And the winner in the "oops... we screwed up... sorry?" category is....

[SirFozzie]

A California man who once tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS has learned the diagnosis made eight years ago was mistaken and he was never infected.

Jim Malone spent years battling depression and losing weight, expecting to die at any time. He attended support group meetings and accepted free meals from an AIDS charity.

Malone's main physician, Dr. Richard Karp, acknowledged the error in an Aug. 4 letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic where Malone was treated. "As his primary care provider, I take full responsibility," the doctor wrote.

Malone, who is gay and has lost friends to AIDS, said he is relieved but angry at his doctor.

"He told me, 'We made a very big mistake. We did not do our job,"' he said. "I said, 'You mean to tell me that all you have to say is you are sorry? Sorry that I lived for all this time believing I was going to die?"'

The Oakland Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating.

The error may have occurred because Malone arrived at the clinic in 1996 with lab results from a testing firm showing he had HIV, said Karen Pridmore, spokeswoman for the VA's Northern California Health Care System.

The clinic performed its own HIV test on Malone to confirm the first set of results and it came back negative, but that information was never shared with the patient, Pridmore said.

The mistake was uncovered by the VA's computer system, which tracks HIV patients and conducts a periodic review of cases.

Nice.. Eight years.. you think he would have had a follow up to determine the status of the virus????

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

[b]

"He told me, 'We made a very big mistake. We did not do our job,"' he said. "I said, 'You mean to tell me that all you have to say is you are sorry? Sorry that I lived for all this time believing I was going to die?"'

No, Mr Malone, we have more to say, you will be summarily executed
therefore fulfilling your belief that you are going to die.

WTF does he expect the doctor to do or say? Here's my checkbook, write a number? Even if the doctor ends up doing that this is an honest question. At this point, what exactly did he expect the doctor to do that he hasn't done?

[Yossarian]

They probably gave him regulary check ups to check his white blood cell count " your still doing fine" would be the message each time.

Some people get lucky and live for 20 years (random number but I know I've heard such stories) without developing "full blown AIDS".

Poor bastard though.

[albionmoonlight]

Yes--further tests would have monitored his cell count. There would not have been a reason to give him another antibody test to see if the virus was present.

A real Dr. will know better than I do, but I did some anti-AIDS work in the past, and that is how the testing works.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Jim Malone spent years battling depression and losing weight, expecting to die at any time.

I won't pretend to know what it's like to have a death sentence hanging over me, but this, among other reasons, is precisely why we should all live life to the fullest, regardless of our circumstances.

[sterlingice]

I know that's really gotta fuck up your life, but shouldn't this guy be happy rather than jonesing for a paycheck? Suddenly you've been told you are not dying. Isn't that far more valuable than any check. Then again, by that logic, a doctor could tell you any number of horrible things because he doesn't like you. But I don't see the malicious intent and if he had actually gone in for followups, he would have known a lot sooner.

SI

[Franklinnoble]

Bah. This guy found out he was dying, and wasted what might have been the last years of his life losing weight and fighting depression.

I feel sorry for the fact that he didn't decided to do more with what time he had.

[Token Asian Guy]

Breaking News: Jim Malone commits suicide.

[sabotai]

Wouldn't it be funny if he got hit by a bus and died tomorrow?

Anyway, this goes to show that you should always get a second opinion. Especially for something liek AIDS. He may have had follow ups, but if it were me, I'd go and have the initial testing done again.

[SirFozzie]

Actually.. I just re-read the article. A testing firm said he did have AIDS. so he came to the doctor to confirm.. test came back NEGATIVE (!!!!) and they confirmed he had HIV..

suddenly, this guy's point of view doesn't look so bad..

[sabotai]

Heh. Reminds me of the Sienfeld episode where George is on the phone with the doctors and he starts breaking down because they said the tests came back negative which he thought was a bad thing.