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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Suing the hospital for telling me I had cancer?

426 replies

MoralityPondering · 16/06/2021 12:58

Can I? Should I? Family and friends are telling me to. I was diagnosed 2 months ago at a private hospital after MRI & biopsy. 3 surgeries later and now last week I've been told it isn't cancer at all. They had it looked at 3 times to decide it wasn't cancer so it doesn't seem to be a straight forward decision. I'm not sure it's the right thing to do anyway. I just feel how I did when I was diagnosed - like my life has been ripped apart again.

OP posts:
roobicoobi · 16/06/2021 14:34

@Pyewackect

I'd just be grateful you haven't got cancer. That's worth more than anything IMHO.

OP had a fucking breast removed.

'Be grateful' Hmm

Ginfilledcats · 16/06/2021 14:35

Hi op, firstly I'm sorry to hear you had such a traumatic experience and obviously it's great news that you are ok and don't have cancer but the fear and worry you must have had let alone the procedures you've had done have been awful. I hope you recover soon.

If you haven't already, I would write out a list of questions you want answers to. No matter how minor or how large, and submit either to your consultant or to PALs (or both). Make it clear you are not complaining right now but do expect a full written explanation to all your questions. They should get back to you pretty quickly.
Then when they do, ask for a meeting to go through their answers and your questions in person (or via video I suppose) and make sure they include the consultant, a nurse (ideally head of patient safety or director of nursing) and make sure you take someone with you too.

Best of luck xxx

EmeraldShamrock · 16/06/2021 14:36

Speak to a solicitor who deals with medical negligence they'll be able to advise you.
Hospitals have insurance for a reason.

Original poster
MoralityPondering · 16/06/2021 14:36

Also what happens with further reconstruction work needed on the breast? Implants need replacing every 10/15 years. It was covered because it was related to my cancer. But now it's not cancer so who pays for that?

OP posts:
shockedandsadd · 16/06/2021 14:36

@Pyewackect are you for real? Let someone chop your breast off and tell me how lucky you feel !

peachcherries · 16/06/2021 14:37

I'm sorry but I would say absolutely not. Money doesn't fix the emotional rollercoaster you've been on.

An investigation will be done and the findings will be reported back to you, but suing gets you nowhere in my opinion.

My pancreatic biopsy was lost and I had to have it taken a again, which was just awful. An investigation was launched and the trust acknowledged a mistake was made and lessons were learnt.

Leave it all behind you and be grateful it was a mistake!

SheepyToaster · 16/06/2021 14:37

I voted YABU but have changed my mind (it's a shame the voting is at the top). I'd take counselling first. Flowers

EmeraldShamrock · 16/06/2021 14:38

I'd definitely sue them, this is absolutely disgraceful.

Original poster
MoralityPondering · 16/06/2021 14:38

@Pyewackect

I'd just be grateful you haven't got cancer. That's worth more than anything IMHO.
Yes I'm so grateful that I have had a body part amputated. So grateful that I have watched my DC terrified their mother is going to die. For 2 months...
OP posts:
OrangeSharked · 16/06/2021 14:38

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow I am going by what OP has said. The MRI, the biopsy and the mammogram. And that is why OP needs to talk it through with the team, hopefully they will be able to explain more what has gone wrong. I guess there are many stages

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 16/06/2021 14:38

Leave it all behind you and be grateful it was a mistake!

Be grateful that shes unnecessarily had a breast removed?

EmeraldShamrock · 16/06/2021 14:39

@SheepyToaster The voting is changeable.

roobicoobi · 16/06/2021 14:39

@peachcherries

I'm sorry but I would say absolutely not. Money doesn't fix the emotional rollercoaster you've been on.

An investigation will be done and the findings will be reported back to you, but suing gets you nowhere in my opinion.

My pancreatic biopsy was lost and I had to have it taken a again, which was just awful. An investigation was launched and the trust acknowledged a mistake was made and lessons were learnt.

Leave it all behind you and be grateful it was a mistake!

Money will pay for future treatment needed as a result of this though.

And can we stop telling OP to be grateful FFS. How bastarding insensitive

SheepyToaster · 16/06/2021 14:40

[quote EmeraldShamrock]@SheepyToaster The voting is changeable.[/quote]
Do you mean flip the thread?

