" Leg painful after lumbar puncture "

I went into Ward 40 in July for routine neurological tests. I was on the ward for noon as instructed. The only test I had all day was an eye test and observations.

I was told I was to have an MRI at 9-30 the next morning. I asked if I was going to have a lumbar punture and was told that was not decided. At 9-25 the next morning growing concerned no one had come to take me down to the MRI I asked a nurse what was happening and was told I had to make my own way.

When I got to MRI unit they told me they had called the ward at 8-30 for them to send me down. I had my scan and was back to the ward by 10-30. I waited and waited and was told a doctor would come to see me. I then had lunch and still had my coffee when I was instructed I was to have a lumbar puncture as my MRI was clear.

I thought this was silly as I had to be collected from the hospital to get home. However, desperate to know what on Earth my body was up to I accepted the situation.

I was asked if a young locum could do the LP and I said I had no objection as the last time I had one was a few years ago at Inverness hospital and it happened to be that Dr's first go at one and it was fine, no pain, headache nothing. I was reassured however that this Dr although a trainee had in fact had carried out this procedure before, which was reassuring.

I then went through the usual curling up in a ball for the procedure, as usual as per this kind of thing, a little nervous! I was cleaned and told I was having the local anaesthetic injected. After this I was slightly pricked with the needle and prodded a few times as to assertain how numb I was.

I pointed out all through that I could feel the pricking and the prodding but the locum was instructed by the other Dr to proceed. The pain was awful and to make things worse they couldn't get between my vertebra and kept hitting bone, then hit my nerve, more than once, causing my leg to jerk.

Eventually after 3 attempts for the needle to go in the other DR took over and did it first time. The pain was awful throughout though as if felt my back was not as numbed as it should have been.

I am home and today, the next day I am having sciatic pain on walking. I phoned the ward and explained what happened. The nurse got a DR and I asked 3 times for the Dr's name.

They eventually told me to hang on whilst they found out and after 21 minutes I decided I was deliberately being ignored and they didn't want to pass on the name.

This I think is what has made me so angry and now I feel I can't let this rest for fear some other poor patient has to experience the trauma I went through.

I have no objection to trainees and as I said my last experience was fine, They were very competant, but Dr's should not be allowed to put patients through the stress and the pain that this Dr did to me.