I had an emergency c section 7 weeks ago. My baby was 2 weeks old I had been to the gp 3 times saying I had mastitis and that my stitches had ripped open, they finally gave me antibiotics (that made me projectile vomit non stop - didn't eat or keep fluids down for 4 days) The infection cleared up and my wound closed over but the mastitis came back by week 4 in full force (fever, chills, sickness, dizzy spells etc). I couldn't get a gp appointment or phone consultation, a&e had a 9 hour wait, urgent care refused to do anything for me and I ended up calling 111 who got me an out of hours GP appointment, the GP confirmed that I had a gigantic abscess and called the hospital and actually had to argue with the surgeon so that they would see me. The GP gave me a letter and I was told to go to a&e and that I wouldn't have to wait because I had the letter. I ended up waiting 9 hours in a&e with a 6 week old baby who hasn't had her jabs. When the doctor finally called me they examined me and referred me to the breast unit and I was sent home for another two days. I went to the breast unit who did an ultrasound and aspirated the abscess twice but it blocked the needle and they could not empty it so referred me for surgery. I waited another week, (had an abscess for 3 weeks by this point) and then had my surgery. Was told to get to hospital at 7.30am and they left me waiting with no pain relief until 1pm when I went down for surgery. I woke up 4 hours later to see that my breast was packed and dressed horrendously! They sent me home with the same antibiotics that made me sick and without antisickness or pain relief.
The Hospital told me to go to the GP for dressing changes but I said I'm too unwell to take a 7 week old baby out on my own after the two surgeries and with the infection so I asked the gp for a nurse to come to my house who refused because I'm able to walk. I called 111 and the hospital who both said the same and told me to go a&e or urgent care which both have over 5 hour waits so I decided to stick it out and go to the gp. I got a cab to the gp (absolute nightmare on my own with a 7 week old baby after 2 surgeries) to be told they don't have any dressings and won't touch my breast because of how swollen it is and how much pain I'm in so they left me in soaking wet dressings with no pain relief and told me to go straight to hospital. I rang the unit that did my surgery who refused to see me and sent me to the breast unit. I called the breast unit who reluctantly saw me after hours of convincing (crying and begging) they changed my dressings and cleaned the wounds and told me the surgeons had used the wrong dressings and that they wouldn't be able to see me again because they are a breast cancer unit but they were happy to help today because I explained my situation.
(They were fantastic and I couldn't fault them, completely understand why they can't see me to change my dressings all the time) So now I have to go back to the GP to have my dressings changed daily (the same GP who wouldn't touch it) then in two weeks I need to see a consultant at the hospital to have the drainage tubes removed and the incisions stitched. I'm completely exhausted and frustrated and tired of being passed around in circles and sent back and forth with a new baby after two surgeries!! All I wanted was a nurse to pop round change my dressings and give it a quick clean but every person I asked refused to send someone out knowing that I'm recovering from a c section, a breast surgery, have severe anxiety and a 7 week old baby to look after on my own. Absolute disgrace! If the gp had treated me properly in the first place I wouldn't be in this situation!
"Breast Abscess"
About: Darent Valley Hospital / Breast surgery Darent Valley Hospital Breast surgery DA2 8DA Erith & District Hospital / Pain Management Erith & District Hospital Pain Management DA8 3EE
Posted by Angryabscesspatient (as ),
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Update posted by Angryabscesspatient (the patient) 6 years ago
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