Not Given Medication???

[Seumas]

To keep this short and sweet - here is the deal.

My Mom has been on Synthroid (sp?) since 1976 when it was discovered her thryoid was not working at all. She has taken it ever since. In January 2013 she fell and broke her leg in 2 places. She was admitted to the same hospital she has always gone to all these years and was there for about a week.

She was then discharged to a rehab facility and was there for 60 days. A couple of weeks into her stay, when I would visit her I would notice that her speech was slurred. Her cheeks were sometimes very very puffy and she seemed to always be very tired. I contributed the sleepiness to her being on dialysis three times a week (she has been on dialysis for almost a year) and her rehab that they were doing with her every day for a couple of hours. Her slurring concerned me and I often left there very upset and concerned as to what was going on. I did talk to the medical staff who told they saw so difference, heard no slurring etc. I even called her dialysis nurses and spoke to them about this. She was showing no signs of a stroke and the slurring was not ALWAYS present, but it was definitley there more than it was not.

After she came home, her at home rehab people told her to go and get a minor physical with her PCP since she was now home. She did, and labs were drawn just to do a check up on her since she has so much going on. (Diabetes - end stage renal disease - heart murmur - low and high BP - broken tibia/fibia - thyroid...etc) My Mom's physician called her that evening, after her appt and told her that her TSH level was dangerously high. Normal is 0.3 - 4.0 and my Mom's was 300. The doctor than explained to her all of the symptoms that can go along with this being that high and my Mom had most of them - thankfully she did not have (yet) the worst one and that is slipping into a coma. Her doctor was very concerned and may a call to the rehab faciltity that she was at who explained that the med Synthroid was not on my Mom's med list that came with her when she was admitted to them from the hospital.

We have requested her med recoreds from the hospital and from what we can tell - they do have that med listed. Now I am waiting on her med records from the rehab facility.

My Mom has not been "well" for weeks. Her immune system has been horrible - she has been sick in some way shape or form (uppper resp stuff etc) since probably the end of January. Her TSH levels explains the slurring - the puffiness - her being lethargic - her not being able to get over a cold - her tough skin etc.

I am sick with the fact that this happened to her. Her PCP told me this is kind of "normal" that things get "lost" or "miscommunicated" when a patient changes facilities? Is this normal? I can't believe they can just STOP giving her a med that she has been on for all these years! Her PCP told us it will take a month for her levels to come down and she is confident they will, but in the meantime it will be awhile before she starts to feel better.

Please give me some direction. Thank you.

[Dorren]

SnglMom2: Her PCP explained this really is type of "regular" that issues get "dropped" or "miscommunicated" whenever a individual modifications amenities? <br />
Whenever a individual modifications caregivers if they are used in another ground within the same service or shifted to some other service the likelihood of a conversation mistake get way up.  when it's in one service to a different has become the highest. <br />
SnglMom2:is that this regular?<br />
Regular?  Number however it does occur and treatment mistakes is among the greatest issues in medication.  <br />
SnglMom2: I can not think they are able to simply QUIT providing her a med that she's been on for several these decades!<br />
They are able to if it's not requested on her.  although it might have been on the listing of medicines she required within the clinic, when the rehabilitation managing physician wasn't made aware it was a maintenance serving and never a short-term medicine then it gets overlooked.  Area of The issue is individuals also include QUANTITIES of info and occasionally things overcome looked.<br />
That doesn't imply that it's ok.  Fortunately your mom may recover without severe damage therefore the likelihood of an attorney getting this like a match is impossible.  that doesn't imply you will find not choices.  their state company that permits treatment faciliteis, hospitals, and rehabilitation facililites includes a problem procedure that's customized for the mom's scenario.  A criticism may AND REALLY SHOULD be produced for them so they may examine whether this really is an isolated event or this service includes a severe procedure issue that requires to become corrected. <br />
Regardless of the common perception that medical companies are inexperienced and out to fleece the individuals, this seriously isn't accurate.  Many companies do their best to supply excellent treatment but even if they are doing they're nevertheless individual and people may still make errors.  they would like to a great work around you would like them to.  all the best together with your mom.