NBR: Bizarre update about MIL

JCM285

Now I'm not a medical professional in any sense, but I just got word from DH that MIL is being released from the hospital tomorrow which we are really happy about. The doctor at the hospital is attributing her depression to a damaged pituitary gland which I find really weird. MIL had a pretty bad fall about three years ago when she was washing her car while standing on a ladder. But that was three years ago and she didn't sustain any major damage to her head during the incident, nor did she seem depressed for that length of time. She broke some ribs and punctured a lung at the time though. That being said, MIL has basically no plan for what she is supposed to do when she is released to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Is it just me or does this sound like BS to anyone else? Like I said, I am not a medical professional but that sounds like a pretty serious diagnosis with no follow up.

Eora3

I would think she should be seeing a specialist who deals with pituitary gland issues. This also sounds really odd to me. How was this pituitary gland issue diagnosed? At the very least, she should be seeing a doctor or therapist that specializes in disorders caused by traumatic head injuries.

Eora3

Dr Google says that most hormones secreted by the pituitary gland can be replicated through medication if it is damaged.

Could MIL be making this up? Did someone else speak directly to the doctor?

mgk207

Agreed! Something seems fishy. Did you get this information from her or directly from medical staff?

JCM285

The whole thing sounds kind of ridiculous to me. I havent been able to talk to MIL directly. They actually took her phone away to force her to relax at the hospital. FIL is disabled so he can't go over there and talk to her either, but I know he calls the hospital every day and talks to the doctors so I am guessing he is where DH got the information from.

mlee116

Eora3 said:

I would think she should be seeing a specialist who deals with pituitary gland issues. This also sounds really odd to me. How was this pituitary gland issue diagnosed? At the very least, she should be seeing a doctor or therapist that specializes in disorders caused by traumatic head injuries.

This.  I would take her to a specialist to see if you can get more answers.

MIL's first doctor that said her depression was caused by a car accident (a fender bender, really) she was in. He said all of her strange behavior was due to brain trauma and PTSD and basically did nothing because he thought it would correct itself over time.  Her condition got worse until she hit her breaking point and we figured out there were other issues going on.

I'm not saying her doctor is wrong or that her pituitary gland is not the issue.  It could very well be, but don't settle for an answer if you don't feel comfortable with it. There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. 

mgk207

I'm sorry if I've missed something, but is she in a psychiatric unit? If so, the hospital is ethically and legally responsible for making sure she has an after care plan prior to discharge. Whether or not she follows through with recommendations is up to her, but if something were to happen and they hospital didn't at least make a good faith effort to refer her for therapy, pituitary specialist, TBI specialist, etc., they could be liable. I think there's some information being omitted along the way...they should be able to provide a written discharge summary with recommendations outlined.

JCM285

Thanks ladies!! I just got off the phone with FIL. It seems she is supposed to see an oncologist about getting some more tests done to rule out tumors near the pituitary gland I guess but that could take time. FIL is getting recommendations from his cousin who is more knowledgable about the specialists in their area. @mgk207‌ I don't think she was ever admitted to a psychiatric unit because the hospital has been treating it as a physical problem even though the main symptom has been her depression. I could be wrong though. I will actually talk to her on the phone tomorrow. @mlee116‌ thanks for mentioning that about the car accident. Maybe MIL did experience some trauma. It just seemed a bit of a stretch to me and I'm really disappointed that there is no specific guidelines for her to follow. I thought that she would at least get some follow up help. They aren't even helping her to set up the appointment with the oncologist.