Won't Release Records

[Lonna]

Its been years since after a surgery, now that I'm grown up looking back, my treating doctors won't release medical records about what type of surgery was done to me? Moments before my high school graduation, I obtained copies of medical records wither the records were related to only the injuries in school, or were some of the documents from childhood? Some typing in the records appeared to been smudged, other records appeared as if someone had intentionally, used white out, so that I couldn't read what was typed down. Other records were blacken out, useless to me. The were times when I had doctor's appointments, whenever I brought up the topic intersex, they quickly changed the conversation to talk about something else. My sister suggested, that I should give up on getting my records. 

[Doreen]

Its been years since after a surgery, now that I'm grown up looking back, my treating doctors won't release medical records about what type of surgery was done to me? Moments before my high school graduation, I obtained copies of medical records wither the records were related to only the injuries in school, or were some of the documents from childhood? Some typing in the records appeared to been smudged, other records appeared as if someone had intentionally, used white out, so that I couldn't read what was typed down. Other records were blacken out, useless to me. The were times when I had doctor's appointments, whenever I brought up the topic intersex, they quickly changed the conversation to talk about something else. My sister suggested, that I should give up on getting my records.

First, each state has a 'statute of limitations' per say on medical recrods.. some its 10, others 25, etc... as to when they can destroy records.  None of my childhood records exist.. and in fact when I was 21 requesting them from the state of Missouri, they found my birth certificate, but 'missing birth records' for the rest of the chart.   I called back the hospital I had an inguinal hernia when I was 16.  Not only did they not have the records, there was no records of me in the hospital ANYWHERE.

What I do now is I obtain a copy of the records from any facility or place where I undergo any procedure, and keep it for my own personal use.  This way at least if they conveniently delete me (as has happened on multiple occasions), I have a record myself.

[Allsorts]

Sorry to hear that.
I'm in the UK and many years ago tried to access some of my medical records and it was amazing how many friends assumed you have a legal right to see all of your notes - but here there is a caveat about the doctor believing it would be"harmful" for to see them. So they can refuse or only release partial notes. It can be frustrating when it's your body and medical history.

I can't advise whether it's worth you persisting. It might not get you anywhere, there is a chance that eventually a doctor might interpret it badly.or it might be that at a later time with a different doctor you'll have more luck. Ultimately it's something we don't have complete control over.

Sorry I can't be helpful.
Best of luck to you though.