50/60 year old Amnesia Victim Savannah, GA Thread #2

[SeriouslySearching]

This is what the nurse previously said: He has a scar across the front of the neck that is most likely from cervical disk surgery. He has two parallel scars on his left elbow and believes it pertains to reparative surgery on the elbow that most likely entails surgical implantation of pins and/or plates. He believes the elbow surgery dates back to his 20's and is not very clear about the cervical surgery timeframe.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I some how don't think they would have tested for anything and everything He is a uninsured they'd only do enough to keep him alive and it's all that's required I think

I would think it would be required of them to do adequate testing in response to his medical condition of Amnesia. Would they have treated his burns, his bruises, and given him an IV for dehydration then simply stopped because he could be indigent and uninsured?

If this was the case, I would recommend he seek legal counsel because they could have missed something which has caused this seemingly permanent state of Amnesia and could have been possible to treat initially.

 

[benjamankyle]

Bingo!!!

I some how don't think they would have tested for anything and everything He is a uninsured they'd only do enough to keep him alive and it's all that's required I think

 

[Chloekins]

I would think it would be required of them to do adequate testing in response to his medical condition of Amnesia. Would they have treated his burns, his bruises, and given him an IV for dehydration then simply stopped because he could be indigent and uninsured?

If this was the case, I would recommend he seek legal counsel because they could have missed something which has caused this seemingly permanent state of Amnesia and could have been possible to treat initially.

We need to keep in mind that a lot of information concerning the sharing of the details of his injuries and subsequent treatment are limited under HIPPA.

When he was brought to the emergency room he would have had a full blood panel and liver functions test in addition to full body x-rays, MRIs etc. This is how they came up with the cervical surgery. This has nothing to do with insurance or ability to pay. This has to due with good medicine. No attending physician would treat a comatose patient without detailed information. A) it would be unethical and B) thats just asking for a lawsuit. I know that the real reason that we are not getting this information is either Mr. Kyle never bothered to ask what his emergency medical care consisted of or the nurses and physicians who attended him are unable to share details because of the bonds of HIPPA.

I am beginning to wonder if the cervical surgery which more than likely resulted in fusion of the damaged disks and the reconstructive surgery were not the overall effect of a severely traumatic event such as a car accident. This would make sense. This leads me to further postulate that perhaps trouble with memory is not a new situation for Mr. Kyle. I wonder if this has plagued him for the past 20 yrs (since his accident) and thus is why the past two decades seem to be gone.

 

[phenolred]

It seems he HAS sought legal help and help from the congressman...

The Hopitial that treated him wants $800.00 for his medical records BUT he cant WORK because he has NO ss #.....

Here is the info from the original article


Georgia Legal Services was trying to help him obtain a Social Security number, but they hit a wall when Memorial Health wanted $800 to obtain copies of his medical records, said U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga.
Kyle said things started to turn around a bit last month after a friend wrote to Kingston for help.
"We're just thinking there is some family out there who may have written him off like he's dead," Kingston said. "We get lots of oddball cases that come through our office, but we've never had one like this."
But even though a police report was issued, it's still not enough for the Social Security Administration.
"You can't get a replacement Social Security number by walking in there and saying you have amnesia. He does not know his name, his Social Security number or where he was born. He has no picture ID," said Trish DePriest, Kingston's district case manager. "That's why we are at square one."

The congressman's office is trying to get the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta to provide psychiatric help for the man, including hypnosis.
"It's a very interesting mystery, but it's also very sad when you consider there has to be some family out there somewhere," Kingston said.
Kyle said he tries not to think about a family or what he might be missing out on.
He worries he might never find out - or, if he does, he might not like the person he was, he said.
Kyle considers himself a walking missing person's poster: The more people see him, the more chances he has that someone might know him.
"I have nothing from my old life," he said. "I just hope someone recognizes me."

 

[Chloekins]

It seems he HAS sought legal help and help from the congressman...

The Hopitial that treated him wants $800.00 for his medical records BUT he cant WORK because he has NO ss #.....

Here is the info from the original article


Georgia Legal Services was trying to help him obtain a Social Security number, but they hit a wall when Memorial Health wanted $800 to obtain copies of his medical records, said U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga.
Kyle said things started to turn around a bit last month after a friend wrote to Kingston for help.
"We're just thinking there is some family out there who may have written him off like he's dead," Kingston said. "We get lots of oddball cases that come through our office, but we've never had one like this."
But even though a police report was issued, it's still not enough for the Social Security Administration.
"You can't get a replacement Social Security number by walking in there and saying you have amnesia. He does not know his name, his Social Security number or where he was born. He has no picture ID," said Trish DePriest, Kingston's district case manager. "That's why we are at square one."

