"my experience as a renal patient"

In February 2014 I was admitted to Whiston Hospital with Hydronephrosis ( kidney condition ), I was an inpatient for a week then discharged with a scan date for a few weeks later.

I had the scan in March but was readmitted again for another week in April and I had a stent put into my kidney to try drain it but it failed.

While I was in Whiston in April I saw numerous doctors who all diagnosed me with different illness's one even saying I was being discharged with paracetamol as I seem to be coping fine.

I asked if she had the right patient and that I wasn't coping at all that I had vomited for 7 hours the previous evening, she said "hang on let me check your notes" but she never came back and I had to try find the ward sister to see what was going on, in the end my mum phoned for me wanting to know what was happening.

I was again discharged in April with Tramadol and was again readmitted in June for major surgery to remove half of my right kidney and my urethra (a stent replaced that) and I spent another week in as an inpatient.

I was discharged after a drain tube was removed from my stomach and sent home again on Tramadol and told to basically sit and recover.

I was admitted again in August over night and September for another week and within that week I saw 9 different doctors who all gave me different diagnoses, they all contradicted each other and some took me off the pain relief and some put me back on it then some took me off them again and changed them which wasn't strong enough then another doctor appeared after day number 5 saying he looked at my scan and it was clear that my kidney was fine, I asked "did you know I had half of the kidney removed" and he said "no you haven't" to which I said "do you want to see the scar I am left with, it is a foot long you cant miss it", he said "let me check your notes" but never got back to me.

At 3am I was woken up by yet again another doctor who told me the scan I had that day was showing my kidney was functioning well but I said "what scan, I wasn't scanned today" again he said he would review my notes but again never got back to me.

The next day I requested to see the ward nurse and explained what had happened and she was not happy saying she would get the ward round doctor to see me which he did and he explained everything.

Basically I had the wrong consultants name written on my name board, and was constantly being seen by junior doctors who didn't understand the condition he said it was totally unacceptable after major surgery.

I was also told 1 of my ribs had been broken during this operation which I never knew, no one had told me and he also said my kidney had moved pushing into my liver putting pressure on the liver but again no one had ever told me that either.

I had to complain to pals regarding my treatment as I was receiving letters from Whiston addressed to different people and some had but X's through the paper work like it was a rough draft not meant for patient eyes.

I saw my consultant in the November and had a scan the same month which showed the Hydronephrosis had come back, I had another scan in February 2015 and I was readmitted again in March 2015, I saw my consultant in April and he said my scan from February was clear but wanted me to have another scan as I had been readmitted.

That scan showed there maybe a problem with my bladder so I have been back 5 times since March having scans blood tests and referrals.

I am back again in early July for another scan and then the end of July for a consultant review, he will then tell me what plan they have for me (depending on what the scans show) so this is still not over for me after 17 months.

I have for the past 4-6 months been losing blood and no one knows where from or why so I am now being referred to a gynaecologist to try sort that out as well.

Although I am proud of our nhs I feel I was treated so poorly from the doctors, none of them agreed on anything, they all changed and swapped my medication, gave me different diagnosis and advice which didn't work (even telling me 8 weeks after surgery I could fly in knowing I had a broken rib).

I vowed never to go back to Whiston again after all the messing round I have had yet I have had to go back time and time again but im asking for a second opinion after my review the end of July as I have no faith in them anymore