"Good and Bad"

In Nov 2006 I was admitted to hospital with renal colic. I was then diagnosed with kidney stones and a nephrostomy tube was inserted into my left kidney. I was still getting pain from the tube site and continually told both doctors and nurses that I did not think the tube was in right. This continued from late December until early January when I was taken to have the tube checked. It was not in my kidney and consequently I had been building up scepticaemia which caused kidney failure and I was rushed into intensive care and had dialysis.

Clinical practitioners should take more heed of the patients who after all know their own bodies and how they are feeling. I did after several letters and phone calls get a hearing and an apology from the consultant concerned. I have never fully recovered from the incident but I am getting on with my life.

There are good points to the hospital though and I cannot praise the following departments enough: haematology, gynaecology and endoscopy. They are caring, efficient and they listen. All clinical staff should have to attend a listening course to learn that there is a difference between hearing and actively listening.