The congressman's office is trying to get the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta to provide psychiatric help for the man, including hypnosis.
"It's a very interesting mystery, but it's also very sad when you consider there has to be some family out there somewhere," Kingston said.
Kyle said he tries not to think about a family or what he might be missing out on.
He worries he might never find out - or, if he does, he might not like the person he was, he said.
Kyle considers himself a walking missing person's poster: The more people see him, the more chances he has that someone might know him.
"I have nothing from my old life," he said. "I just hope someone recognizes me."

There simply has to be more to this story. Under HIPAA regulations a patient has the right to access and obtian a copy of their medical records. This is a federal law. The fact that the hospital is holding the records in request for a fee leads me to believe that there are many details we are not privy too.

 

[phenolred]

I looked this up for Georgia, You have to pay a fee and cost for copying the pages. So, maybe he has soooo many pages the fee is $800.00


http://medicalboard.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,26729866_27509335_27165592,00.html

You are entitled to a copy of your medical records under most circumstances after providing the physician with a signed release and paying the required fees as set by state law. If you still cannot obtain your records, you may file a complaint with the Medical Board. HIPAA regulations may also apply. Below is a sample note of what you should say in writing to request the record(s):

How do I obtain a copy of my hospital medical record? Instead of addressing your letter (please refer to previous question) to an individual physician, you should call the hospital and find out who is in charge of the Medical Records Department for the hospital. By calling ahead of time, you will be able to inquire about the cost of providing this service. You may have to put your request in writing and then receive correspondence seeking payment for the copying charges in advance.

 

[phenolred]

found this one too

http://www.shepherd.org/about/records.asp
Fees
Under Georgia law, you may be charged a fee for administrative and copying services. These fees can change from year to year. For a current fee schedule regarding release of information, please contact the Health Information Department at 404-350-7325. Fees are waived for copies provided directly to a health care provider for continuing medical care.

 

[phenolred]

Awhile back I had wondered if this could have been a sexual assualt which might explain the lack of clothing. I was looking up amnesia and just happened to find this about the Date Rape drug called GHB seems it can cause coma,s and amnesia. I wonder if BK could have been on a business trip and had meet people in the area into bondage or S&M and it was a consentula thing and maybe they slipped him GHB and they panicked because they thought he was dead and just dumped him.

GHB (Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate)
GHB was banned in the United States in 1990 and approved only for medical use in July 2002 for the treatment of narcolepsy. Prior to the ban, it was marketed and sold at health food stores as both a sleep-aid and a body building supplement.

The effects of GHB:
GHB is a central nervous system depressant. Effects occur within 10-15 minutes after ingestion and last 2-3 hours unless combined with alcohol, where effects can last 20-30 hours. Large doses of GHB can produce sleep within five minutes. Once in your system the drug can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, dehydration, seizures, respiratory depression, hallucinations, giddiness, disinhibition and unconsciousness. When mixed with alcohol, GHB can cause coma and/or death.

GHB can cause partial or complete amnesia, meaning you may not be able to remember anything you did or anything that was done to you while under the influence of the drug.

 

[phenolred]

Interesting article on amnesia, seems GHB would not cause long lasting amensia...I also wonder if they have given him this drug that helps amnesia???

http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/Amnesia.html

How is amnesia diagnosed?
A mental health professional will want to take a careful personal history.
Causes of amnesia can include:
External trauma, such as a blow to the head
Internal trauma, such as stroke
Exposure to a toxic substances such as carbon monoxide
Inadequate diet
Brain tumors
Seizures

How is amnesia treated?
Psychotherapy can be helpful for people whose amnesia is caused by emotional trauma. For instance, hypnosis may help some patients/clients recall forgotten memories.
Sometimes it is appropriate to administer a drug called Amytal (sodium amobarbital) to people suffering from amnesia. The medicine helps some people recall their lost memories

 

[Chloekins]

Interesting article on amnesia, seems GHB would not cause long lasting amensia...I also wonder if they have given him this drug that helps amnesia???

http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/Amnesia.html

How is amnesia diagnosed?
A mental health professional will want to take a careful personal history.
Causes of amnesia can include:
External trauma, such as a blow to the head
Internal trauma, such as stroke
Exposure to a toxic substances such as carbon monoxide
Inadequate diet
Brain tumors
Seizures

How is amnesia treated?
Psychotherapy can be helpful for people whose amnesia is caused by emotional trauma. For instance, hypnosis may help some patients/clients recall forgotten memories.
Sometimes it is appropriate to administer a drug called Amytal (sodium amobarbital) to people suffering from amnesia. The medicine helps some people recall their lost memories

I think you may be spot on in the amount of administration/copying fees being the reason for the $800. The files could have been stored off site in addition to other fees a hospital can dream up and believe me they can and do!

As far as Amytal that drug is primarily given to people with insomnia. Im sure that it is often used off-label but as far as I know clinically it is only approved to be used in cases where someone has anxiety and/or chronic insomnia.

