Hi,

My name is Sebnem Erdem, I am a dog trainer. I would like to share, to cry out if you will, my experience of the past year with you, my desperation, my nightmare.

Because of my irregular periods i decided to see a doctor. After having seen a few, I met  dr. D.C. at the Yasam Hospital. How could I know that my life would flow into a direction where all of my hopes, dreams and yes, my health would be taken away from me. 

After the eaxmination the doctor told me that I had to undergo an operation because they had found a mass in my womb (bigger than the womb itself). For my wellbeing and If I wanted to have children later, I had to undergo this surgery. 

what kind of surgery was this and when would I be able to take up my normallife after the surgery? A laparoscopic surgery was suggested by my doctor, which means that there would be no cuts, no stiches. He explained me that I could go home the same day (evening) and after a 10 days rest I would be able to go back to work and I would have no problems in the future if I should have children. I was convinced and the day of my surgery was set. all necessary x-rays and analyses were made, everything was ok. 

the day of my surgery I was at the hospital at 8 o'clock. After preparation and having signed a form which was shown to me in a hurry, I turned to my friends and family and told them to keep my Turkish coffee ready, I would be back soon. Later I learned that my surgery  took about 3,5 hours instead of one hour.  What happened afterwards, I will tell you day by day.

The reason I am writing this day by day is because I want everyone; men, women, the authorities and the ministry of health to know every little detail.

20.03.2012 - Day of my surgery..instead of one hour, the surgery takes 3,5 hours..waking up... my god, what is happening..the pain is unbearable. Hours later I still am not regaining any strength or having less pain..its just not possible for me to move. The doctor says "your pain is low, rest some more, you can go home in the evening" and leaves. I am stunned and asking myself how I can go home in this situation, i am telling myself that I am strong, I have been operated upon before but this is very different. During the doctors visiting round in the evening he tells me to rest the night, and I can go home in the morning. In the meantime a friend who stayed with me was surprised that hours after the surgery, I still had not urinated. 

Anyone who has had an operation knows, that if a patient is not able to go to the toilet, a catheter is placed to relief the patient. I had no catheter but also no need to go. Later that night a friend who was staying with me said "this is not normal, try to stand up,I will help you to the toilet, I am sure you have to go". Despite the terrible pain I stood up with the help of 2 friends and then saw swelling on my side that should not be there. My friend told the nurse but she said "it's probably gas, you can walk it of" and left. On the other hand, with all the pain, how was I suppose to walk?

21.03.2012 - A night with too much pain..waiting for the doctor..the swelling on my left is even bigger. The head nurse comes in and says "I told you to walk, why don't you". Right after this the doctor comes in and tells me "yes, you have to get up and walk, I can send you home in the evening" and leaves. I wish I would have taken pictures every day, but I did not think of it. I would not wish such pain upon my enemies, it was still unbearable. No one should have this much pain. Later that day, the swelling got worse and bigger and the stiches were getting more tense. The doctor said "stay the night" and left. My friends and  me did not understand a thing. That night I was in so much pain that the morfine had been increased and they had also given me Xanax. Although my friends had been asking for a doctor to come repeatedly, nobody came.

22.03.2012 - During the doctor's morning rounds he said "we are going to take an ultrasound" and left. Together with the general surgeon they decided I had a "crotch hernia" and that they would operate me again. I was not allowed to walk, I had to stay in bed. Strangely enough, I still had no need at all to go to the toilet. The swelling was now as big as an orange, and was growing still. With the swelling growing, my pain was also getting worse. Again I did not go home that day, all I could do was pray to god that I would be free of this pain.

23.03.2012 - When the doctor came in the morning, I had to get up of bed and a picture was taken of my stitches and swelling. He said "I have never seen something like this before, I have to show this to my professor in Istanbul" and left. Medicine and serum kept coming. Because I could not eat, I was being fed through serum. Nobody was interested in the fact that I was throwing up a lot and when the doctor came he said "try to walk, we will probably operate upon the hernia in about 2 months" and left. Again a night full of pain was waiting for me. 

24.03.2012 - Concern..fear..anxiety..pain..desperation..emptiness..or nothing? Was I dying or had I died already? I did not know, I was not sure..the only thing I knew, was that the pain I felt was too much, a lot more than I could take. My family, my friends were with me all the time but the only thing they could see was the desperation in my eyes. I, who was a "S" once, was now an "L".  Interesting enough, that day the doctor who did my operation visited  and examined me with two other doctors. Diagnosis: "lymph edema". Now I was totally confused. What was "lymph edema"? Explanation of the doctors: "sometimes patients are unable to endure a surgery, it's too hard for the body and it reacts, like your body did". "You have to lay down, don't get up"! After this, I was sent to the ultrasound which reported; "abdominal fluid". One other night to come with lots of pain.

25.03.2012 - The first thing we noticed in the morning was that I now was an "XL" size. Because it was the end of March and it was getting hotter, a friend of mine went home to get me some clothing that she wore during the last weeks of her pregnancy. With great effort I sat up and told my friend that I wanted to see my family, friends and my dogs one more time, I had made my will. But most of them were far away, it just was not possible. "My dogs" I said, the answer was "no". People are known to be afraid of the unknown. This was what I was going through, I did not know what was happening, what was still to come? Not death, it was the fear of not being able to finish all the things I still had to do, not to be able to see myloved onesone more time. 

