Thank you for your kind concern. A little more info about it. After the 1st month of pain and bleeding I knew something was very wrong so went privately to a woman gynaecologist who I'll refer to as K. She agreed to take me on NHS and get an MRI so a referral note from the operator to K. In note it said a 'False Passage' was made but no perforation. Apparently 'FalsePassage' is when hysteroscopy goes into wall of womb when inserted through cervix. K pointed it out in letter and thought I knew about it. I was shocked and with backing of GP wrote a formal complaint stating that the'Duty of Candour 'had been breached and I should have been told. Reply was that I didn't need to know! I continued under care of K with appts over 3 months and was told she didn't know why I was getting pain. I sent for my medical records. There were forgivable discrepancies but op note indicated that operator thought the fibroid initially a polyp but then realised it was fibroid and decided to remove it. Wrong, wrong wrong. It wasn't causing me pain, it had been there when I'd had procedure before and wasn't necessary to take it away yrs ago. I hadn't signed for fibroid removal. Anyway at appt in April a registrar stood in for K and mentioned something about distention medium filling fallopian tubes. She seemed to change subject when I asked if it was normal but was very open and asked if I wanted print out of previous MRI a nd Histology reports. Also arranged transvaginal ultrasound. When I read MRI report at home it said operator had told K that he hadn't took all of fibroid away. I looked up what this meant and it was what was called incomplete resection. I'd asked on every visit if there'd been any other complications and was told repeatedly, no. I've since learnt fibroid are vascular and have blood supply from myometrium (underneath endometrium). So sorry to bore anyone with these details.
I sent in another written complaint, after Pals advice, saying I felt betrayed that K hadn't told me this. I was distraught, still in pain, and completely in the dark as to what was going on, apart from I'd supposed to have had a 10 minute investigative procedure which my medical records said had lasted an hour. A record meeting about this complaint was had in which I insisted include my DH. It came to nothing and was horrible. I remained polite at all times but got nowhere. They said no information about fallopian tube business could be found and they didn't think it Gynaecological!! I was still having episodes of bleeding and not from my nose! They agreed to me having another MRI but said they didn't believe anything would be found and then I'd be passed on to pain management. I apparently didn't need to know about incomplete resection too. Id been for Transvaginal ultrasound appt where I only had abdominal ultrasound. MRI report showed I now had Adenomyosis and was given this info over the phone in a curt one minute phone call and told I'd get another appt in 6 weeks. I didn't know what Adenomyosis was exactly. I was so stunned at the way I was told and the Gynaecologist said she was in a hurry to get away. I believe she was afraid to be questioned. A few weeks later I signed at my GP surgery for the abdominal ultrasound scan report. It said K had mentioned to radiographer I'd already had transvaginal one but had found it painful so to do an abdominal one. I've never had a transvaginal one ever. Transvaginal can show up Adenomyosis. So sorry for this long winded, complicated medical saga.
Have been in touch with solicitor 4 months ago but these No Win no Fee medical negligence cases are very difficult for solicitors to prove and they were doubtful at the time about taking my case. I've learnt that they like to take on cases where pay outs are very significant--i.e. one's where working people have lost income--their cut would be larger. I have never wanted to pursue this for money. I just want justice for my agonising experience and to know what's happened. I'm a 64 Yr old woman and in all my years have never experienced this sort of behaviour from our medical profession. I can't describe my feelings adequately but a pro publica document called When Harm in the Hospital Follows you Home does it pretty well. I know of course that there are far worse things that happen to patients, harm that they have to live with for good. But psychologically this has done for me. I still don't know what, apart from a Hysterectomy, may be necessary. Present Gynaecologist wants to do Laparoscopy to investigate other organs outside womb as well as look inside uterus again.
I will not rule out persueing legal redress again as its been some time since I last looked into it.
It appears that when we get older our uterus is not considered as important, which of course, its done its job if we've had children. I feel I'm worthless.
Am now awaiting counselling to try and come to terms with it all. But how can I 'move on' when it's ongoing and I've had no justice. I've done nothing wrong!
This is my introduction to Gransnet as a poster. I joined yesterday and I'm sure I sound like a pretty miserable person. I just needed to try and get all this stuff out. I've read many different experiences of other grandsnetters over the last Yr and it has often helped to distract me from my own problems so I thank you all for that, everyone. ?
Phew!