"Mismanagement of catastrophic collapse following gastroscopy and colonoscopy"

I underwent a gastroscopy and colonoscopy at a private hospital and was subsequently transferred to RPH. I am a parent of young children, and had worked as a senior lawyer for 12 years.

In recovery, just as I was waking up and following instructions, I suddenly collapsed. 4 weeks later I discovered after obtaining my medical file via FOI that I was completely unresponsive with GCS3, with dilated pupils, rigid movements, and what looked like a seizure that lasted 40 minutes that didn’t stop with escalating doses of seizure medication. Despite this, it seems my airway was not protected and was not admitted to ICU. My notes suggest it was treated as psychogenic/functional seizure only from the neurologist's first observations in ED.

What makes this even harder is that I was not aware of the true seriousness of my collapse until I obtained my own medical file. Although hospital notes referred to a combined OGD and colonoscopy, the treating neurologist only knew about the colonoscopy until I corrected them and asked whether a combined OGD & colonoscopy could change the diagnosis. I was told that they were surprised to hear of the OGD as well, but that it made no difference.

Over the six days that followed after I regained full consciousness when I was able to engage with the neurologist, I did everything I could to advocate for myself. I feel I was repeatedly dismissed and mocked by the accompanying interns. I was told by the neurologist that I had no life or limb threatening condition and that I needed to accept a PNES (psychogenic non-epileptic seizures) diagnosis even though the neurologist admitted they had never seen PNES in these circumstances, my symptoms didn’t match, and PNES does not cause a prolonged low level consciousness state (almost 48hrs) or other objective neurological signs of an organic origin. The anaesthetist who had actually witnessed my collapse disagreed with PNES and this was communicated to the neurologist on multiple occasions. The neurologist also personally observed my neurological deterioration in the first 24 hours, but did not escalate to a MET call or ICU admission.

How my life has changed:

I eventually woke up, but I have never been the same since, and my concerns whilst I was an inpatient were never taken seriously or acted upon.

Severe light sensitivity: I wear sunglasses indoors, and we have had to change every lightbulb in our home and keep lighting to a minimum.

Dizziness, photophobia and nausea particularly public places. I’ve only managed to briefly go into a shopping centre twice, and both times it was unbearable.

Constant tingling and weakness in my arms, pain in my leg, headaches, and neck pain, which began whilst I was an inpatient.

Cognitive problems: I often need to talk myself step by step through the most basic tasks (“pick up the knife, open the butter, put it on the bread”).

I am no longer able to care for my children by myself. My spouse and parent now do most of the cooking, washing, and daily tasks. Before this, I was a successful senior lawyer and entrepreneur. Now, because of fatigue, memory issues, and cognitive slowing, I have had to close my business and my capacity to return to my career is likely to be significantly diminished, if ever possible at all.

How I feel:

I feel profoundly let down. I trusted specialists to treat me with urgency and transparency. Instead, I was denied ICU, and given a psychogenic label from the neurologist's first observations that I believe never fitted. Only through FOI did I learn the full truth with the true seriousness of my collapse never disclosed. 4 weeks later, the impact has been devastating on my health, my independence, my parenting, and my future capacity to continue my entrepreneurial ambitions, tech startup and the career I excelled in.

What I’d like to see change:

*Patients who collapse after a procedure should automatically be treated as emergencies until every organic cause is excluded with repeat imaging.

*ICU and airway protection should never be overlooked in deep coma.

*Radiologists and treating teams must be given full procedural history.

*Functional/psychological diagnoses should never be applied prematurely or used to silence patients advocating for themselves.

*Systems must ensure urgent escalation when neurological deterioration is observed.

*Patient and family voices are respected, heard and acted upon, rather than being dismissed as "unwilling to accept PNES diagnosis".

I share this story in the hope that real change will come, so no other patient, parent, or professional has their life turned upside down by apparent preventable failures.