly became evident to his nurse.

In short, he was stealing drugs surreptitiously, and in my case, stole whatever drugs should have been used to numb me up before my injections. I received the injections with a tremendous amount of pain, but endured it because I was terrified of something going wrong while there was a needle in my spine. This “doctor” warned me that I had to remain perfectly still, and not move a muscle else there could be consequences.

There were. I felt as though I was being nailed to the table with fishhooks. The pain was easily as bad as trying to pass a kidney stone. When we were done, the good “doctor” rushed out of the room, leaving me with his nurse and x-ray tech, both of whom were very frightened by the amount of pain they had seen me endure. I was drenched with sweat from head to toe, the tabletop was a puddle of sweat.

Both girls kept asking me if I was all right, if I needed medical attention. I pulled myself together and managed to make my way out unaided.

Within a week, the nurse contacted me to tell me that the “doctor” had ODed. She then went on to tell me that she had suspected that he had been stealing drugs from patients for some time, and was getting ready to report him to the clinic. She did so after his death, and then contacted me, probably in violation of many rules.

She was absolutely livid, and told me that my experience had been the end for her. She and the x-ray tech Had both agreed that something about that procedure was very unusual.

In the end, it was hushed up by the clinic. When I happened to speak to the director about it in passing (I knew there was little I could prove) he would neither confirm nor deny it, but was adamant that I tell him where I had heard such a thing.

The experience didn’t shake my faith in the medical system. Doctors, like clergy, have much expected from them, and like so many of us, aren’t always equal to the task. Some men are good, some otherwise.

I’ve never had a spinal injection again, though I would certainly trust you to give me one.

Otony