Botched termination-urgent help!

ooobedoo

My friend discovered that she was pregnantabout 9 weeks ago, she had a detailed scan at 8 weeks as one of her daughters is disabled. It turned out that the man she was with left her, she then decided that she couldn't continue on her own, and was booked in for a termination. She has a pessery and started bleeding straight away and was sent down straight away. Apparently they performed suction and it reads in the discharge notes that the termination was successfull. She was also fitted with a mirena coil.

She stil felt pregnant and this wed took a pregnancy test(it said on the notes not to do it within 2 weeks) and the result was it was positive, she then made an emergency appointment with her GP, he examinined both externally and internally and then with a doppler. She is still pregnant.

She has had an ultrasound and the baby is 14 weeks, and the sonographer said that the baby is ok. The mirena coil is missing. A consultant rang her yesterday and said that she has to have a mega detailed scan on Monday(this monday coming). She also said that the baby could be poorly due to the strong antibiotics and the mirena coil.

I was just wondering if anybody has come experience with this, any advice. She is so messed up and sad, she is going to keep the baby(she just can't go ahead with any further medical intervention).

She wants to sue the hospital, the Dr who performed the procedure didn't even apologise and said 'it happens' to about 1:200 cases.

Sorry for the long post but I told her I would forward any replies (obviously only positive replies, please don't reply if you just want to discuss ethical issues, that's not the point of the post)

skintas_2

i thinking of her, x x x

Eels100

I'm sorry I can't offer any advice or experiences, but the doctor should surely have told her it happens to 1 in 200 women before he/she even performed the procedure. This situation would be bad enough in any case without being handled so badly by those who are responsible for this lady's welfare. It sounds like the counselling in this case has been woefully inadequate.

I hope that your poor friend can find her way through this to a happy ending.

advent1122

She wants to sue the hospital,

That would be high on my priorites at this time too.

Emms

Surely the consent form that she would have signed before the termination would have stated what the success rate is? Wouldnt that cover them?

Emma

crossleydd42

I'm not so sure that thoughts of suing at this stage are constructive. I hope this suggestion has not been put to her. Revenge is not a positive attitude to have, especally now.. Her emotions, quite aside from the hospital debacle, must be shot to pieces and she needs sort these out first. Good support from her friends and possibly counselling to help her through this stage would be best.

MissScarlett_3

advent1122 wrote:

That would be high on my priorites at this time too.

Can't quite work out whether this is a serious comment or not

What a terrible situation to find herself in, for the next 6 or so months she will be beside herself with worry about the health of this baby. I can't comprehend how if this happens in 1/1200 terminations how the doctor can find it acceptable to fit a coil and prescribe medication that could be detrimental to an unborn foetus? For Gods sake how many terminations are performed a year?? I would double check this information. I just wish her all the best, cant offer any advice, sounds horrendous IMO. Hopefully it will turn out okay and she will be left with no regrets. Have to agree with a previous poster about terrible counselling, termination is an awful thing to go through and the effects of it are felt forever, she should have had proper counselling.:mad:

ooobedoo

She told me that they give antibiotics as a matter of course, as far as the Dr knew there was no longer any baby, so the tablets and the fitting of the coil was ok.

She has been through so much, but this is horrific and as soon as I knew on Wed I went over to her, she has her friends and family around her so hopefully we can help her get through this.

The doctor who preformed the procedure was very dimissive but I have spoken to several people about it and it seems not that common at all, just not doing the job correctly

cpu

crossleydd42 wrote:

I'm not so sure that thoughts of suing at this stage are constructive.

Agreed.

However these thoughts will more than likely be an emotional knee jerk reaction I would have thought. People do tend to lash out when they panic or are overly stressed.

I think she needs to not do anything until her emotions are a little more stable and she can think more rationally.

Awful position to be in but I hope she can find strength to consider her options and cope with what the future brings her.

lil_me

If you google failed abortion/termination there is a lot about it on the internet. A friend of mine had one a long time ago now, but then miscarried later.

Hope your friend is ok.

inkie

This is a terrible situation for this lady to be in - all kinds of emotions and hormones flying around at the moment in her life, worry for the continuation of the pregnancy, guilt if things go wrong in future after having made the decision to now keep the baby.
I used to work in gynae theatres and fitting a coil is quite a common practice at the time of Termination if thats what the woman wants. Sorround your friend withe a great deal of love and support at the moment (which I know you will), and be assured that I am praying for her at the moment.