Should I tell the surgical team..

[LovelyBath]

How to treat me next time?

I have adhesions. From when I had a bowel op that was pretty serious but they didn't treat it quickly and I got peritonitis. I've been back in, first with small bowel obstruction (where they left me on a trolley overnight with no pain relief) which resolved. then, a planned op to remove adhesions, which was fine. Finally, another op which was the worst ever- a nasty loop where the bowel was trapped, they thought, despite my history, this was a tummy bug and left me for a day and night, giving me paracetamol (which I couldn't digest not that it would have helped with the pain which was complete agony worse than labour/ birth)..

A month later, another loop obstruction at a different hospital, completely diffferent, IV morphine, prompt CT and antibiotics before the op, better recovery. However I can't go there again as it was miles away (staying with relatives)

So, I had my follow up back here and it did mention how plagued I'd been with adhesions and (to the GP) "Sadly, we can do little to prevent this recurring but should try to reduce the severity of each incident"

I have some ideas of how they could do this-

Good pain relief from the start
Prompt X ray CT scan
Early use of IV antibiotics

Do you think it would be OK to write this in to the surgical team, a but like when you have a birth plan?

I have bad adhesions now and told it will be an emergency laparotomy again if needed, and will likely be lengthy. So i want to be in good nick to get through it OK, minimise further chances of sepsis / peritonitis leading to more adhesions or chance of a colostomy. I've got two little ones to look after and need to be fit and recover quickly. So it's important they get it right next time, I don't want to end up in the state I was for the first op, that was terrible.

Or do you think they might take offence at being told what to do?

I think its a good idea to write it out.
I've had several ops and each time warned nursing staff that my bp drops and I black out - a lot - and each time been ignored. I'm fed up with it. It's my body and I'm trying to avoid an emergency situation yet they don't listen.
I'm due another op soon and shall def write a note to the surgery team. Nothing to lose!

I had major bowel surgery just over a year ago and then chemo so had a few A&E trips, it was a rare condition and surgery so no one really knew about it apart from the specialists, so I took a typed sheet with all my details, medications, surgery details, consultants names etc which the doctors found really useful! Definitely worth taking some notes along. The worst they can do is is ignore it! :) (which hopefully they won't)

I really hope you don't have any more problems and that if you do, they treat you properly!

Thank you for your replies.

I think that, well, emergency surgery is scary (my last two ops were at 11pm and on a Saturday) there is nothing like being wheeled round to theatre when it's dark and everyone has gone home...

and to minimise the trauma and feeling of being out of control, the least I can do is write it down and home it is heard!

We are all individuals after all and having had experience of it first hand, we know how our body feels and responds to things.

In particular it was scary having an epidural for bowel surgery, they always seem to fall out! the PCA thing is fine.

I've obviously been lucky with medical staff as they've always taken on board my suggestions. Hopefully if you have it written down they will take more notice :)