Meningitis Outbreak Toll Climbing (individuals received injections to help ease pain )

Meningitis outbreak toll climbing (image from articles regarding  outbreak)

As an individual whom was approved by the "VA" to receive injections in my back to help ease the ungodly pain that I suffer daily,  imagine my surprise to discover that there had been an "outbreak" of meningitis and that people had died as a result of receiving injections similar to what I had been receiving!

Upon my last visit at the pain clinic,  I knew something was very wrong.  Immediately after standing,  I could taste the medication and I felt ill.  I thought I was going to vomit and had to sit down.  The back injections this time wasn't like the last.  I was led to a chair and given water to drink.  I was asked if I was okay.  I thought so.  I was feeling sick to my stomach.  Perhaps it was that I had taken my other medications prior to arriving to the pain clinic.  I wasn't sure why I was feeling ill.  There should not have been a reason for tasting the medication in my mouth and was immediately feeling nauseated.   After about five minutes, however,  I decided to leave and go home.

The pain clinic told me to call them if there were any changes.  Later on,  I began to feel better but the back pain did not subside.  My back became inflamed over time and this was not what was suppose to happen.  When an individual receives injections to assist with back pain,  the medication is suppose to remove the pain.  My prior visits were successful,  but not this time. 




Image by the associated press regarding the meningitis outbreak

The pain clinic would make another appointment for me and I left to carry on my day.  Later I would find out there was a Meningitis outbreak and the reason was "Tainted" injectable pain medication similar to what I was receiving.   I heard the news over the television.   I contacted the pain clinic and they assured me that their office never accepted their pain  medication from the  company that was having this issue.  However,  my back would continue to become inflamed and the pain did not subside as it should have after receiving the injections.  It would take a couple of weeks for the medication to completely get out of my system for the inflammation to subside.  I knew there was something very wrong, after the last injections.   Because of this,  I told the pain clinic to cancel my upcoming appointment.  Until this "meningitis outbreak scare"  was completely under control,  I didn't want any part of what was going on whether or not their office was or was not receiving medication from the same company.




Meningitis Outbreak video image

The toll has risen

The CDC has reported that three more deaths has occurred from this meningitis outbreak and that the toll so far has now climbed to 363 cases, thus far!  They have stated that the reason the meningitis outbreak happened in the first place was due to  "contaminated steroids".   This medication is an injectable to help alleviate back pain.  I am so glad that I told the doctor in the very  beginning that I did not want anything to do with having this injectable pain medication going directly to my spine.  That is what the treatment the doctor wanted, for me, in the very beginning,  but I refused this type of treatment.  The reason ?  Because over time,  injectable steroid pain medication can sometimes cause nerves in the spinal area to have severe issues.  Some of those issues may not be reversible for the patient.

When I saw my primary doctor just recently (and I discussed the issue with my pain doctor as well),  I told him that I began noticing issues with "tail bone"  pain after the last injections in my back.  Not only was my back becoming inflamed and hurting more.....but I was actually having extreme pain in the "tail bone"  itself.  So much pain in fact,  that it hurt to sit.  I am constantly having to shift from one side to the other and this  thoracic, herniated disc is causing extreme pain on the left side.  It wouldn't matter how much medication a doctor injects in that area,  the medication doesn't go deep enough to subside the pain.  That is why the doctor wanted to do a "spinal" and I refused.  Now that this meningitis outbreak has happened,  I am thankful that I did refuse.  I continue to look for the symptoms and continue to worry whether or not the pain clinic that I went to obtained any of the medication that was contaminated.  Their office did have a very large sign telling their patients they did not receive any medication that was contaminated,  but still.  That doesn't tell the patients not to be concerned or to stay vigilant.   I know that my doctors are great in what they do.  I know that my doctors are very concerned in what is going on.  They are taking this meningitis issue extremely seriously.  They would never put their patients in harms way.  But I did notice something was very different with my last injections and that something was very wrong.  I did bring that to their attention.   Because of this  meningitis outbreak and my concerns regarding the last injections I received,   I cancelled my appointment as well as any further future injections.  

