Far too often, the media presents a story of a tragic misdiagnosis which unfortunately leads to a preventable death, irreparable loss, and too many questions. This time, however, the Times Records News (from the online Wichita Falls community) offers a hopeful portrait of a family touched by multiple incorrect treatments of hydrocephalus and the fateful opportunity to rectify the missteps.
Reporter Joi Louviere captures the time line of survivor Jimmy Nowell, who in 2006 was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and received the respective treatment. With no quantifiable progress, doctors re-diagnosed Nowell with Alzheimer’s later that year and re-assigned his treatment. Both diagnoses proved incorrect; Nowell suffered from the treatable condition of normal pressure hydrocephalus.
As mentioned on the blog section of Gabriel’s Life before, America holds a saddening toll of misdiagnoses of NPH. The New York Times reported only last month that nearly 50,000 to 375,000 are supposedly misdiagnosed as suffering from diseases nowhere near NPH. If properly treated, hydrocephalus can stop being such a life-changing and -limiting condition for those who suffer from it.
Currently, there are many forums to find answers to and discuss potentially-misdiagnosed cases of hydrocephalus. Wrongdiagnosis.com offers a basic FAQ guide with surveys, stories, and medical articles. John Hopkins also offers an entire Web site devoted to hydrocephalus, with the devoted purpose “to eliminate the misdiagnosis that commonly occurs to our patients and provide the best medical and surgical treatment; so they can regain their health and continue to lead productive, meaningful lives.”
Luckily, Jimmy Nowell eventually received proper diagnosis for his condition. Calling it a miracle, Nowell received the necessary neurological surgical procedure to prevent the hydrocephalus from deteriorating his brain even more. There are, however, still unlucky ones.
If you fear a loved one has been misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, brain cancer, or anything else, do not hesitate to visit sites like the Hydrocephalus Association’s. Information and answers can be found readily to help you decide if asking a doctor about NPH is the right thing.