@A MyBCTeam Member

We all have your back and can listen and support you and your husband through this.

Just one person can make a difference to change hospital procedures and protect others.

That is the key…..that others do not go through what you did and that change is made.

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A MyBCTea...

@A MyBCTeam Member

Wishing you a speedy recovery and healing.

Please tell us how you found out that the resident did your mastectomy.
Hospital records available to the patient do not state that and we need to know too.

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A MyBCTea...

Autum, unfortunately, yes I know exactly what you mean. Approximately 2 months after my expander placement, my right expander incision started to open. For 3-4 weeks we were going to the plastic surgeon for "fill ups" and Jeff kept asking about the incision where it appeared to be opening and the ps kept saying "aw it's fine, keep doing what you're doing, change the dressings, keep bacitracin on it, it's all good". At each fill up, which his nurse was doing, he spent roughly 5 minutes with me and that's being liberal. Finally Jeff got FIRM with him and MADE him look at it, told him the opening was the size of his (Jeff's ) thumb. All he could say was oh you're right, that's gotta come out of there. Fast forward I think 3 months because the fill ups on the left side were put on hold until the right expander exchange was done, healed and expanded to match. Lo and behold incision started opening on the left side. Got the same story, leave it alone, don't pick at it (there was a dark spot where it was opening up) keep bacitracin on it, change dressing. Had appointment with surgeon who performed mastectomy right before my fill up appointment and he took one look, got an instrument tray and picked the dark spot off. Said yes, that expander is exposed and needs to come out. I cried while Jeff explained the bullshit we'd been through with the right side. I guess what I'm trying to tell you Autumn is make sure you are allowing yourself to heal completely, taking care of yourself, eating good foods, getting good rest, doing what is best for YOU. If I could go back and change some things, there are so many things I'd change. But as my daddy always said Hindsight is 20/20. Stand up for yourself if you don't have someone to stand up for/with you. Listen to your body. Will be praying for you.

No one should have to suffer through these mistakes. I strongly suggest finding a good malpractice attorney who is willing to go up against a hospital. (some malpractice attorneys were nurses before they went to law school.) These cases rarely go to court because hospitals are usually willing to settle to avoid bad P.R. And you can always threaten them with bad PR. Sometimes that's the only way a hospital improves its practices. (I happen to be an attorney with a public health background and my partner has to sue one of the top hospitals in Boston for a medical error.) Good luck

@A MyBCTeam Member I am going to explore my options very soon. I would hate for any other woman to go thru what I have

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A MyBCTea...