"Lincoln county hospital, emergency surgery."

I had a very sudden onset of vice like excruciating pain across my abdomen at about 8:30pm as I was driving home. I knew it was a twisted gut. I used to be a nurse for 20 odd years. I lay down hoping it would settle. It got worse, I called out in pain subconsciously. I rang 999. They said it could be 4 hours. The ambulance that arrived was there within 20 minutes, but it was a simple one, no pain relief available apart from gas and air, which they couldn't give if I had a perforated gut. I was in agony.  My pulse was 50, and the ambulance person, presumed it was because I kept fit. My mum came with me, kept an eye on the heart monitor as they were not always paying attention when parked waiting outside the hospital. In moments of excruciating pain, my heart rate dropped to 37. The driver was alerted by my mum and saw this. They then phoned their colleague who was signing me in. 

The doctor then came to see me and gave me a diclofenac injection. It didn't touch the pain. They would organise an ultrasound. I started to use my yoga breathing to help me with the pain, and kind of went into a meditation to help me through. 

The hospital was so full, no beds anywhere. I had to stay in the ambulance and wait for the doctor to assess me in there. I became even more bradycardic as the pain was so extreme, I honestly thought I was going to die. I think because I went into a calm, to help me cope with the pain, they didn't take my condition seriously. Doctors saw me and scanned my upper abdomen for possible aneurysm. Nothing found. Back to the ambulance  with gas and air which I couldn't tolerate, as it just made me feel worse. I also vomited several times.  When asked about pain level 1-10, I said 8 to 20.  

Hospital side...

After awhile, because I was in a calm state, although still in agony, they took me back into A+E to a waiting area. I continued to vomit, and pain continued between an 8 and a 20/10. Horrific pain.

Some people had been there 12 hours and some over 24 hours.

My mum kept asking for help, no one did anything. My sister arrived, and also asked for help. Eventually saw the doctor again, who was excellent,  but rushed off their feet, early hours and they suggested a CT scan with dye. I agreed as so desperate. Then there was a power cut afterwards delaying the results a further 2 hours.

Dr came to me saying I had a small bowel obstruction and would likely be going to theatre that morning as an emergency. No pain relief would work until it was seen to. They would hand over to the day staff doctor on duty.

Somehow the message was not passed to the surgeons, and we saw them come, see patients, and then go. I knew I had been missed. 

My sister went to the nurses many times, no one did anything. Eventually, the nurse at the desk, hearing both my sister and mum explaining the urgency,  they went themselves to find out what's happening.  The surgical team came down fairly quickly, after an operation, about an hour later, apologising that they hadn't been informed. I went to theatre as an emergency about an hour later. The surgeon and anaesthetists and theatre, recovery teams were fantastic.

In ITU, some information from the surgeons was not all recorded.

I knew I had to concentrate on what they said, so I could tell the nurses.

The health care assistant was fairly new and inexperienced. I had to help them, even though I felt so poorly.

The nurses on the whole were very good, and I went from level 1 to 0 after 4 days.

Communication not always accurate. Only one nurse one day, went with the teams on ward rounds. So a lot gets missed.

I developed a rash on the morning of surgery. I kept asking for doctors to look at it. I was prescribed chlorphenamine, which helped the itching, but the rash remained hot, thick and red on my buttocks and lower back. I finally got exasperated on Greetwell ward and told the doctor to look at it with nurse present. Then they realised how bad it was and prescribed clotrimazole cream.

I had gas that wouldn't pass through for days, and asked for some peppermint. Eventually got some on day 5.

When the bowel has had surgery, then no food for a few days, everything gets dry and hard. It was like passing rocks. Protocol should be a small gentle suppository on day of eating, or next day, if no bowel movement, and lactulose or similar to soften stools.

Hygiene wise, I had to clean the toilet each time before using it, one HCA didn't take their gloves off after changing an incontinent patient, of faeces. They closed curtains and tidied up, then took their gloves off. They also didn't wear an apron on any care activities between patients.  

I am lucky to be here today. And many nurses are wonderful.  It's the communication that is missed, and some hygiene safety, that is potentially dangerous.  

I observed poorly and elderly patients left without help to eat, or encouragement to eat.