Life Long Mesh Injuries
Donation protected
I woke up from a half hour surgery on the 4th of September 2013, unable to move my left leg.
My life has never returned back to how it was before this operation. My continous struggle to find a way back has been a bumpy and very painful road.
14 months have passed since many generous people helped me raise money to get to see the surgeon in Los Angeles, who performed the removal of mesh in my groin, and I am sure many of you wonder what happened to me since.
I was burnt out and realized the suffering my son was going through and needed some privacy to come to terms with the horrific reality of mesh.
The TV program in England had wanted a happy ending and the pressure to show that in my last message still haunts me... because it was not the easy ride and not as the program made it out to be.
It is true that project walk improved my walking, but I could still only walk that short distance and then would be overcome with fatigue, swollen stomach, fever, and I still had blood in my urine - these are just a few of things happening to me, but there was more horrors still to come because of the mesh implant.
Just as I thought I was getting better, my uterus dropped completely. After seeing many surgeons they came to the conculsion that it was the result of the mesh removal surgery in the UK, because the uterus had no support due to the way I had been put back together. This made sense to me, because after this surgery I had excruciating pain, fever, sweats that smelt of urine, blood in my urine, and infections. I was still unable to walk, was in a wheelchair AND still unable to stand up straight.
The USA surgery was only to remove the mesh in my legs, to try to reverse the nerve damage and help me walk again.
The LA operation in 2015 to remove the mesh out of my legs, had been a miracle. I was able to stand up straight almost immediately, my purple colored feet and legs returned to normal and I no longer had CRPS symptoms. I was not in a wheelchair, and able to walk with crutches.
However, the issue with my pelvic area had not been addressed, so disaster struck.
I had to have an emergency operation in Mexico to save the uterus, repair the vaginal muscles that support my pelvic area. This operation was made possible through the generous help of close friends and the sale of my car.
Six months later, I went to see a neurosurgeon in Mexico to discuss the nerve damage.
I had an electromagnetic nerve test showing 4 nerves in my left leg were damaged from the mesh implant operation - obturator nerve, femoral nerve, sciatica nerve and the tibial nerve.
The surgeon was appalled that the UK had been trying to say that my problems were a back problem, and said if they had done an MRI of the pelvic area after the surgery, they would have seen the nerve damage. After a MRI was performed, the surgeon revealed something far worse.
My left kidney was damaged and bulging urine . The kidney was collapsing, which indicates a chronic condition, a result from the first mesh implant operation in the UK.
An emergency operation needed to be done within a week before my situation became life threatening.
My sisters stepped in and paid for the operation. A urologist was found, who looked at every detail. A catheter was put into place to drain the urine.
I immediately went onto a vegan diet and did everyting I could to give my kidney a chance to recover.
After 2 months, the kidney nuclear function test showed that it has not recovered.
This means yet another serious and complex operation, but no surgeon is happy to perform it, since they say the CT scan shows unmeasurable scarring and damage from the mesh. To enter this area again is like trying to open a book with its pages stuck together with honey.
My best chance of survival is to go to a specialist training hospital, with a multi disciplinary team, that deals with complex urology and gynocology cases in Mexico City.
With the UK law system failing me, even though I proved good evidence, the medical expert who had agreed I had a case, changed her mind 2 weeks before my 3 years were up, leaving me unable to find another lawyer in time ( any lawyer wants 6 months before the 3 year period is up ) Even Human rights lawyers refused to look into the clear violation of my human rights, that the NHS only offers patients a removal after 6 months not before, yet KNOW that it causes permanent nerve damage. The medical expert stated that they know 30% of patients complain of complications, but by offering many opiates and spinal blocks, only 1 % of victims persist to ask for a removal.
With the last thing now being sold, my solar panels, to pay my medical bills, I am yet again in a situation of helplessness and needing to ask for support for the upcoming life-saving operation in Mexico City.
The reason I can not go back to the UK for this operation, is because in the NHS at this present time, I would have to wait 1 month to see a GP, wait 12 weeks for the response to a referral to a consultant, and 18 weeks for the appointment - then I would have to wait up to 9 months as I did before to have anything done. Other mesh victims in the UK, have confirmed that they are having to wait this long for help. Some of my mesh friends in the UK have been told that there is nothing left for them but to live the rest of their lives taking pain killers.
If I would have waited this long for the kidney to be drained I would be dead. It was suggested that I go to emergency, but they would not have performed the CT scan, probably just a blood test and as I keep having people say "But you look ok" I can see the emergency services turning me away..
The USA costs are just not sustainable and so cant be an option again - one night was $16,000 just for the hospital bed last year. Thats why I currently reside in Mexico, where healthcare costs are more resonable.
My only hope is to be able to get a multi disciplinary team, with all the right equipment and knowledge at hand to attempt to repair or remove the kidney and this can only be done with your generous help.
Please watch these videos to understand more:
https://youtu.be/itoGIBAX0FY
http://hiber.phaktory.net/video/65677955
https://youtu.be/YSnU7wGOo6M
https://youtu.be/ifwXiEVYJEY
https://youtu.be/cw8RgR_BB6U
https://youtu.be/ox7a4NAkGWI
https://youtu.be/hpmJjTa7opE
https://youtu.be/RdQMMADQHvQ
https://youtu.be/UNWf7F2c--M
https://youtu.be/qCda6GK0S38?list=PLwmbIGuZ0h7p4w4aKgJD4BvGJyAjurzQ5
My life has never returned back to how it was before this operation. My continous struggle to find a way back has been a bumpy and very painful road.
