The University of Washington Urogynecology department misdiagnosed me for more than 2 years, and did not do the right imaging. I finally went to a neurosurgeon, (Dr. Naini), Evergreen, who did an MRI of my sacrum, and the problem was seen. I had to have a hysterectomy due to a pre-cancerous lesion in my uterus. I also had a large enterocele that was proven by a Dr.Medwell, (bless his heart),from Swedish. I refused to go back to the U.W. It was not the first time they had misdiagnosed a condition I had.
I live alone and I am 66, and I have a heart condition. Swedish Hospital's Dr. Shah did the hysterectomy. I signed the permit thinking I was going to have the enterocele taken care of also. (He did not fix the enterocele, I recently found out, and it became larger and worse.) I was sent home in less than 24 hours. I fell at home twice, and I continued to be sick for months. He did not pay attention to me when I told him I was still ill with diarrhea. I was misdiagnosed for the same illness by my primary care doctor, Dr. Chaudry, 2 different GI doctors, Dr Butoni, (from Overlake) and Dr. Patterson from Swedish, and Dr. Washington (Virginia Mason), and one colorectal surgeon from Swedish, Dr. Bastarwrous. I suffered horribly for several months with nausea and diarrhea and pain because these doctors did not order the right test in order for me to be treated. They basically dismissed me because they didn't know what to do. Dr. Butoni put me through a Gastric biopsy in which I had a violent reaction to the anesthetic, and I ended up in the emergency room. (I did not want to have this test done anyway, but there seemed to be no explanation for the nausea, diarrhea. He also did a nuclear gastric emptying test, that was normal). My medical bills have been through the roof because no one could make the right diagnosis. I was put through so much. My primary care doctor from Swedish wanted to order another regular stool test, but I never had that done. It was a mute point to repeat tests over and over again. Dr. Patterson only wanted to do a "breath test". I could not bring myself to do that because I felt like he was completely on the wrong tract like Dr. Butoni. Dr. Washington never addressed the diarrhea. She wanted to refer me to have a colostomy for God's sake. Dr. Bastarwrous completely dismissed me, and would not treat me at all. He did not address the enterocele, or the diarrhea or the pain I was in. I struggled for months on end, suffering with no one to help me. I finally went to Dr. Argile at Puget Sound Gastroenterology who said to me," The test is simple. You should be tested for C. difficile." It is a bacteria that occurs when a person is given an antibiotic, and occurs many times after a hospitalization. C difficile can be deadly especially for an older person. Thousands of people die in the U.S. because this bacteria goes undetected, or is ignored. I am an R.N. and I felt bad that I did not know that it doesn't show up in a regular stool test, which I already had. None of those other doctors tested me for that. It has to be tested for specifically, and the best way to do that is to have a PCR, or DNA test for that in the stool. I was given Vancomyacin about 8 months after the surgery. I got over the diarrhea, but I still had the abdominal pain.
In the mean time, last spring just before they diagnosed the C difficile, and I was still sick, I had an episode of extremely high blood pressure, and ended up in the emergency room. I was at Kinko's and my hand's were turning blue. I went to the ER in Issaquah who gave me Labetalol IV and discharged me. My cardiologist Dr. Lewis (Swedish) did not call me back for two days. His nurse left a message on my cell phone, "Stop taking your blood pressure so often". I could not believe what I was hearing. I was having shoulder pain, (which is what I had when I had to have stents placed in my heart a few years ago). I was still having severe abdominal pain, and wanted so badly to get a surgeon who would help me.
I recently went to another cardiologist because of my ongoing cardiac symptoms that got worse when I was ill all those months. He did a nuclear medicine stress test, which was abnormal. My heart is in trouble. I blame all of that, including the pain and suffering I have gone through on the fact that the doctors from all these places did not do the right thing, right surgery, or treat me with antibiotics when I needed it.
I have had other issues with Swedish, which I will address later. I have horror stories that are hard to believe. By the way, I am a former ICU, and ER nurse. I know what I am talking about. I cared for people all my life. No one should be treated the way I was, misdiagnosed and dismissed. No one. read more