Aquatic Therapy

For those whom have Thoracic herniated disc issues or particular back issues,  I was told by my doctor that aquatic therapy can help.  I have been trying to get the "VA"  to approve such therapy.  Since I have been working on other things and haven't had time to deal with the "VA" as of yet (dealing with the VA is like trying to pull teeth from a dragon),  I will eventually get to them regarding this issue.   I am very sensitive to medications in general and aquatic therapy seems ideal.

I had spoken to the "VA" about approving me for the YMCA but they told me it was "too expensive".  I am "too young"  for particular programs that are less expensive at senior homes (because I am not a senior citizen) so it is very difficult to get the "VA"  ( programs for disabled veterans such as myself) to approve much.   To date,  because I've done alot of kicking and screaming...(if you want to put in those words)....with  the "VA" and TO the "VA"  regarding what I believe they should be doing for disabled veterans (because I am a certified DAV officer for disabled veterans...their spouses as well as their children) some things changed for what they "approved"  for disabled veterans.  One of the things they began approving was the injectable medications outside of the Veteran's hospital here in Salisbury,  NC.  

I continued to complain,  complain and then complained some more about receiving injectable medications regarding pain.  Not just for myself,  but for all disabled veterans.   Many medications that disabled veterans receive from the "VA" hospitals are outdated and antiquated!  My battles with the VA hospitals have been very long and drawn out.  We have had to repeatedly go around in circles.   Much of the time they claim they have not received data from me or the doctors that has indeed sent them data.   These hospitals deliberately drop the ball on disabled veterans because they do NOT want to ante up!   It's red tape from the word "go" !  Do not even get me started when it comes to the "VA"  hospitals...or the "VA" itself.  That is another story for another day and completely infuriates me due to frustration.   From the patients advocates office,  to their higher ups, then back down and around again,  my battles with them has been multiple.  From threats of writing congress to threats of marching into the office of whom ever I needed to march into, I have let these "VA" hospitals know that I am not going to idle by and accept their "bullshit" or ill treatment.   I've had shouting matches with numerous patient advocates.  I am a disabled veteran and I deserve to be properly treated with the proper medications.  All disabled veterans deserve to be properly treated and deserve the proper medications.  I've listened to how multiple disabled veterans are spoken to by some of these advocates and its absurd at best!   Don't even get me started regarding the "VA" hospitals and how many disabled veterans are improperly treated by the staff or their doctors.  While many hospitals are being updated,  there is still much work that needs to be done for disabled veterans.

There are four states whom thus far  have not reported at least one case of meningitis:  California, Nevada, West Virginia and Connecticut.


"Nearly 1,000 people in Tennessee  may have received injections from the three recalled lots containing 17,676 vials of potentially tainted steroid, Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. John Dreyzehner said on Monday.  "   http://news.yahoo.com/health-officials-enlist-police-growing-meningitis-scare-171321026.html

The specialty pharmacy that made the tainted injectable medication is in Massachusetts.  Even though the tainted medication has since been recalled, new cases appear to continue.  According to recent news reports,  this specialty pharmacy has since been shut down.

The specialty pharmacy  that produced the contaminated medications that has been linked to the unprecedented fungal meningitis outbreak continues to face mounting scrutiny over whether it illegally sold drugs to multiple medical facilities.  To date,  the death toll continues to climb.

By Greg McCune

CHICAGO | Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:58pm EDT http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/13/us-usa-health-meningitis-idUSBRE8970TQ20121013

The above article was written by Dee Gerrish,  October 31, 2012.


Articles about the meningitis outbreak:

http://news.msn.com/science-technology/meningitis-outbreak-toll-363-cases-28-deaths

http://news.yahoo.com/health-officials-enlist-police-growing-meningitis-scare-171321026.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/13/us-usa-health-meningitis-idUSBRE8970TQ20121013