I had my lumpectomy and lymph nodes revoed 18 days ago. When I came round from the op I was put in the gynaenocology ward. I wasn’t told anything but mr drain was just hanging loose from under mt breast. The next morning I had to go to the toilet with my drain in the left side and my drip in my right hand which was so difficult. No one offered to help me wash so I found it a real struggle. Each day the Doctors came to see the other ladies but not me. One the Saturday my drain started pouring with blood and thankfully the Nurse put some dressing on it to stop it wobbling about. I kept asking when I would see a Doctor and was told they woud get to me when they could. By the Monday afternoon all I had seen was the Physio who gave me some leaflets. The Doctors had been and gone by then. That was when I cracked and burst into tears and was taken to a side room. Within 3 minutes I had 2 Doctors but for ten minutes I couldn’t speak I was so distressed. They apologised more than once and told me that they had been informed that I had gone home!! How could that be? Was it just because they could,t find me on the Breast Care ward. This was an awful experience as I felt I had fallen through a hole somewhere. I couldn’t wait to get out. Since then friends have told me that I should complain and I was in agreement. However as the days go by I am having second thoughts. After all they have ( hopefully) saved my life and I would feel mean. On the other hand it may stop this happening again.
Any thoughts girls?
That sounds like a horrendous experience and I definitely think you should do something about it. Yes, they may well have saved your life but that doesn’t excuse such a huge administration blunder. You may not wish to make a big fuss but I think it should be put in writing and drawn to the attention of the powers that be just so that procedures will be tightened up a bit. After all, you’re not really complaining about the doctors who were probably excellent and maybe quite upset themselves about what happened. The fault lies with the administration side of things. Hope things go well for you from now on.
I’m so sorry you had a rough time, I bet you’re just deighted to be at home recovering.
I think the way you were treated was totally unacceptable and I would definately write to your consultant and complain, you’re not being mean, you deserved to be looked after and cared for after your operation regardless of what it was for. I also agree that it would hopefully help other girls in your situation.
I am sorry that apart from the stress of the situation you have had to go through all of this. I think you should write a letter to your consultant. It’s understandable that you might feel guilty, but this wasn’t the way of looking after apatient at all. Do it for yourself, you;ll feel better and for this not to happen to anyone else.
Was a hospital in London ?
Hope you are OK.
Thanks so much for your support. You have made my mind up that I will write. It needs someone from the outside so to speak to put things in perspective for me. It will also stop me going over it in my mind and regretting later that I didn’t do something about it.
Hope you are both doing well.
I know you have made up your mind to complain but I just wanted to tell you my experience. without going into the whole detail I had my first chemotherapy session 2 weeks ago and to put it mildly the whole day was a pantomine. I was completely unsupported by nursing staff, poorly informed unless I asked questiones and the hygiene was awful. I sent my letter away yesterday because it cannot be allowed to happen to other people.What I would also suggest is that you send your letter to the chief executive of the trust and not your consultant.
Unless people put their complaints in writing, nothing will ever be done and these things will be allowed to go on and on. I have my next chemo in 6 days time and I am really looking forward to it -------NOT!!!
I must admit I got such a shock - I thought the unit would be such a supportive informative environment - how wrong I was. My friend who came with me who is also a nurse was also appalled and shocked - it was good to have her there for support cos if she was not there I would have been a mess!!!
Will have to try to keep an open mind for next week but this time I am not going to keep quiet about handwashing etc!!
dreadful scenario
have you thought of getting an alcohol spray and taking that in with you - and make sure that everyone that comes near you uses it?
(that was a tip given me by a senior nurse for when i go for surgery btw)
There is alcolhol rub all over the hospital - just the nurses werent using it - or soap!!! Rest assured tho thats its not going to hapen like that again - even if they speak about me behind my back I am going to look after myself!!
That is an appalling story. You have a good case against the hospital for their abominable mismanagement. Let alone the awful emotional toll on you, it could have been disastrous if something had gone seriously wrong.
Write a letter of complaint to the hospital director, and copy it to your MP. Your well-being was at risk here and the hospital is culpable (as is clear when you have two doctors apologising to you). It is a shocking failure of the hospital management, not the clinical team.
Thanks girls for your comments. I have now written my letter and its in the post. Surprising how much better I feel for it. Got it off my chest and hopefully some good will come of it for future patients. We can only hope.
Thanks again for you time.
Hi Norma, i was left for 7 days without a shower, told by one nurse that i had to wait, i had to wash all over with one hand, four drains , and a drip, i had people next to me on the post op ward who were incontinent doubly (especially at feeding time) you could ring the bell for hours and no one would come, i really think now that all cancer patients should have their own cancer wards, trying to get pain relief was a joke, had to complain to my surgeon who had a word with the nurses, my surgeon was great, i was in for 8 days and saw him every single day, on the seventh day i told him that i had not had a shower and was finding it really difficult to cope with feeling so dirty, he went ballistic, thought he was going to shout the place down, but even then, when i asked could a nurse help me, i was told ok, in five minutes, after half an hour i took myself off to the bathroom telling another cancer patient to ring my hubby off my mobile if i wasn’t back in an hour, it really was horrendous, but that was over five weeks ago, and yet i haven’t complained yet, the surgeon and breast care nurse know about it, but i will complain, as i would hate it to happen to someone else
I have loads of things go wrong, from my underarm wound bursting and becoming infected (and being told it was ‘all right’ when it wasn’t) to having a scar on my breast in a different place than they said it would be - not to mention three delays to my chemo due to their losing my notes - I’m three months since diagnosis and the chemo hasn’t even started yet, which is terrifying me. Even my echocardiogram was scheduled for three days after the first chemo session.
When I started treatment, I really believed in the NHS. But that was because I had never been a patient. Now I know that I have to fight every inch of the way to get the right treatment, and it is exhausting, frightening and very very stressful.
I work for the NHS in childs services - and I can tell you adult services is a completely different kettle of fish - I am disgusted and disappointed with the treatment I have had so far. And its not just a one off because my mum is ill in hospital just now and her treatment etc is just as bad. My colleagues in childrens services are saying exactly the same.
I am trying hard not to be negative because I am going to ‘be in their hands’ for the considerable future but am just dreading it!!.
I know there are a lot of you out there having positive experiences but my heart goes out to those of you having negative ones
Well girls I tell you I feel a lot better in my mind having sent that letter. I am the first one to think how lucky we are are to have the NHS. The nurses work bloody hard with a variety of jobs from nursing to making the teas. However I agree with previous letters that its the Administration side that falls down in these cases . Alison you were lucky in a way to have such a good surgeon on your side albeit after your suffering , so from now on we must fight for better treatment if we feel the system is letting us down. No-one who has gone through the trauma of the shock of being diagnosed with cancer and the hell you go through in your mind, should go without megga support from the professionals.
Will keep you posted as to any response.