Original poster
MoralityPondering · 16/06/2021 14:40

@gmailconfusion2

With regards to hormone receptors being wrong it could be so many things. Could be false positives, could be wrong tissue tested and slides not block checked, could be a poorly stained slide/lab not calibrated test corrected, could be Dr looked at wrong slide and typed report on wrong person, could be secretary typed report on wrong person and Dr authorised it, it could be your surgeon looked at wrong report, your surgeon miss read report. it could be that the hormone markers were positive and result taken out of context with the tissue morphology. Could also be your surgeon mislabelled a specimen post with a positive patients. There are so many ways you could get the wrong result, you need a copy of your reports to see what they say and a debrief.
Thank you. Another really helpful and informative post. Flowers
OP posts:
Greybeardy · 16/06/2021 14:42

@MoralityPondering

Sorry that was to *@AvidNameChanger*

@Greybeardy no. Just a complicated fibrodenema. I have almost certainly spelt that wrong so I hope you know what I mean.

Your case sounds complex and unusual. The reason I asked about that is that IIRC ( though I could be a long way off piste) complex fibroadenoma and phyllodes are part of the same spectrum of disease and both have the potential to be malignant/benign or to become malignant having once been benign. It may be that deciding what yours was was complicated and that you’ve ended up with the right operation but in a much less than an ideal way if that makes sense.

As others have suggested, a ‘cold’ debrief now you’ve had time to process things sounds like a good idea. There will probably have been an internal investigation into your case given that you’ve had major surgery, suffered peri-op morbidity by having the return to theatre as well as having the misdiagnosis, perhaps it would be worth asking what the outcome of that M&M discussion was too? Hope you get the answers you’re after.

EmeraldShamrock · 16/06/2021 14:42

If you click yanbu now it'll change your vote.

FindingMeno · 16/06/2021 14:44

I'm so sorry this has happened to you.
I have had ?cancer investigations that dragged on quite a while. It wasn't, but whilst I was informed it wasn't cancer eventually, the investigations were the minimum possible to provide a diagnosis on something that was too unclear to be positive about.
I can't imagine how distressing this experience has been for you, and you need answers Flowers

KeepingTrack · 16/06/2021 14:47

@MoralityPondering

I think I need a debrief thank you to those who suggested it. I also will look into counselling. There must be something wrong with me. I know it's good news but I'm not happy about it. Maybe I'm still in shock
Just wanted to say that there is NOTHING wrong with you.

You’ve just been to,d that you’ve surgeries that weren’t unnecessary and that those surgeries actually put your life at risk. Also that you actually have to live with the consequence of those surgeries, which will have long lasting effect (a mastectomy certainly will do, if only on a more psychological level).

Please don’t think you’ve just gone back who you were before because you haven’t. And you have the scars to prove it.

I know a debriefing has already been suggested as well as some very good explanations.
I’d say you might also benefit from counselling too.

((Hugs))

Original poster
MoralityPondering · 16/06/2021 14:48

Thank you @Greybeardy. I am finding the Hospital is quite limited with what information it is giving to me . Your posts are making me realise there is still a lot I don't know and I really need to push for more & a debrief. All I have been told is that it was the Fibroadenoma & that it was completely benign so I didn't need any further treatment. I would feel much better with things if it could have been/ was in anyway malignant as it would feel like what I've been through was not for nothing

OP posts:
Hankunamatata · 16/06/2021 14:48

Yes I'd sue

MarshaBradyo · 16/06/2021 14:49

I would look into the process

You don’t need to feel grateful etc

mam0918 · 16/06/2021 14:51

I had a large fast growing breast lump, I was told it wasnt cancer by one consultant because I'm 'low risk statistically' and that it likely was cancer by another consultant (because only a specific cancer growth fit my symptoms).

I had it removed and tested and it was benign but a growth that can become malignant - technically both doctors where right (the first was right that it wasnt cancerous, the second was right on type of pre-cancerous growth).

Yeah I have scars and a wierd breast now but I never thought to sue for even one second - I mean they didnt put it there and it needed investigating anyway.

oprahwindfuryy · 16/06/2021 14:53

I would 💯 sue. They messed up and not only are you in the situation you are in now (pain/suffering) you are also going to have further cost regarding your implants, and the risks that come with implants and further surgeries.

paisley256 · 16/06/2021 14:54

I had exactly your diagnosis and surgeries and I did in fact have cancer. Unless you've been through this you haven't got a clue how it affects you so please stop with the be grateful comments to op.
I would be devastated if I'd been through all this for nothing. It changes a person, a family and their whole dynamic. Yes you can move on in a different way from before but nothing will change the complete headfuck of mastectomy etc.