"Gynaecology treatment"

At the beginning of last year I was seen in clinic by a doctor regarding some long standing gynaecology issues. During the first couple of appointments we were discussing a plan of action to make my quality of life better. It was agreed they would perform an anterior and posterior repair and that additional surgery would be performed on the abdomen which was initially meant to be laparoscopy, treatment of endometriosis, endometrial ablation and sterilisation. I was then referred to the sexual health clinic to discuss whether I understood and was happy to be sterilised however while there we both agreed hysterectomy would be a better option.

I went back to the original doctor and informed them I would rather just have a hysterectomy rather than sterilisation. They didn't seem happy about this and referred me to the surgeon to discuss as they would be the one performing the abdominal surgery.

On first discussion with the surgeon they said they would carry out the hysterectomy however they needed to discuss my case with the doctor as they were to perform surgery together and had not discussed it yet.

I went back to speak to the surgeon after they had the discussion and they were totally against the hysterectomy. I feel it was the doctor that had turned them against it. I was told they would not perform the hysterectomy I wanted and would only perform the original plan of the doctor carrying out anterior and posterior repair while the surgeon carried out laparoscopy and sterilisation with endometrial ablation. I was not happy with this and informed them I thought I would bleed constantly after this surgery but they would not change their minds. Therefore I felt I had no choice but to undergo the sterilisation as I needed off my contraceptive pill. The pill makes me depressed amongst other side effects and I wanted to stop taking it. My surgery was scheduled for early 2018 almost a year after my initial consultations.

The day of surgery they could not find my notes and there was a bed crisis, they were going to cancel my operation which I was understandably angry about... my husband had lost money taking time off work to look after me and my children were away to their grans . After waiting so long for this and the prospect of it being cancelled I was not happy. Thankfully at the last minute they found my notes and the surgery went ahead.

I had a horrible night in the gynaecology ward. The staff I came into contact with were rude and there was no care whatsoever. I was informed while in hospital the endometrial ablation had failed as my womb was too big.

Once discharged from hospital I went home and suffered from shoulder pain for 4 days and a raging surgical site infection from my anterior and posterior repairs. I went to the GP who gave me antiobiotics to take for 7 days. I took a reaction to the antibiotics which caused my whole gastro intestinal tract to spasm every four minutes. I was in agony and could not eat or sleep at all. Four days into the antibiotics I couldn't take any more and had to stop taking them. A month or so later I went back to the clinic as I felt the anterior repair had failed and I was still bleeding heavily. The anterior repair has in fact failed and I bled every day for 6 months even after going back on my contraceptive pill which I didn't want to do... nothing would stop the bleeding.

I made an appointment to see the surgeon and asked if I could get what I wanted in the first place... my hysterectomy. To which they finally agreed.

I recently went in for my surgery and was advised all went well. The day and night of the surgery in the ward was horrendous. I wanted to get out of bed in the afternoon and I was told no, to stay in bed until morning. I told them I was getting up which I did and I felt better. Having had laparoscopic surgery many times before I knew I had to get moving asap to move the gas. I had also brought in some wind settlers and laxative for my bowel as I have IBS constipation and diverticular disease and my bowel just stops working. I was told I couldn't take the laxative, it had to be prescribed. I advised the nurses I had to start taking it now to avoid total bowel obstruction like I've had before... I received the laxative 7 hours later even after constantly asking for it. I told them the damage had already been done to my bowel, it took too long.

As a smoker I wanted to go out for a cigarette with my husband who was in visiting with my mum. The nurses were not happy about this however I signed the disclaimer and went out as believe it or not smoking is not illegal, I am not a child and I still had some free will.

I had been up and about for a few hours and I asked if my catheter could be removed as my urethra gets very irritated by them and I end up bleeding from my urethra. (I've had several catheters before and I told them I've had many operations and I know my body well but no one would listen). I was told no, my catheter was to come out at 10pm even though I had been up walking about for hours. The surgeon came to see me at 8pm so I asked them if the catheter could come out, they said yes and the nurse came in and reluctantly took it out.