I just looked it up on the PDR and it does mention a use in unresponsive epilepsy cases. I do not think this would be helpful in memory resolution as barbiturates tend to cause memory loss.

If I get a bit of free time today I will access my hospitals journal records and see if I can dig up any information about amensia. My expertise is not mental health and so therefore I know nothing about this topic. Ill jot down any pertinant information that I find in case anyone else in my shoes.

 

[christine2448]

*note to self* left off

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

What about rivastigmine for treating his amnesia?

I think you may be spot on in the amount of administration/copying fees being the reason for the $800. The files could have been stored off site in addition to other fees a hospital can dream up and believe me they can and do!

As far as Amytal that drug is primarily given to people with insomnia. Im sure that it is often used off-label but as far as I know clinically it is only approved to be used in cases where someone has anxiety and/or chronic insomnia.

I just looked it up on the PDR and it does mention a use in unresponsive epilepsy cases. I do not think this would be helpful in memory resolution as barbiturates tend to cause memory loss.

If I get a bit of free time today I will access my hospitals journal records and see if I can dig up any information about amensia. My expertise is not mental health and so therefore I know nothing about this topic. Ill jot down any pertinant information that I find in case anyone else in my shoes.

 

[Chloekins]

What about rivastigmine for treating his amnesia?

The only use that I know of rivastigmine being used in is dementia with or without full presentation of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. His amnesia is less a wasting of the brain matter and more of damage to the hippocampus due to lesion or injury. I would be hesitant to cross the line from use of this drug in manifestations of disease into use for psychological dysfunction. Does that make sense?

 

[SeriouslySearching]

We need to keep in mind that a lot of information concerning the sharing of the details of his injuries and subsequent treatment are limited under HIPPA.

When he was brought to the emergency room he would have had a full blood panel and liver functions test in addition to full body x-rays, MRIs etc. This is how they came up with the cervical surgery. This has nothing to do with insurance or ability to pay. This has to due with good medicine. No attending physician would treat a comatose patient without detailed information. A) it would be unethical and B) thats just asking for a lawsuit. I know that the real reason that we are not getting this information is either Mr. Kyle never bothered to ask what his emergency medical care consisted of or the nurses and physicians who attended him are unable to share details because of the bonds of HIPPA.

If you read into the nurse's post to Al_B..."Bingo!"...sounds to me like they witheld such tests and treatment. She never said they found any proof of cervical surgery. They are only guessing this is what the scar on his neck could be from. They don't even know if his elbow has pins or plates, which I have questioned repeatedly as this would only take a simple x-ray. A good Ortho surgeon could tell them what the injury was.

Phenol~ Contacting a Congressman or Dept. of Human Services is not the type of legal help I meant at all. I meant an Attorney to represent him! If the hospital failed to run such tests (as Cloekins mentioned) immediately after he was diagnosed with Amnesia (which he had when brought in...but probably wasn't diagnosed with for awhile afterward) then they could be responsible. A court order could obtain the medical files without the fee.

 

[phenolred]

i want suggesting we contact a congressman, it seems they have already done that. But the article says this

Georgia Legal Services was trying to help him obtain a Social Security number

I was assuming Georgia Legal Services was some type of "free" legal assitance, seems they got the congressman involved

 

[phenolred]

Yep its seems like what they ( georgia legal services) are
http://www.glsp.org/

they have been helping him.

But legally they can charge a fee for copying the medical records etc. Maybe he needs to have a fundraiser to help raise the money. But the thing it DID say was that records can be transferred to a new doctor for no charge for ongoing treatment. Maybe he has already got this taken care of and has the records already. Nurse are you watching could you let us know if this has been resolved?

 

[Chloekins]

If you read into the nurse's post to Al_B..."Bingo!"...sounds to me like they witheld such tests and treatment. She never said they found any proof of cervical surgery. They are only guessing this is what the scar on his neck could be from. They don't even know if his elbow has pins or plates, which I have questioned repeatedly as this would only take a simple x-ray. A good Ortho surgeon could tell them what the injury was.
quote]
Is the nurse that is Mr. Kyle's spokes person a RN or a MA? Wasn’t this nurse connected with Mr. Kyle after he was placed in a long term care facility which was almost 3 years after he was found? Or was she an employee of the Medical center he was transferred to 2 weeks after admittance to the original hospital? Was she present during the original emergency admittance or an attending nurse during follow up care at said hospital? These are all pertinent questions before I assume that she has a solid ground from which to determine what was and was not done during admittance.

I just can not wrap my head around this scenario. An unresponsive unconscious man is brought into the ER. He has blunt force trauma to the face and head. He is sun burned and covered in ant bites. Paramedics relay the information that there are possible neurological problems.

