"Lack of care"

Back in early 2017 I was referred to Box Hill Hospital regarding a broken foot. My foot had been broken approximately 20 years before. At the time of the fall I felt that my foot was broken, but after the organisation where the fall occurred payed for the x-ray and received the results, I was told there was no break, just ligament damage.

For many years I had very painful episodes with my foot, but put it down to the damaged ligaments. Little did I know that it was broken and I had been walking on it all that time, no wonder I was in pain.

So while walking at work in early 2017 my foot snapped again and I knew it wasn't good at the time. I went to the doctor and got a referral to the orthopaedic outpatients. This took several months. I waited for the hospital to finally get to see me where I believe I was forgotten in the waiting room. The clerk found a doctor that was still there and he told me to get a brace for my foot.

I got the brace and went back in three months as I was told to do. Eleven months later having been told to come back in two months, three months etc. I was told by one of the orthopaedic surgeons that my pain was inconsequential. I was stunned at the time and told him it might be to him, but not to me. I demanded to see my surgeon. He told me that she may not be in, so I said that I would wait, and I meant wait all night if necessary. She arrived an hour later and decided that I needed surgery very soon. No apology from that doctor yet! He is now calling me a liar saying that he said my pain was inconsistent. As far as I am concerned that is a blatant lie!

So surgery was booked and took place earlier in 2018. A bone graft was done and a titanium pin put in. After five and a half months off work I finally got back to work and all was going well with my pain levels going down every day. One day my foot felt a bit sorer than it had been and got steadily more painful. I was told it was all good, so I got a private x-ray which showed that the titanium pin was broken in two pieces! No wonder I was in pain.

This is when the real problems started. Yes they all agreed that it had to be fixed, but it was a major surgery now. If that was going to fix it all well and good. I was told it would happen in four to six weeks. The week of the six week mark I got a phone call saying that it had been cancelled due to the fact that they had a few cancellations so couldn't fit me in. Yes you read that right. It made no sense to me at all. I had booked a holiday under the assumption that I would be fixed before Christmas and now the booking lady tells me that she would try to get me in on the first lot of surgeries this year. I asked when that would be and was told - if I was lucky maybe early to mid February. Really! I believe that is not good enough.

I wrote to the C.E.O. of Box Hill hospital never to receive a response. I wrote to the Orthopaedic registrar without a response also. I rang the complaints department and spoke to a lady who said that she and the registrar would attend the next meeting with my surgeon. Next meeting and guess what? Yep they didn't show up! No email, no phone call or text message...nothing. 

I finally wrote to the Daniel Andrews the leader of the Victorian parliament. I also wrote to the local member for Box Hill and have been in contact with my solicitor. I received a phone call from the director of surgeries at Eastern Health who was wonderful. He got me in to be operated on, before Christmas. Thank you to this staff member.

Everything from there went fairly well except that my solicitor wants the pin that the hospital removed. As it is my property and I believe I have every right to that pin. I am still trying to get that pin. It seems to have just vanished! How? I am willing to bet I never get it, but I am still trying.

I went back to the orthopaedic department as per the instructions from the surgeon to have the three quarter back slab plaster removed and a new full fibreglass cast put on. The lady was really under the pump as the normal lady who does the plaster was away and she was flat out and very tired. She did my plaster and at the time I said that it was very tight. I was told that it would be ok, but if I found that it was too tight just come back and they would put a new one on. New Year's Day I couldn't take it anymore so I rang for an appointment to get it changed, but was told to wait until my appointment late January or go to the emergency department. I fronted up at emergency at twenty past eight in the morning when it was very quiet. Two and three quarter hours later I wheeled out of there.

Since that time the bottom of my plaster has been getting softer. I haven't had water on it and I am non weight bearing so it's not that. Today I went back to the emergency department and after two hours the doctor saw me and said that he didn't think that I should have plaster put on but a cam boot and crutches. I told him that my surgeon said that I am non weight bearing until at least my appointment in late January. He didn't seem to want to abide by that decision, so I got back into my wheelchair and left. I was furious as I'm sure you will agree was justified.

I went up to the outpatients department and was so angry that I demanded to see someone in the plaster room. I was told that no one was there that day, but the lovely helpful man on the desk made me an appointment for the following day. I can't thank him enough as the whole of the base of my foot is soft and my wound site is very sore.

I believe I have been nice and kept my cool and not been demanding or rude or angry but this most recent incident just set me off. I have been walking since my foot re-broke for over two years!

I know there are people more important and sicker than me, but I drew the line in the sand on this occasion. It's very sad that in this day and age I have to lower myself to the standards of others just to get what I believe I should have been given by right.