Medical records drama... WWYD?

Sophistikitty

Several months ago, shortly after my failed FET, we requested our records from the clinic we cycled at for our DE cycle. When they arrived I flipped through them and as nothing stood out just retired them to my massive IF shelf.  

Last week I had to fax our records to the new clinic and in my effort to ensure that nothing had been missed I went through the records from the DE clinic again; I was stunned. My estrogen figures on two reports for my fresh cycle were missing numbers! The only way I can say this with 100% certainty is I also have my records from my local monitoring clinic, so I could compare what was faxed versus what they purport to have received. The figures the DE clinic sent me were missing the first number – twice! Also there are notes on the sheets in regards to my E2 increase over the previous monitoring appointment which substantiate that they were in fact working with incorrect numbers. My last E2 draw was ten days before transfer and the true figure was 3,746 but the sheet the DE clinic provided in my records says 746! That was the last time my estrogen was checked until my beta.  After the loss the DE doctor said he thought that my estrogen might have been too high.... YAAAAAH!!!!  DH is livid. He doesn’t think it is possible for a fax machine to erase the same vital first digit on two separate reports five days apart. This is the same clinic that you may remember “forgot” to do PGS and it turned out my nurse didn’t check it off on the lab requisition (their admission).  

I really don’t know what to do with this information. At the very least I now have to deal with the fact that a sh***y fax machine likely helped contribute to my loss. 

Mrs.McIrish

Hmm. Ok, I would ask at your consult what the new REs opinion would be if he saw an e2 level over 3700 for a DE transfer vs 700 e2 level. If he thinks it is a big difference, the you complain to the old clinic asking for $ for malpractice. Is there a copy of the monitoring clinic's fax to show what they actually received within the med red package that shows 3746? Or can they say the fax we got said 746? FWIW, my new clinic didn't even test my e2 this DE cycle which I thought was odd. It could have been really high for all I know. Does a high e2 level mean anything "bad" for a transfer? I don't know the answer to this at all.

luvboston

I agree with mc to ask the new re. The only way to truly find out is to have a fax sent from the local monitoring place to you and see how it comes out.

Sophistikitty

Mrs.McIrish said:

Hmm. Ok, I would ask at your consult what the new REs opinion would be if he saw an e2 level over 3700 for a DE transfer vs 700 e2 level. If he thinks it is a big difference, the you complain to the old clinic asking for $ for malpractice. Is there a copy of the monitoring clinic's fax to show what they actually received within the med red package that shows 3746? Or can they say the fax we got said 746? FWIW, my new clinic didn't even test my e2 this DE cycle which I thought was odd. It could have been really high for all I know. Does a high e2 level mean anything "bad" for a transfer? I don't know the answer to this at all.

This is what I am worried about.  There is nothing in the DE clinic’s package that gives any evidence that they received 3746, only the monitoring clinic’s records.  However there is a line down the page of the two sheets in question that the DE clinic received and the pages are several millimeters less in width (lining up the result margins).

In regards to E2 being too high I think that RE’s opinions vary.  I think most are more concerned with lining (mine was 11.9 at the appointment in question and over 13 at transfer).  However, I do have a fax from my monitoring clinic which was in the DE clinic’s records that states there was no Doppler blood flow on the last ultrasound and two cysts.  I also have an email from my DE doctor who after reviewing the images of the last ultrasound (post loss) said, “Everything looked good until the last ultrasound, I suspect your estrogen was too high”.

I know we have other issues that may have contributed to the loss but it just sucks royally when contemplating the fact that the very people you trusted to help you, failed you.

Honestly, I really don’t think I have the energy to go after them.  DH is furious though and wants to figure out who is at fault.  For me, nothing can change what is done.

Sophistikitty

luvboston said:

I agree with mc to ask the new re. The only way to truly find out is to have a fax sent from the local monitoring place to you and see how it comes out.

The trouble is that the transfer was last March, so if they had a crappy fax machine they no doubt would have replaced it by now.  My gut feeling is that the problem was on the other end at the DE clinic. When I questioned my local clinic during the cycle about some of the issues that were going on they actually cc'd me on a few things and the other end was clearly out to lunch. I still have my calendar for my FET that instructed me to keep taking Lupron until transfer!