Before Christmas I had an apparently extremely rare but serious condition which thankfully has been treated and I'm now recovering. However I'm still feeling pretty upset about the treatment I received (although of course grateful to finally get the operation I needed and hopefully all will be ok in the future)
Some of this is a bit grim so apologies to the squeamish you might want to change topic! It turns out I had a benign tumour (lipoma) which had caused intussusception of the colon. I would have thought that when I arrived at the A & E with this protruding from my bottom (around 6cm diameter) in the middle of the night accompanied by terrible cramping and bleeding I would have warrented some urgent treatment. However I was left on a trolley for hours, some tests were then taken and I was sent up to wait in an assessment ward, finally a surgeon came round surrounded by a bunch of students, had a glance and pushed it back in, saying it was a 'polyp, they sometimes prolapse like that' 'It can be looped out with colonoscopy but the first slot available is next Wednesday"
After waiting all day with occasional visits from a young doc in the same time hearing they might do an examination under anaesthetic, that I was third on the list. Nobody seemed be around to to listen and even when I was having terrible cramps and more bleeding I mentioned to the nurse please to tell someone and I was told 'not to worry'. It went on all night, late in the evening an anaesthetist had cone to see me and I was prepped for an op, then he went and I was just left till the following morning, when the young doc came back to say things like "your vital signs are good" "the nurse hasn't recorded any bleeding from you yesterday" "so you've been ok to get a shower then" (yes as was hoping to be ready for the op!) and finally "after discussion with the surgeon we've decided it's not in anyone's best interests to operate / examine under anaesthetic, you can go home and come back next week for a colonoscopy"
Everything I've since read about the condition I actually had , states that it's fine if treated straightaway but leads to death within 2-5 days if untreated. This is because the bowel quickly becomes strangulated / necrotic as it loses it's blood supply. It's supposed to be a medical emergency, although is rare in adults and more common in infants. However it is associated with a 'leading point' in adults such as a lipoma. (so if the lipoma had been properly examined and diagnosed I would have thought this would have shed more light on things...possibly)
So, I was quite hazy and in a lot of pain, taking tramadol painkillers. I spent the next week basically unable to eat or sleep, due to the awful pains and bleeding. The only thing that helped a little was a hot bath which I spent most of the night in, topping it up, counting down the hours / days till next Wednesday. I had the colonoscopy /flexible sigmoidoscopy (where they look with a little camera up the rectum and can ensnare and take out polyps.) Within about 5 mins told there was no way anything could be done, as it measured at least 6cm and the point of attachment could not be confirmed. In tears, I was handed a sheet of paper by a nurse and I said "I'm sorry I was hoping it would be sorted out today" I was told quite brusquely that "you can't just have an op you know it needs to be arranged, what if you were moving house for example!!" I burst out "I won't be moving anywhere in this state" She seemed concerned what to do with me "So your partner's here, are you going home then?" I said I'd get a tissue then go. On the way out the main entrance a nurse comes running after me, "Will you come back, maybe they can do it tomorrow" After a discussion with the man who did the colonoscopy I was asked to come back the following Monday for laproscopic surgery, as Mondays are usually quiet.
Armed with more tramadol and sleeping pills from the GP home I went, for the long days and nights. By the time the day of the op came I hadn't eaten and hardly slept in about 3 weeks (apart from some special nutrition drinks prescribed in the last few days) my tummy had swollen up like a balloon and my heartbeat had risen pretty high (I was told afterwards). After the op, which went ok, I had about 40cm removed and didn't have to have a colostomy bag thankfully. I did have a bad fever and tachycardia and had to have IV antibiotics and a further stay of about a week. (luckily got out before Christmas. All in all DP had to take a month off work to look after me and our two little ones. I'm just getting back to feeling a bit back to normal now but feeling a bit flummoxed by what has happened. I know it was rare but surely, someone could have picked up what it was sooner just by having a look? I'd be grateful to hear views especially from anyone medically trained.
I've searched a few cases from medical journal and it all cases diagnostic tests such as CT scans and barium enemas were carried out and operations done within a day or two. It leaves me wondering why I was send home and what might have happened. Could I have been spared that whole ordeal with an operation carried out quickly? (I should also mention I'd been to the GP several time in the past couple of months with cramping /bleeding)
Also, I'd been ill previously a few years back and had a colonoscopy with had discovered an unusual lesion but nothing had been done. This had then developed into this growth. I was just told this before the op, why wasn't that considered sooner. It's all made me worried about how hospitals operate, and I'd like to make some suggestions for improvement however am aware that I'll be dealing with the same doctors in my follow up appointments. Hmm. Is