14 months have passed since many generous people helped me raise money to get to see the surgeon in Los Angeles, who performed the removal of mesh in my groin, and I am sure many of you wonder what happened to me since.
I was burnt out and realized the suffering my son was going through and needed some privacy to come to terms with the horrific reality of mesh.
The TV program in England had wanted a happy ending and the pressure to show that in my last message still haunts me... because it was not the easy ride and not as the program made it out to be.
It is true that project walk improved my walking, but I could still only walk that short distance and then would be overcome with fatigue, swollen stomach, fever, and I still had blood in my urine - these are just a few of things happening to me, but there was more horrors still to come because of the mesh implant.
Just as I thought I was getting better, my uterus dropped completely. After seeing many surgeons they came to the conculsion that it was the result of the mesh removal surgery in the UK, because the uterus had no support due to the way I had been put back together. This made sense to me, because after this surgery I had excruciating pain, fever, sweats that smelt of urine, blood in my urine, and infections. I was still unable to walk, was in a wheelchair AND still unable to stand up straight.
The USA surgery was only to remove the mesh in my legs, to try to reverse the nerve damage and help me walk again.
The LA operation in 2015 to remove the mesh out of my legs, had been a miracle. I was able to stand up straight almost immediately, my purple colored feet and legs returned to normal and I no longer had CRPS symptoms. I was not in a wheelchair, and able to walk with crutches.
However, the issue with my pelvic area had not been addressed, so disaster struck.
I had to have an emergency operation in Mexico to save the uterus, repair the vaginal muscles that support my pelvic area. This operation was made possible through the generous help of close friends and the sale of my car.
Six months later, I went to see a neurosurgeon in Mexico to discuss the nerve damage.
I had an electromagnetic nerve test showing 4 nerves in my left leg were damaged from the mesh implant operation - obturator nerve, femoral nerve, sciatica nerve and the tibial nerve.
The surgeon was appalled that the UK had been trying to say that my problems were a back problem, and said if they had done an MRI of the pelvic area after the surgery, they would have seen the nerve damage. After a MRI was performed, the surgeon revealed something far worse.
My left kidney was damaged and bulging urine . The kidney was collapsing, which indicates a chronic condition, a result from the first mesh implant operation in the UK.
An emergency operation needed to be done within a week before my situation became life threatening.
My sisters stepped in and paid for the operation. A urologist was found, who looked at every detail. A catheter was put into place to drain the urine.
I immediately went onto a vegan diet and did everyting I could to give my kidney a chance to recover.
After 2 months, the kidney nuclear function test showed that it has not recovered.
This means yet another serious and complex operation, but no surgeon is happy to perform it, since they say the CT scan shows unmeasurable scarring and damage from the mesh. To enter this area again is like trying to open a book with its pages stuck together with honey.
My best chance of survival is to go to a specialist training hospital, with a multi disciplinary team, that deals with complex urology and gynocology cases in Mexico City.
With the UK law system failing me, even though I proved good evidence, the medical expert who had agreed I had a case, changed her mind 2 weeks before my 3 years were up, leaving me unable to find another lawyer in time ( any lawyer wants 6 months before the 3 year period is up ) Even Human rights lawyers refused to look into the clear violation of my human rights, that the NHS only offers patients a removal after 6 months not before, yet KNOW that it causes permanent nerve damage. The medical expert stated that they know 30% of patients complain of complications, but by offering many opiates and spinal blocks, only 1 % of victims persist to ask for a removal.
With the last thing now being sold, my solar panels, to pay my medical bills, I am yet again in a situation of helplessness and needing to ask for support for the upcoming life-saving operation in Mexico City.
The reason I can not go back to the UK for this operation, is because in the NHS at this present time, I would have to wait 1 month to see a GP, wait 12 weeks for the response to a referral to a consultant, and 18 weeks for the appointment - then I would have to wait up to 9 months as I did before to have anything done. Other mesh victims in the UK, have confirmed that they are having to wait this long for help. Some of my mesh friends in the UK have been told that there is nothing left for them but to live the rest of their lives taking pain killers.
If I would have waited this long for the kidney to be drained I would be dead. It was suggested that I go to emergency, but they would not have performed the CT scan, probably just a blood test and as I keep having people say "But you look ok" I can see the emergency services turning me away..
The USA costs are just not sustainable and so cant be an option again - one night was $16,000 just for the hospital bed last year. Thats why I currently reside in Mexico, where healthcare costs are more resonable.
My only hope is to be able to get a multi disciplinary team, with all the right equipment and knowledge at hand to attempt to repair or remove the kidney and this can only be done with your generous help.
Please watch these videos to understand more:
https://youtu.be/itoGIBAX0FY
http://hiber.phaktory.net/video/65677955
https://youtu.be/YSnU7wGOo6M
https://youtu.be/ifwXiEVYJEY
https://youtu.be/cw8RgR_BB6U
https://youtu.be/ox7a4NAkGWI
https://youtu.be/hpmJjTa7opE
https://youtu.be/RdQMMADQHvQ
https://youtu.be/UNWf7F2c--M
https://youtu.be/qCda6GK0S38?list=PLwmbIGuZ0h7p4w4aKgJD4BvGJyAjurzQ5
Organizer
Suki Mann
Organizer
