Should I Tell My Story?

dazsue · 09-05-2007, 03:18 AM

Hello ladies.

I am sorry about all the pain you ladies are going through right now but I am hoping you could help me out. Any opinion will be appreciated.

I had a miscarriage in June 2005. I was 13 weeks pregnant. I was mucked around by the hospital we went to and was sent home after being advised I wasn't pregnant (the test must have been wrong including the blood work I'd had done when I first found out I was pregnant according to the Gynae covering the ER at the time) and I was just having a late period. The next morning I lost my baby in the shower. We went back to the hospital where we were told the baby appeared to be developed normally so it must have been one of those things when it must not have been attached properly or in the right spot. I was then asked if I wanted to go home as they believed everything had come out complete or if I wanted to hang around for another 10 hours I could have a D&C done. I chose to go home. A day later I passed my placenta, as to what kind of trouble I could have been in by that staying there that long I do not know. I was then mucked around again by the same hospital 6 months later when I began seeing them regarding my fertility as I had not conceived since the mc. In the end I decided to see an RE in another town, 4 months later I was pregnant again.

6 weeks ago I finally gave birth to my son at the same hospital that we'd had the trouble with. My midwife was wonderful but the OB was a total you know what. I later found out that the same day I was there a lady lost twins @ 28weeks. Some of the things this OB said to her curled my toes, she was treated terribly.

On Monday night there was a story on a news show here in Australia (here is the link to the story) http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au...mediaid=108062
about the very hospital that treated me. After the show I emailed them and told them about our story, they have just contacted me and asked if I would like to be interviewed with a group of other ladies who have also contacted them regarding their treatment, this group of ladies includes the mother of the twins. I am unsure whether I want to reopen these old wounds although seeing the story the other night pretty much took care of that, I am also thinking that my mc probably couldn't have been prevented like all the other ladies babies so will I be made to look like our pain is not as bad as theirs? I'll be sure to mention that it couldn't have been prevented and that our gripe is with the way we were sent home to deal with it ourselves but I don't want to upset the other ladies. Also we would like to have another baby one day and am I jepardising any further treatment from this hospital by going public with this??
I only contacted the news team in the hope that they would mention it to the office that controls our hospital and make them aware that these things are going on. I know nothing can bring my baby back but maybe I will get some kind of closure from this.

What do you think??

kwannabee · 09-05-2007, 10:55 AM

First of all...i'm so sorry for the whole experience you went through

If you do share your story with them i would not be ashamed for one minute to let your emotions flow through - if it does reopen the old wounds and you lose control and fall apart - it might be hard on you for sure - but they need to see the impact this has made on you and on others. Whatever you decide to do - follow your instincts and trust that you are making the right decision for yourself. Good luck and i hope you get a positive result from this...

dazsue · 09-05-2007, 09:26 PM

Thankyou for your response. In the end my decision was made for me unfortunatly. Due to some of the other ladies being unable to make it at the arranged time they brought the interview forward and rushed it through. I was only given an hours notice and as my husband was still at work and we live 30 minutes away from where the interview was happening plus we'd have to find a babysitter there was just no way we could have made it. I'm not overly upset that my story isn't going to be on there as the women that could make the interview had an even rougher time than we did so their story's will touch the hearts of more viewers and hopefully they will be able to raise more money for the equipment needed to bring this hospital up to scratch.
Thank you again.

cheereeo · 09-05-2007, 11:27 PM

This story was just heart-breaking. Sounds like they accepted the settlement, so probably the story will be completely squashed now. (interesting that she lost her baby over two years ago, but she's just going to the press now?) Perhaps writing a nice note to the Perri's with your experience would help or even a contact-me note.

SheriKCMO · 09-06-2007, 01:39 AM

I would have suggested going anonymously with your info, focusing on their leaving you with the potential for becoming infected and very ill, half of your m/c still to come and no help. I am terrified for anyone using their services! (((Hugs))) I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope that things continue look up for your family!

dazsue · 09-06-2007, 02:26 AM

Thank you all. It turns out this story is bigger than I thought. The news crew contacted me again this morning and have decided to hang around to get even more evidence on this hospital. I met with the presenter a little while ago and she tugged my heart strings so we have decided to be interviewed. It turns out the presenter also has PCOS which is why she was so interested in our story. It was so hard for speaking to us, she was almost in tears speaking of some of the heartache that has been caused by this hospital. I'll post the link to the story once it goes to air.

Cheereeo, I did get in contact with the lady on the original story. Her settlement money is being used to go to the US looking for a surrogate mother, that is something that isn't really done over here for some reason. She is also starting up a support group as well. She hadn't been to the media about this as it was going through court and there was a gag order put on it but when they were getting nowhere with the court system they decided to go against the order and tell the story but in the end they did still get some settlement.

kwannabee · 09-06-2007, 10:57 AM

Wow.

I can understand her not going to press at first just for the very fact she was grieving - but this whole thing sounds horrific! I was really mad at my doctors too but i never doubted their abilities - i hope this all gets resolved. Good luck with your interview!

Renee3600 · 09-07-2007, 10:04 AM

Good luck with your interview. I hope your efforts prevent things like that from happening again.

dazsue · 09-26-2007, 01:03 AM

Hello ladies.

Well we did the interview and it aired last night. Here is the link to the story.
I am the one at the start that says "it was terrifying, I was a wreck" there is more from us later in the story too.

Since this aired last night the hospital has now lost it's accreditation and is no longer permitted to train Doctor's and meetings with the senior staff along with some of the women on the story are still continuing. At least something is happening now and the story was not a waste of everyone's time and grief.

http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?t=m164

It's called 'A Hospitals Filthy Secrets'

SheriKCMO · 09-26-2007, 01:20 AM

Thank you so much for sharing! I'll watch it when my husband will let me use his machine... we are a Macintosh family, but he has a simulator that can run the media player.

I am glad the journalist was so touched by this material. She is just the person patients need on their/our side! I sincerely hope that she is able to continue exposing such serious problems and that they are resolved!

lovepotato · 10-01-2007, 03:19 AM

That is so sad and so scary. I almost woke my husband up watching that. How horrible for the family.
The hospital obviously doesn't know how to treat pregnant women. I didn't watch the second video yet. The first was just so sad. I hope they resolve it too. Thank you for sharing.

cheereeo · 10-01-2007, 11:28 PM

Sue: Good for you. I'm glad you had the courage to go through with this.

dazsue · 10-02-2007, 01:31 AM

Thank you again ladies.

The story has had a positive effect, they did another story about the entire states health system and they showed us as pretty much the prime example. There is alot more footage of us this time, here is the link http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?g=8bebe23f-6b2c-4538-8c3d-32c058c924ea&f=&fg=email

Our hospital has come under a great deal of pressure for improvements and the Government has just announced a huge overhaul of the entire health system in our state, apparently they will be introducing community boards for each public hospital to help with the day to day running of them. Hopefully this will be a good start into getting things improved.

I am surprised at how much grief has been brought to the surface again by doing this. Last night I just dreamt that terrible day over and over on repeat all night. Hopefully nobody will get treated like that again.