Hi Karen,
It's not an inspiring story to be honest. I had a brown bleed from 6 weeks onwards, it lasted a day but would happen every week, turns it was my mucous plug slowly disappearing, which I didn't know, abdominal scans showed everything to be fine. Then I had awful back passage pressure from 8 weeks, I saw my gp, an out of hours gp and my midwife, and again was reassured that all was normal. What they weren't telling me was that it could be prolapse/pelvic floor related. I went for my 12 week scan at new cross, which I moved forward as they had it scheduled for 15 weeks ��far too late for the nuchal scan. I raised the issue of ic with the consultant I saw there- he was standing in for Helen Sullivan, and please excuse my language, he was the most arrogant, dismissive, rude **** I have ever met. He refused to even send me for a tvu, even tho the auxiliary there suggested it. He had delivered my first, lucky me, and as far as he was concerned there was no issue, despite the fact that my first ended in a section because of his position. I told him I wanted an elective section this time, and he refused, telling me it was up to him and not me. I left the room in floods of tears. I still haven't filed a complaint about him, but I really want to.
By 14 weeks, I had awful back passage pressure, I could barely walk. I visited maternity triage at 16 weeks and they did an abdominal scan, showing all to be ok. By 18 weeks I had had enough and went to the midwife, who dismissed me again. So I booked a private scan with a consultant in Solihull, and my fears were confirmed. My cervix was short, but not funnelling. As my 20 week scan was 5 days away he suggested that new cross follow it up then and he recorded that in my notes. I called new cross to pre-warn that I would need a tvu, but as they were renovating the clinic area, my call wasn't answered by the right person, and a midwife told me just to come to my appointment as normal.
When I got there, I handed in my notes, and a midwife came back out to see me. She said she had spoken to the consultant on on that day, and that as my 20 week scan had essentially already been done, there was no point in me doing it twice, so I should go home. By this point I was in floods of tears. I was told that they were sure it was nowhere near as dramatic and urgent as I was making it out to be and they would send for me for a repeat tvu within the next week. By this point I was getting hysterical and hubby and I refused to leave without speaking to a consultant. The midwife lied to the consultant to get us in and he begrudgingly did a tvu. He was so quiet when he did the scan, he didn't say a word just ran out of the room. He called Helen Sullivan to see if she would to a stitch on me, which she said she would. He set and told me it was unlikely to work and that it wasn't my fault, I couldn't have known. By this point, my hubby was holding me back from hitting him, I was absolutely screaming at him.
I was told I found stay overnight if I felt safer doing so, and my stitch was done the next morning. Helen Sullivan is not the most optimistic when giving you the stats, but she was honest, empathetic and kind to me. She also does stitches which are v successful. At one point she left the room as she was crying, she could see how devastated I was. I knew that if I had got to see her from the very start, the care would have been so much better. She actually said that there are a few doctors she doesn't trust, and if I had seen any of them on one of my many triage visits, she would repeat the procedure.
If you don't feel comfortable with the wait and see approach, you can ask to change or get a private scan. My stitch went in at just 21 weeks, Helen S told me she likes to get them in earlier than that, usually around 14 weeks. May I ask why they haven't gone straight for the stitch for you?
Sorry if that story worries you. It certainly isn't my intention, once I weeded my way through the crap at the hospital, the care was excellent, but it took far too long. Don't be afraid to speak up and ask for more if you don't think they are doing enough. ❤
welcome
keep us posted on any changes.
