Alive but worried!

[swimangel72]

Michka I'm so sorry you had to go through all that! I also had to receive a blood transfusion after my muscle-sparing free tram; it wasn't immediately after surgery - but nearly 2 weeks later after I was hospitalized with fever due to a MRSA staph infection. I received all the hospital reports but they wrote down that they didn't know why I needed the transfusions, they thought it could have been caused by all the blood draws and possibly because of internal bleeding near my abdominal incision (which was aspirated and didn't show any blood at all.) I too would like to know the truth - but I doubt that will ever happen, even though I'm asking a lawyer his opinion as to whether or not I should proceed with a malpractice suit against the hospital for the MRSA. I'm also very afraid to return to surgery (March 16th - over a year after my Stage 1 reconstruction) - I'll be seeing an infectious disease specialist beforehand to be sure my body is ready to go..........it's hard enough dealing with the BC, but all these other complications are very difficult. Still I am grateful for the angels in my life including all of you here!

[harrie]

Kathy, Soccermom also had experienced a pretty severe, I believe it was staph infection, right after her DIEP. Maybe you might want to contact her regarding her experiences.

[swimangel72]

Thanks Maryanne - I'll contact her - it's amazing how many women have had infections - and to think I went with a Diep because I worried that implants had too high a risk for infection!

[Believe51]

Hello Sweetness, I am so sorry to hear of your problems with the reconstruction. I am including you in special prayers as you continue to heal and adding in some positive healing energy to that mix. Please take care of yourself and recover complete & better than ever. In the mean time many prayers of thanks for you being able to make it through and to bless us with your continued presence. Here is to better days Lovey!!>>Believe51

[swimangel72]

Thank you Believe for your kind thoughts and prayers - I'm praying for you and all my friends here - that God's love will shine so brightly on each of us every single day that the shadows of fear will be erased!

Michka I totally agree with your words below:
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By law, I can ask a copy of all the internal documents. I will do that because they are afraid to talk. I consider that everybody can make a mistake. These doctors and nurses have a tough job and we love to find them to help us. What gets me upset (and now a little mad) is the tentative to cover up. It's a dangerous attitude for the patients. The best is to put everything that went wrong on the table and correct the process or the training.
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It was the SILENCES of my surgeons that forced me to take action and investigate what happened to me in the hospital - only after I received all my reports did I discover I had MRSA. Thanks to the whispers of the nurses in the hallways I became suspicious that all was not "normal" the way my surgeons kept reassuring me. I should have listened to the first nurse on the morning of my surgery - she was the ONLY one who had any common sense or understanding of the risks I would be undertaking - when she took my temperature she said, "Oh - you have a 100.6 fever - you'll probably have to go home!" The anesthesiologist listened for a minute to my lungs and declared me "good to go" - this set the downhill spiral for getting MRSA. Not one doctor ever informed me that I'd be at greater risk for infection going in with a fever.........they hide behind all the papers you have to sign. These doctors are so cavalier - business-as-usual - get their quotas in so they could proceed with the building of their new "breast center wing" onto a low-volume community hospital. I doubt I'll ever get anywhere with a lawsuit - but I hope to shake them up at least so they'll NEVER do to another breast cancer patient what they did to me........that they'll be FORCED to learn from their mistakes. It's a shame that this is the only way we can maintain control over the quality of our healthcare.

Anyway - enough of my own griping - Michka I hope you're feeling better and that you'll get the answers you seek. Thank you for posting your question regarding blood transfusions and BC recurrence rates - I NEVER even thought about that! I worried about getting Hepatitis from the blood transfusion but I've been told that the blood is so well screened today I have nothing to worry about.

It's a gorgeous blue-sky sunny day and I'm heading out to the pool - where I feel like I'm flying - weightless and free - and while I swim, I'll be praying for all of my friends here!