The night shift came on and one nurse was straight away hostile towards me and very rude. During the night I had changes in my observations. I was newly hypotensive, tachycardic, clammy, pale, nauseous and my blood pressure would drop if I stood up. If this was my patient I would have asked a doctor to review and asked the question of could this be an internal bleed as I had all the symptoms and my NEWS chart was scoring so a doctor should have been involved. I buzzed for the nurse when I felt a new pressure in my stomach, I was clearly upset by this new feeling in my stomach, my stomach had went hard and blown up more. I asked them what they thought it might be and they said they were confident I had no internal bleed and they did nothing... they were that horrible to me I went downstairs. I had to get away for 20 minutes because I was close to signing myself out. I was in tears all night and felt the whole day I had been banging heads with the nurses and no one was listening to me. The nurse was not happy I had went downstairs and phoned my mobile. When I answered there was no hello it was "where are you, you need to come back". I had told them where I was and felt like I was in a prison. They then sent an auxiliary down to get me and they had even told them the wrong name. I went back upstairs where my observations were still obvious of an internal bleed but nothing was done.

I was discharged Tuesday lunch time. Wednesday morning my pain got worse and worse and I could not get on top of it. My husband phoned NHS out of hours service and they sent the doctor out for a house visit. By this point I was in excruciating pain. The Dr gave me an injection of diclofenac and pethidine and arranged an ambulance to come take me back to hospital. I arrived in A&E then moved back to the gynaecology ward... by this point my temperature was also up and I was dripping with sweat.

When I got to the ward I was put in a single room and left for hours alone in pain. The doctor eventually came in to see me but nothing was really done. I spent the next 15 hours rolling about the place in agony before I was sent for a CAT scan at 4pm. The doctor there said the report would be ready for 5pm. I asked all afternoon for the results but no one would tell me. By 9pm I asked if the doctor could come see me as there was no need for this wait. The nurse came back and said the doctor had seen my CAT scan and that it was nothing to worry about and they would come see me in the morning. I obviously did not want to wait until the morning so after more asking they eventually came to see me at 21.45pm.

They explained my CAT scan had showed a substantial internal bleed and infection and that I would have to stay in hospital for observation and IV antibiotics for days and that I wasn't out of the woods yet I may need to go back to theatre. (Nothing to worry about!? Really!?).

During the night I started to have chest pain and couldn't breathe well, my hands and arms went numb but again nothing was done until the next day when I went for a CAT scan of my chest due to suspected pulmonary embolism. My heart rate went up to 143 because I was in so much pain but the nurses refused to give me any pain killers except oral ones, I had asked many times for IV or IM painkillers instead she ordered an ECG which was not required.

I started draining the fluid in my abdomen through the cervix so they were happy not to take me back to theatre for a wash out.

By the Sunday I was allowed home for a few hours but I had to go back at night for my IV antibiotics. They struggled to get a vein by this point as most of them had blown or collapsed. Both my arms and hands were black and blue and painful. I had to go back the next morning to see my surgeon.

I was put on oral antibiotics and told I would need to come back in a week or so for a review and an ultrasound scan. I have just recently received a letter for an appointment with my surgeon for the end of this year! I phoned ultrasound and my scan is not scheduled for a couple of months. This is not what I was told and it is just not good enough. I am still draining the fluid from my abdomen and my antibiotics finished on Monday I was scared my infection might kick back off so I phoned my surgeon's Secretary to see if I could get advice on this... I'm still waiting. I also advised them my ultrasound was too far away and not what I was told would happen.

I am disappointed with what has happened and feel if I had got my hysterectomy in January like I wanted none of this might have happened and I wouldn't have had to go through an additional operation. I am also angry that this theatre and hospital have a 100% infection rate with me. Two operations I have been in for and both times I had a SSI. And this time I also had an internal bleed. I have had to take double the sick time of work because I was not listened to in January. The surgeon has also ruined my nice c section scar that was there by pulling my womb out of a mini laparotomy...the scar is horrendous. My relationship with my husband has been strained through this and I had to spend a week in hospital apart from my children. I will be seeking legal advice on this matter as this is just the tip of the ice berg. My treatment has been disgusting.