JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Back in 2003 Amy Garrison had part of a needle left in her spine after receiving an epidural at Naval Hospital Jacksonville. She lived with that broken needle in her body for 20 years until it was removed on July 17th, 2023.
"Every year it's worse, every single year it gets worse and worse," said Garrison during a press conference in 2018. Back then she and her attorney Sean Cronin filed a lawsuit against Naval Hospital Jacksonville that claimed the medical staff at the hospital left a broken 2 inch piece of a needle embedded in her spine during an epidural.
"It's documented in her medical records that they had an unsuccessful spinal needle attempt at Naval Hospital Jacksonville," said Cronin in 2018, "no one else put a needle in her back."
The needle sat in Garrison's L-4 vertebrae for 15 years until a CT scan for a different health concern revealed the needle. Garrison has since moved to Illinois and on a zoom call with First Coast News she recalled that in 2017 doctors said the needle couldn't be removed.
"I had neurosurgeons look at me and they said it was way too risky, couldn't get it out," said Garrison.
The needle went into her back on September 5th, 2003. That's the day she gave birth to her son, a day that was supposed to be filled with joy, but it's also the day that her life became filled with daily physical pain.
However, medical technology advanced greatly in the ensuing 6 years since she was told the needle couldn't be removed and on July 17th, 2023 the needle was removed from Garrison's spine at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
"They gave it to me in a cup," said Garrison as she holds the needle in her hands. The broken piece of a needle that was stuck in her spine is almost as long as a tube of chap stick.
"I walked around with this for 20 years," said Garrison.
She will have to go through a lot of physical therapy and currently uses a walker, but Garrison no longer has a broken needle stuck in her spine.
"I'm just glad that I can walk," said Garrison, "it's kind of weird, my left leg is numb from my knee to my ankle. It's very painful to touch it, it's very sensitive now, feels like needles on my kneecap."
Needles, a feeling that Garrison had 20 years of experience with.
Amy Garrison sued the Naval Hospital in 2018 but that case was dismissed in 2020 because the statute of limitations expired despite Garrison not being made aware that a broken needle was left in her spine.
She hopes more of her ability to walk returns through physical therapy and encourages everyone to be their own healthcare advocate, especially if you feel that something is off.
