“I was never afraid of death, but now I am,” Jacqui said after ending in intensive care during a series of medical setbacks at Wellington Hospital.
Health New Zealand apologized to Siou for the treatment it received in early February and says it is conducting an internal review of its case.
Meanwhile, Siou plans to make a complaint to the Health and Disability Commissioner.
NZME has seen medical notes and correspondence from the health agency that also contains excuses to Siou and recognition of the “significant anguish” caused to it.
Siou, a single mother of three works, was out of income after 17 days at the hospital, largely dependent on a wheelchair, using a food bank and unable to pay passes to train so that their children could reach school.
The 46 -year -old developed a severe streptococcal infection in her joints after a zoladex injection to try to control chronic menstrual bleeding due to fibroids while waiting for a hysterectomy.
She called the hospital to complain of a painful foot and hand, but were informed that these were not side effects of the injection and were dissuaded to go to the emergency department.
Condition worsens, the ambulance called
However, she was eventually taken over an ambulance when her condition worsened and a bacterial infection was diagnosed.
The later summary of the hospital discharge of Siou says that the infection was probably caused by the injection of Zoladex.
“We regret that this has happened because these injections should not result in this infection,” the clinical team said in discharge notes.
Siou underwent two operations for “washing procedures” for infection in the wrist and ankle, followed by intravenous antibiotics.
While recovering from surgery, she developed blood clots on her legs and chest.
Listening to the “cracks” in her breathing and recognizing symptoms of past diseases, she says she told a doctor that she thought she had blood clots in her lungs. He told her that she didn’t.
Hours later, she raised the issue of blood clots with another doctor who told her that she had indigestion.
The next day she had ultrasound, which confirmed that she had a deep vein thrombosis in the leg.
Order a ‘guardian angel’
She was taken to a chest scan but was left alone “crying my eyes” in a cart in a hallway until a “guardian angel” hospital found her and organized her to take her to scan, which confirmed that she had a pulmonary embolism – a potentially dangerous glass in her lung.
Back in the wing, she says the clinical team contradicted her when she said she had not received medicines to thin blood, which would help prevent clots since her previous surgery.
“I was like, ‘no, I don’t have it. I had no injections,’ and then everyone got in. They went out and came back. One was crying, saying ‘Oh, we felt a lot,'” Siou said.
He was later developed a gastric bleeding, but says he was again informed that he was wrong when he complained that he was vomiting blood.
“I was really sick. I started to vomit blood. This was around 7am and said to the doctor, ‘It has blood taste’. He looked at him. He was like ‘Oh no, this is not blood.'”
Employees insisted that the vomiting was Bile and not blood, although they were informed that they were wrong by Siou’s mother, an ex -man, and a friend of Siou who was also a nurse in a different hospital.
Hours later, after he was vomited several times, another doctor accepted that she was bringing blood and ordered the first of several blood transfusions.
Siou was taken to another operation, this time an endoscopy and a “clipping” treatment of a 12 mm bleeding gastric ulcer.
When she was led to intensive care before the operation, she “scared”, believing she wouldn’t wake up because she knew her blood pressure had fallen so low.
A letter from Health Nz Teu now, sighted by NZME, apologized for the blood clots and bleeding in the stomach of Siou, and because he felt that members of the clinical team did not hear her.
“We recognize the significant impact this has and the considerable anguish it has caused to you and your Whānau,” the letter said.
After the discharge, on a moon boot and partially dependent on a wheelchair, Siou’s problems continued.
Construtora in her own beauty salon, she was out of income and using a food bank while waiting for the help of ACC and Winz.
Now, Siou is anxious because the hysterectomy she was waiting will have to be postponed while she recovers from her recent trial.
She wonders what will happen when she receives her next period. She had Zoladex’s injection because her periods were leading to bleed for up to seven weeks, demanding that she had blood transfusions. She fears that the blood diluents that now need to take for another two months will make them worse.
“I said you [hospital staff] I shot my feet because, as soon as I can menstruate and start bleeding, I’m in blood forms and was already bleeding and with blood transfusions, and that’s why I’m afraid, “she said.
Health nz apologizes
Jamie Duncan, director of operations of the Health NZ Capital Coast and Hutt Valley group, said the agency dealt with any “adverse event” involving an extremely serious patient.
“We apologize to Siou for anguish she has experienced while under our care,” said Duncan.
“We kept working with Mrs. Siou as we conducted an internal review of her case.
“We can’t comment more until it is complete.”
A friend created a Givealtlet page for Siou.
– Ric Stevens, Open Justice Reporter
