Mom says she’s had an epidural needle stuck in her spine for 14 years: ‘It’s devastating. It’s absolutely wrong’

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One woman says she’s had an epidural needle stuck in her spine for 14 years, completely unbeknownst to her, since her C-section birth with her youngest son, Jacob, in 2003.

News4Jax reports that Amy Bright says she’s known something has been wrong for years, but it wasn’t until a CT scan in November 2017 that she discovered the 3-centimeter-long needle lodged in her spine.

“It’s devastating. It’s absolutely wrong what they did to me. Absolutely wrong,” Bright said at a recent news conference in Jacksonville, Florida. “The needle is actually touching the nerve that leads to my left leg, so imagine going through the day, walking down the road not knowing if you’re going to fall. What happens if that needle just cuts or moves a little bit? I could be paralyzed.”

She’s now reportedly suing the hospital, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, that she claims left it in her.

Sean Cronin, Bright’s attorney, said despite handling many malpractice cases, he’s never seen a case like hers.

“I do this all the time. I’ve had people who’ve had injuries from needles. I’ve never seen a piece of needle that’s broken off and left in someone’s spine,” Cronin said. “This is literally in the spinal canal. Never seen it. Never heard of it. It’s outrageous.”

Bright’s doctors have reportedly told her its too dangerous to remove the needle, so she’ll be stuck living with it for the rest of her life, taking medication to ease the pain.

“I have metal in my back now for the rest of my life. We’re all going to age. It’s going to get worse from here, and now I won’t be able to have a diagnosis from an MRI,” Bright said. “Who doesn’t tell you? Who does that?”

News4Jax reports that the government has six months to respond to Bright’s claim, and a federal judge will decide if an award is appropriate based on the evidence. The station reportedly asked Naval Hospital Jacksonville for a comment but because the legal issue is pending, the hospital said it is up to the Department of Justice to respond.

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