Doctors refuse to do any x-ray analysis but merely treat the gentleman’s superficial wounds. Scaring is noted on both neck, jaw and elbow but these are not deemed related to current injuries. CT determined to not be needed regardless of the fact that there are 3 depressions along the side of the head consistent with object being used to create trauma.

No blood work is done to see if the gentleman in question is on any medications or has any medical conditions. He is merely hooked up to an IV and given fluids but no pain medications because there is no blood work to correlate to.

Make sense? Not to me either. There is no way that this man did not receive a full blood/liver panel’s, CT (for the trauma to the head), x-rays (for possible broken bones) and a neurological consultation (to determine full extent of injuries). These are guidelines that all emergency medicine physicians follow. This is done before anyone even knows whether the patient has insurance or not. If a patient has prolonged LOC and a possible neurological problem there is no way in heck the physician would not order all of the above mentioned procedures and that’s just the beginning. This man underwent a lot of consultations and tests, I guarantee it.

At some point in time his PCP determined that he was in exceptional good health and did not need any medications to maintain this state of health. He was routinely and continually monitored for two weeks at the original hospital at which time he was determined to be healthy enough for transfer to another facility albeit semiconscious. He eventually ended up at the JC Lewish Health Center whose main purpose is care of the indigent population.


Here is something I found from the website:
Benjamin Kyle:
Benjamin Kyle has made great strides in the process to piecing his life back together. When Benjamin was referred to Union Mission’s Grace House from Memorial Medical Center, it appeared he was functionally blind, suffering from memory loss, and just barely beginning his recovery from a recent surgery. Because of the seriousness of his condition, Mr. Kyle was transferred from Grace House to the J. C. Lewis Health Center for respite care.

While at J. C. Lewis Health Center, Mr. Kyle underwent more surgery to help correct his vision problems. Union Mission collaborated with the Knights Templar Eye Foundation to assist with funding the procedures necessary to restore Mr. Kyle’s vision. Staying at the J. C. Lewis Health Center for the duration of his post-operative care ensured the success of his recovery. As soon as he was able, Mr. Kyle began to read anything that he could; for so long he had been unable to see the basic things that most people take for granted.

Mr. Kyle currently is the resident manager of the J. C. Lewis Health Center. He gained this position by assisting staff members with small duties and was eventually hired as one of the center’s live in managers. Mr. Kyle continues to give accolades to Union Mission staff for helping restore his health so he could begin his new life.

Source: http://www.unionmission.org/health_center.asp

 

[phenolred]

He no longer works there here is the information from the original article ( the one that started this thread from the 1st post), I think it might benefit everyone to go back and read this and it may help refresh your memory
It is from Spet 2007
http://savannahnow.com/node/364434

In November 2004, he was taken to the J.C. Lewis Health Center, where his story became legendary, he said. Nurses and other patients would quiz him in an attempt to ignite a memory.
They never succeeded, he said.
While at J.C. Lewis, Kyle's physical injuries healed. The fire-ant bites went away, and his back grew stronger. His blindness, which doctors diagnosed as bad cataracts, was repaired by donated surgery.
Kyle achieved such good health that he started to work at the medical center. He did building maintenance, changed beds and helped with patients.
He worked for a year and a half as a residence manager, but he was never paid, Kyle said.
The Rev. Micheal Elliott, president of Union Mission Inc., said Kyle's recompense was free shelter, free food and free medical assistance.
"Because we couldn't establish his identity, I could only pay him illegally without a Social Security number," Elliott said. "We found ourselves in a moral dilemma. We took care of this guy for more than a year, but we can't break the law. So Benjaman got frustrated and left, against our wishes."

On May 31, Kyle grew weary of not earning a paycheck and left J.C. Lewis - the only home he had known, he said.
Since then, Kyle has moved back and forth among the homes of friends. Most of them are nurses and people he met at J.C. Lewis.
He works whatever odd jobs he can find for under-the-table cash to buy food and clothing.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Make sense? Not in the least! There is no way that this man did not receive a full blood/liver panel’s, CT (for the trauma to the head), x-rays (for possible broken bones) and a neurological consultation (to determine full extent of injuries). These are guidelines that all emergency medicine physicians follow. This is done before anyone even knows whether the patient has insurance or not. If a patient has prolonged LOC and a possible neurological problem there is no way in heck the physician would not order all of the above mentioned procedures and that’s just the beginning. This man underwent a lot of consultations and tests, I guarantee it. I totally agree! Does he have short term memory loss ongoing which would prevent him from remembering anything the original medical staff told him? They had to tell him the results of those tests. He would surely remember a few items. [/COLOR]

Here is something I found from the website:
Benjamin Kyle:
Benjamin Kyle has made great strides in the process to piecing his life back together. When Benjamin was referred to Union Mission’s Grace House from Memorial Medical Center, it appeared he was functionally blind, suffering from memory loss, and just barely beginning his recovery from a recent surgery.

What surgery was this?