Earlier this month, I took the leap and decided to have elective surgery to repair an incisional hernia caused by an old c-section scar. I could have ignored the irritating, burning pain for a while longer. My life is crazy hectic – I work full time, have two kids, and serve as the board chair for a local nonprofit. I’m sure many of you think the same thing. But it was time to practice what I preach every day at Fibroid Relief – I needed RELIEF.
I have come out of this experience a much more educated patient. Hopefully some of the lessons I have learned will be helpful to you.
A week after my laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery, I developed some post-op complications. In a nutshell, I received the run around from my surgeon’s office after I called to make my post-op appointment. My surgeon was “on vacation” and I was told that there was no one else available to see me – interesting that there were NO OTHER surgeons available in the entire hospital. Hmm. Also, I was told that it would be very difficult for me to see her after she got back from vacation. I was fortunate that my primary care physician, whom I highly respect and trust, took care of me immediately. It turns out that I probably had a post-op infection (which is of another concern in itself).
I’m still having some residual pain and look forward to finally seeing my surgeon this week (almost three weeks after my surgery). Thanks to a colleague of mine, I was fortunate to be able to express my concerns about the poor quality of care I received directly to the president of the hospital. He expressed genuine concern and emphasized that he would do his due diligence to see that this issue was addressed internally.
Here are a few lessons learned:
- You have to be an advocate for your own health – no one else will do it for you. I cannot stress this enough.
- You have a right to ask questions – no question is silly or unimportant.
- Voice your concerns – if you don’t report any issues that arise, then these issues will never be addressed or resolved.
By being an advocate for your own health, you may just save another patient from unnecessary pain, complications and overall frustration in the future. I hope that is the case with my situation.
Until next time,
Tina
p.s. Here are a few websites that offer additional tips on how to be a better advocate for your health - please check them out!
Patient Empowerment at About.com
