"Trusting my instincts"

Several months ago, as a gastric sleeve surgery patient about 1 yr post op, I presented to emergency for a sore lump on my abdomen. Was seen to quickly and sent home to rest with haematoma/muscle tear. Had follow up scans but continued to feel more pain and swelling.

I returned to emergency who again saw me quickly and I was in for surgery that afternoon. The care provided by the Drs and Nurses at Kalgoorlie Hospital was excellent even though I understand they were short of staff. They weighed my concerns and provided the best advice and solution.

Just like before, I had been presenting to GP with little to no observable symptoms fatigue, soreness etc and with some poor decisions by the GP like having to fight to get a blood test which showed little in the way of an infection. However, after 5 re-infections of the surgical site, I had very poor faith that another round of the same antibiotic was going to have the desired effect (the definition of insanity). I sought out a second opinion at Kalgoorlie Hospital.

Like in the first instance, without many physical symptoms, I was sent away to monitor. Constantly losing body condition, some days later while on the road for work the site ruptured. Presenting back to ED they conducted a CT and found the infection, booked in for surgery after a discussion about packing the wound and antibiotics to let heal. After debridement surgery I was told I had been stitched up and no antibiotics as was clean.

Around a week after, I presented at midnight to ED with pain and swelling, assessed as post op swelling, I was sent away. Back the next day with increasing pain and discharge at the site soaking through the dressing and running down my shirt, I had to wait for another RAT (poor idea to have the testing directly next to main entrance, in my opinion) and joined the queue. When finally seen they discovered the infection had grown and expressed 300-400 ml from the site. Booked in for surgery the next day and waited on another hospital’s comments. Having not ate for most of the day, and as a gastric sleeve patient, was leaving me feeling very weak but had to fast from midnight and the hospital didn't have the required meals on hand so I had to return home and eat.

After morning rounds, it was decided to clean and pack the wound under local and before the other hospital had any input. Lunch was delivered and again was not suitable after which I had to leave to go find food at home against even my own wishes as I couldn't afford to lose any more condition after fighting constant infections. With the site packed and on antibiotics, I was back to the start with a wound some order of magnitude worse and a far longer recovery time. The whole situation makes me doubt the clinician’s calls for the first time, I'm not saying they are not professional just the need to listen to the patient and their needs. It leaves me feeling angry and frustrated trying to explain what takes hours for the whole picture in a few minutes.

Thanks to all the staff involved in my care especially the poor nurses who had to deal with an uncompromising, angry patient. After my experience, I wont budge now from what I feel is the right course and will seek second opinions.