26.03.2012 - "XL" is getting too small. The doctor came, said "stay in bed" (like I was able to move) and left. I was not crying anymore, the tears kept coming, as if my body was trying  to relief the pain it was in. Another doctor came saw my back and said "this is an infection" . Crotch hernia, lymph edema and now an infection. What infection? Tomography, X-ray and ultrasound followed. Intravenous medicine was prepared and everything started all over again. I was able to speak and asked the doctors what exactly was happening and what they were doing. Answer: "you're critical, the reason of the infection is not clear, but in case you're womb is infected, we might have to take it away". "If it is not the womb, we have  to make some abdominal incisions (6-7) and these must stay open untill the infection dries"! This could take months! Another doctor said "this is a lymph edema infection". I can imagine you are puzzled reading all this (imagine yourself in my place for just a minute). Before leaving the room dr. C.K said "forget about a bikini" and left. Tomography report; "fluid seen on the left distal section". The doctor who had noticed the infection said; " you are allergic to the solution that is used to clear the laparoscopic appliance"! Crotch hernia, lymphe edema, infection and now an allergic reaction?

27.03.2012 - The swelling is so big that my left arm does not close anymore. My skin felt as if it was burning up and was changing colour. This was it, this was the end, why could'nt they just take me home? Home, so I could see my loved ones, my dogs one more time. In the evening hours I heard the doctors give orders to give me 4 units of blood. I was so weakened, that I was not able to understand what was going on anymore. One of the doctors said "it is possible that we operate tomorrow". I had not showered since days and asked my friend to wash me before the operation, as I stood up with her help, she saw that I had swellings on by back, my neck, everywhere. I looked like a waterbed as I moved. 

The pain?

Let me try to explain. You have a little wound somewhere and some urine drops on the wound. This makes the wound burn. Now imagine that my urine is pouring INTO my body.

28.03.2012 - In between of all the pain and despare, I later found out that one ofmy friends was taking tranquillizers because she could not bear to see me this way. When they came to prepare me for the surgery, the doctor told my friends that the surgery would take about 5-6 hours. One hour later I was brought back into my room. When I felt my belly, I felt no incisions and the doctor told me that I was very "lucky". Lucky why? Lucky because I had fallen down from the 9th floor and had broken just one leg? No sir, no, I was lucky because they had been able to fix my urinary tract..my urinary tract that was cut off during the first surgery..they had to put in a 27 cm long stend and had to take it out again in one month. How was this possible, how can such a mistake occur? Yes, the doctor had cut my urinary tract and was trying to explain in a strange way. If they would have followed up on me after the first surgery as they should have, they would have seen that I did not urinate, they could have seen that there was something wrong.

02.04.2012 - After all my valuations were normal, i was ready togo home. I asked that I was given a file with every test and report there was. Finally I received the file and I could go. Together with my sister, who had come from abroad I went to the hospital manager. His answer/explanation; you have a very strong immune system, all of our doctors are ensured, there is nothing you can do. Finally, as I went to pay the bill, I was told that I had to pay for a "closed surgery", if not they would take legal action against me. I paid and left.

Tears and pain untill here.

Being home, I was trying to get better and hoped to get better every day. Untill...15.04.2012..I was brought to the Akdeniz University Hospital of medicine in severe pain and could not stop throwing up. A new hospital life had begon, the invaluable doctors of this hospital were trying to give me my health back. 

In short:

- Fighting with an infection due to the stend (2 months)

- Unable to eat everything, special diet

- A new stent was put in, because the first one hadnot worked properly and my urinary tract had to be opened with a bolloon fSrst.

- Severe pain due to gall bladder problems

- Severe headache; blood preassure 17/15

- Kidney scan and scintigraphy

- Conclusion: damaged right kidney; Hydronephrosis!

- Because of a narrow vein in one of my kidneys I now also have high blood pressure

- 6,5 Weeks after input, the 2nd stend was taken out

- After 3 months time I could walk normal again

- Because of all these problems I had lost a lot of weight also

Now I have decided to take legal action against the first hospital, hoping that no one else will have to experience this nightmare.

On 14.11.2012 I have received notice that my file has been accepted by the authorities.

    - psychological and physical damage

    - risk of losing a kidney

    - not being able to finish school

    - not being able to eat properly (still)

    - not beaing able to finish my book

Losing all of this I started to wait for the decision. 

Last week I received it:

In short: "nothing wrong with what happened, it happens sometimes, the doctors and personel have no blaim".

IT'S A COMPLICATION!

Who reads a pre-op form before going into surgery from A-Z? Who would take such a risk? Legally valid is a letter of notice from the patient, that all risks have been explained by the doctor(s) in handwriting and signed by the patient himself. 

Now I am asking you and the forensic institution: since this was a complication,why did the doctors not know?

Since the doctor(s) says this is a complication, how come he did not know, how come he is not faulty in this case?

If this is a complication, how can dr. C.K say he was not aware because this was not in his "operating teritory".

What was his obligation other than operating?

How can the forensic institution know what happens outside this "teritory".

Howcan they know that nurses gave this "complication" a new name; the "Sebnem" disease.

During/after my surgery there was no urologist and no IVP ready, why not?

Maybe the so called complication occured because lack of the above?

PLAYING WITH HUMAN LIFE, TO DISREGARD A HUMAN LIFE; SINCE WHEN IS THIS CALLED COMPLICATION?

In all the 15 years of my professional life I have never seen a veterenarian who acted this way against the precious pets in his /hers care. 

If you can imagine just a little bit of what I have been through, please share this story, please share, so that doctors mistakes will not be called complications, please share so that other, maybe even afraid patients will find the strength to take legal actions.

My lawyers have filed against this outcome on 20.03.2013, we are now waiting for a new hearing. 

I know they will not be able to give me my health back, but moving on, knowing that they stay unpunished is something that I cannot accept.

Stay in good health everyone..

Kind regards,

Sebnem Erdem