My husband and I arrived at the hospital around 6:30 a.m. for my 7:30 a.m. surgery. I needed a hernia repair. The hernia was on my left side and it was causing me pain when I lifted anything or moved to the side, either side. The laposcopic surgery would be over in a short time and I would only have to take a few weeks off work. I'd researched the procedure on the internet and felt safe about it. The doctor was recommended by my general practitioner. No problems? That was the problem, there were problems.
During the surgery, the doctor looked around and found seventeen other hernias. He decided to repair all of them. In doing so, he inserted a large, dinner plate size, mesh in my abdomen. That's when the problems started. Remember, it is laposcopic and the hole in my abdomen was small. The mesh was large and he cut it himself.
The surgery was on a Monday, like today. By Wednesday, I was hurting and could hardly move. My husband returned me to the hospital and when they x-rayed me, the emergency physician told us it was air and I needed to walk more and sent me home.
On Friday, I was feverish, sick and mostly out of it. I called my general practitioner and she said to go to the emergency room. Back again, but to our local ER instead of to the hospital where the surgery was performed. The ER doctor found an infection in my lower abdomen. This time they rushed me and I mean rushed me to the out of town hospital where the surgery was preformed.
While on the way, my blood pressure started falling. I was dying. The ambulance turned the siren on and raced the rest of the way. I was immediately taken to surgery. This is the place where my memory fails and I have to take the word of my family.
My husband was taken to the holding area of surgery. The doctors prepared me for surgery and rushed me into the operating room. I did not wake up for another week. During that time, there were two more surgeries. The infection was rampant in my body. When I did wake up, there were tubes everywhere. I learned a piece of mesh tore my small intestines.
What did I learn? The biggest thing is to check the references Life is precious and wonderful. My family is closer to me than they have ever been and God is more important that I ever thought He would be. There was a peace over me during this whole time. I was never frightened. Today, I don't take things for granted. I enjoy each minute of my life.
What about the doctor? He has performed other surgeries and I know of one that turned out like mine. A friend of ours had a similar experience at the hands of the same doctor. If we had died, he would not have license to practice today, but we lived.
Today, I have turned a disaster into a rose. Sure, I have difficulties such as lack of energy, moving is difficult where the nerves did not heal correctly and my abdomen is horrible to look at, but I am alive and I love God, my family and my friends more than ever. I could bemoan the fact that I lost a week of my life and had to spend over six weeks in the hospital. I could cry that my figure is not perfect, but why? God gave me a second chance to make a difference in someone's life. Would I ever let that doctor operate on me again? Not ever! In fact, he can't even look me in the face now. I've seen him a few times and he ducks his head and moves on. Guilt? Could be.
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