My C-section went wrong..advice needed please

lynn44

Hi

Firstly hope this is in correct thread, please feel free to move.

I will try and keep it as short as possible,but allowing as much detail as possible.

I had planned c section on 19th march,because my baby was breeched.
I am a smoker and suffer chronic chest problems, I was in hospital for 3 days due to this in Dec 08.

2 days before planned c section I had pre op appointment, I explained my worry of chest complaints because I do cough very hard and was worried about stitches opening, I was assured not to worry and remind surgeons on the day.
All set for 19th and I made it quite clear to the anathestist (?) I suffer chronic chest problems and do cough very hard, She assured me they would use reinforced stitches and I would have to return in 10 days to have external stitches removed.
Gave birth to lovely little boy who deceided he didnt want to come out so after bit of tugging surgeon freed his shoulder

On day 3 I started leaking quite bad puddles were all over the floor ,nurses said wound was fine and sealed...day 4 woke up at 3am in great pain needed strong pain relief nurse gave me some morhine.

Later that day Dr came and said I was fine and was to be discharged, I cried and begged dr I was not fit to return home as was still in pain and wound was leaking and I wasnt happy going home with just codine as pain relief, she said she would speak to staff and let me stay in overnight on codine.
Then the matron come in and said sorry you must go home, We need your bed as we have ladies sat downstairs who need a bed, I said I was still leaking (2 sanitry towels were heavy and sopping wet ) NO you must go home. I was discharged about 2pm, with no discharge notes only codine.

My mid wife arrived next morning to remove my stitches,Myself and partner explained we were told 10 days and this was only day 6, so she rang maternity ward and was told nothing wrote on my notes just remove them!!
again I made it clear to my midwifes ( trainee with her too ) I was unhappy as surgeon had made it quite clear 10 days, so again she rang the maternity ward, again she was told remove them, So she did
and within 15 minutes of her leaving my home all I done had walked to the kitchen (just normal as I had been ) and I felt a gush and shouted to my partner to get a towel and I laid down on the sofa while he rang my midwife,she said not to worry its ok, I picked up my mobile and rang 999, my partner still speaking to midwife said I was starting to panice and had rang for ambulance, I can not thank the lady paramedic who came she was OUTSTANDING and requested blue lights, In the meantine our mid wifes had arrived and she took one look at my wound and said OH MY GOD OH MY GOD spinning like a headless chicken in my lounge :mad: she said she has never seen this in 25 years as a midwife !! which reallly freaked me out I said to the paramedic tell her to shut up Im scared enough!!

Again the lovely nurse at A & E stayed with me for several hours and said I had intestines and bowel :eek::eek:showing and needed another operation.

I spent the next 8 days in hospital away from my baby,son and partner who done so well at home...x
The hospital said I was being treated also for pnumonia which I found hard to believe :rolleyes: because chest felt fine and maternity unit had x rayed me and said chest was clear previous week..

I want some answers as to why this happened and no one seemed to listen to me.

The following morning "the dr" that had discharged me came and seen me and said she was so so sorry I just said why didnt you listen to me ??? I want some answers....my surgeon came to see me daily to see how I was doing ???

Any advice of what action I should take would be most grateful.

richardw

lynn44 wrote: »

I am a smoker......I want some answers as to why this happened

er I wonder.

PRINCESSX87

Go down to your local C.A.B This is crazy, so many people there was working in the NHS to help you and assist you in any fear's, worries, pain, ect.. And you was let down badly! If you sit back and do nothing then it could easy happen to someone else, over and over..

And i think you need a gold medal. I would have punched the midwife!! lol

p.s: what hospital was this? Just for other women...??

Krystaltips

That's not exactly helpfull is it richard?!

Lynn, the first thing you need to do is contact your local PALS and register a complaint with them...

prettypoppyknickers

richardw wrote: »

er I wonder.

that is not very helpful richard why comment ?!

anyway i am so sorry your birth and the after math wasn't as you'd hoped if you have a family solictor (sorry for spell not the worlds greatest ) i would speak to them but if you don't maybe take someone along with you who will be taken seriously.

when i was pregnant i was really swollen you couldn't tell my ankle was my ankle it was the same size as my thigh (i was a size 10 then) it took then a week before my son's birth to work out it was pre eclampsia and that was only found out because my mum wouldn't let it rest that my blood pressure was normal when it was actually dangerously high for me.

i hope i've help and i hope you get this sorted this is not acceptable SMOKER OR NOT RICHARD!

arhino30

I would go to CAB or maybe get a free consultation with a solicitor...what happened to you is dreadful.
I hope you are ok and recoving now...despite the trauma you have been through.
Good luck and take care.

margaretclare

Your hospital will have a website and there should be details on how to file a complaint.

Write down all that you have written here and send it to the Director of Midwifery Services, your obstetrics consultant, and the CEO of the hospital. Copy it to all of those people. Write down times, dates, what happened when, who said what...

Re the comments above about smoking, it is known that wound healing is much slower in smokers, and also there is the risk of chest complications. Having said that, many smokers do have surgery without the disastrous effects that you've had. As this was planned (elective rather than emergency surgery), you should have been advised to give up smoking well beforehand.

lynn44

Thanks guys ( except richard who always seems to quote stupid remarks )
I should also say I was discharged on the sat at 2pm and was rushed back in sunday 7am with chronic stomach upset and sickness, I am still waiting for results to this, luckily enough it wasnt c-diff or hospital virus as first thought.
What I really upset about as I was sterlised at the same time was unable to continue to breast feed I tried in hospital to express milk but on returning home my milk has dried up

nzmegs

Lynn - I do feel terrible for you and your situation. it is not the best start you could have had for you and your baby but I am probably going to be a little harsh here. Why on earth did you continue smoking when you found out you were pregnant and especially knowing you had chest complications? That little baby should have been the best incentive ever to give up.
Before I am shouted down I should explain that my mother was a smoker and smoked through all her pregancies - I was extremely small when born and my brother had chronic asthma which kept him in hospital for the first 6 months of his life. My mum went on to die of lung cancer leaving us without a Mum. She loved us to bits (as I am sure you love your child) but I still feel resentment towards her for not looking after her health for our sakes.
I know that your complications were little to do with the smoking - although could well have been made worse by it. But now is the time to think of your precious child and please please give up...
Sorry....

bank_of_slate

Speak to Pals!

They may arrange a meeting with all the healthcare professionals concerned.
If this indeed was a rare and very unusual experience then they will be wanting to learn from it to prevent it happening again.
They should offer you lots of support and if necessary counselling to come to terms with what's happened.
I hope it hasn't affected how you bond with your lovely baby.
...Linda xx

Paparika

As it's been said before sign up to PALS, get a medical solicitor.

Geese I hate hospitals at the best of times due to them being told by me several times, watched it being written down (that piece of paper went missing) i had a tilted womb and so when i had to have a operation to remove my dead baby, they pierce my womb,

and then ranked together to deny it