I received a rather disturbing text the other day. One of my patients needed to cancel her 4 D scan as she had miscarried over the weekend.
I only see patients between 27-32 weeks. So this was a late term loss. I really felt bad for her. As I had scanned her at 16 wks,and we saw a beautiful little girl.
I later learnt that she had suffered a uteral abruption, she went to a trauma department at a private clinic when she started feeling pain but was treated for gastro. The staff apparently struggled to find a heart beat but at no time was a sonar requested.
She transferred to another private clinic the next morning where her own Gynea discovered the rupture. The baby had died and the patient had suffered major blood loss.
She could have died.
Now I ask how can this happen in a private clinic with state of the art equipment? With apparently world class doctors. This is NOT at a government hospital.
What is happening to the quality of health care in South Africa.
A travesty.
Those doctors will never be held responsible for their incompetence,and will probably do worse on another night.
And this poor woman will live with her loss forever.
Miscarriage
My mortality
What do I pray for almost everyday?
I pray that my family is kept safe and out of harms way and healthy.I always slip in another prayer…I hope that I’m kept safe and alive too.
It always feels selfish,but really I worry about my family if I was not around. I have absolute faith in their father to be a good parent but all kids need their mother. And after I’ve lost mine I realize that you carry on needing her even as you get older. It really is heartbreaking to think that a child should grow up without a mum.
Aunts and grandparent can step in, but no one can be a mother….
I struggled to fall pregnant with my son and started trying for another soon after he was born. After many failed months I kinda gave up. You get despondent after so many negative results,and I was content with one child.
A few months later I woke up one night in excruciating pain…I went to a local GP who diagnosed gastro….thru clenched teeth I tried telling him that I don’t think so…but he ushered me out with some meds.and assured me I’ll feel better soon.
Two days later the pain returned with a vengeance! I went to another GP..who actually listened to me. She asked if I was pregnant. I laughed and said no….the look of concern on her face startled me a bit.
She asked me to get myself to a hospital emergency room immediately. I had an ectopic pregnancy.
As luck would have it my fallopian tube had burst as I got to the hospital. I had emergency surgery to remove the tube and ovary. As it was so badly damaged.
I was in shock and pain all at the same time,but more than anything I was so grateful to be alive. I knew that a few hour later and I would have been dead.
During the next few weeks….I forgot the pain,I forgot the loss even. I was just so lucky.
The doctors told me I was very lucky to be alive…but I should give up hope on any more kids.
I really didn’t care…I was alive. I did not leave my son motherless.
The doctors were wrong…I went on to have two more kids unassisted. They are well and healthy.
Yet now almost 10 yrs later I think of that child that could have been…I feel that loss now.
My mother's passing. 