"Quick turnaround"

After being referred to to the Jessops wing of the Hallamshire hospital, I was told I had a polyp in my uterus. At my next appointment, I was told that the tests on the polyp had raised concerns and that the indications were that I had an endometrial sarcoma. I was promptly booked in the following week for a hysterectomy.

The speed of everything was a surprise and I thougt myself very lucky to have the sarome detected and for surgery to be arranged so quickly.

I was told that surgery woul most likely be conducted laproscopically in which case I would need to stay in hospital for 3-5 days. If open surgery was necessary, it would be 8-10.

On the day I was admitted, another doctor told me it would be 2-3 days, and then when I finally met my own consultant he told me I could be out the same day as the op.

My op was early in the morning, but it was after lunch before I got back to the ward. I cannot remember much of my husbands 2 visits, but was certainly not well enough to go home the same day. I was unable to pass urine, and the nurse had to keep draining my bladder manually.

The day after my op, I began to get the distinct impression that I was expected to go home that day. I felt tired, unwell, and was scared that going home would mean putting a lot of responsibility on my husband. I didnt feel that I could challenge their decision. I still could not pass urine, so a catheter was inserted and I was told that I could go home with it and come back to hospital the following week to have it removed.

I was shown how to empty it, and was told I would be given a different bag for nightime, and a stand to hang it on. When my drugs finally came back from the pharmacy, a vey unsympathetic nurse handed them over without any explanation about the contents. I had to ask her for another pair of stockings, and for my sick note. i had previously been told that my sick note would be for 6 weeks, but when she handed it to me, it was only for 2 weeks. when I queried this she said, 'you've only had it laproscopically!'. I felt as if I was a fraud and trying to get more time off work than was needed. I then asked if it was possible to borrow a wheelchair as my husband was going to have to leave me in the hospital entrance as he had parked over 20 mins away. the nurse was none too pleased and thrust one towards us. by the time I was sobbing - I felt as if she thought I was being a baby, and I wanted to shout out that until my op, I had never had a day off sick in 6 years!. she made no effort to calm me down and turnd her back and strode away.

To make things worse, I discovered that evening that the catheter bag supplied was the wrong one, and my husband had to drive back into town and buy another one.

If there was one thing I could stress to hospital staff, it would be that it's all well and good showing stats that have quick turnaround times, but as a patient, I felt under considerable stress that I should show all the signs of immediate improvement, when in actual fact I did not feel well enough to go home, and desperately wanted one more day of professional care.

I have finally found out today that the sarcoma I thought I had was not one after all.