Woman sues doctors: treated for ovarian cancer, has cancer of the appendix

[thewayne]

Here's the kicker: the lawsuit claims the treatments damaged their sexual relationship, and they're lesbians.

I've never heard of appendix cancer, I guess any organ can get it. I definitely don't get how the doctors could make such a misdiagnosis, unless the ovaries are right next to the appendix. I don't know enough about anatomy except to know that there's a bunch of stuff down there in the pelvic girdle.

http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1548645

Lesbian couple files malpractice suit

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:00 a.m. ET

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A lesbian couple filed a medical malpractice lawsuit Tuesday claiming cancer treatments damaged their sexual relationship. Their attorneys say it is the first lawsuit of its kind under Connecticut's civil unions law.

Margaret Mueller and Charlotte Stacey are suing two doctors, accusing them of treating Mueller for ovarian cancer when she actually had cancer of the appendix. They contend Mueller underwent years of devastating chemotherapy treatments while the real cancer spread.

"I think it's any patient's worst fear that everything they're doing to treat themselves is for naught," said Joshua Koskoff, an attorney for the couple.

Connecticut's civil union law, passed last year, allowed Stacey also to sue for the harm to her relationship, known as a loss of consortium claim, Koskoff said. Before the law gave gay couples the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples in Connecticut, only a married partner could seek that compensation.

Attorneys for the doctors, Iris Wertheim and Isidore Tepler, say the two provided appropriate care for a complex illness.

Eric Stockman, Wertheim's attorney, said he does not plan to challenge Stacey's right to be added to the lawsuit.

Mueller and Stacey were domestic partners for 21 years and were joined in a civil union on Nov. 12, 2005, according to the lawsuit.

The original lawsuit was filed earlier this year on Mueller's behalf. The new lawsuit was amended in Stamford Superior Court to seek damages on Stacey's behalf as well.

Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This story and its comments expire 30 days after original publication date.

Comments

cancer of the appendix

[askshana.livejournal.com]

Too odd - I only heard of cancer of the appendix last week when my sister's mother in law was diagnosed with it last week. They went in to do an appendectomy and wound up taking out a piece of her colon too. I don't know what to think about the lawsuit tho.

Re: cancer of the appendix

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

It seems to me, in my thoroughly medically uneducated way, that if caught early, treatment would be simple. Remove the appendix, follow up with radiation and maybe chemo, and monitor. But for it to run rampant through misdiagnosis is pretty severe.

There's no doubt in my mind that there is a malpractice suit here. They misdiagnosed, which I find rather weird, as I'd think MRIs and such would be standard practice for something like this. I could also see a possible wrongful death suit. But a "loss of consortium"? I think that's a little extreme.

Re: cancer of the appendix

[askshana.livejournal.com]

Exactly! And one would hope that *someone* would have realized the difference between an ovary and appendix! And MRIs are done for *everything* in the abdomen area, seems like.

And the treatment path for the lady I know is surgery, recovery, monitor. No chemo or radiation, at least not yet. Guess it depends on how far along it is when it's found...