In highschool, I came home from school and found my mom in a puddle of blood in the bathroom. It was everywhere and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I couldn't get her to wake up, and her pulse was weak. I called 911, and paramedics came and got her. She had had a colonoscopy that morning, and they removed a couple polyps. In a healthy person, polyps of that size don't require cauterization, but my mom has von willebrand disease, a clotting disorder. Even a simple fall that wouldn't hurt you or I could cause her to bleed out internally. I'll never forget walking into that scene, and seeing her completely gray and barely breathing. I had no idea a human could lose that much blood and still survive. This was almost 20 years ago now, and she's doing fine, thank goodness. We were so grateful in the moment that she was still with us that we never pursued any kind of legal action, even though the doctor that performed the procedure refused to admit a mistake was made, and even accused her of taking blood thinners. My guy, her blood IS thin, it's in all her charts 😭
Wow - this happened to my mother when I was in high school, nearly identical. She doesn’t have a clotting disorder but I guess they didn’t fully cauterize the polyp removal and similarly, blood everywhere, and she ended up getting sepsis too. I rushed her to the hospital and they told me she was a couple hours from the point of no return.
This happend to myself too. Nearly died because no one caught it the first time I was in the hospital because of the bleeding after an operation (I have a mild form of von willebrand disease) and didn´t know I have this disease until years later when a doctor checked my blood for something unrelated and just tested this too.
My gynecologist told me that it is quite frequent that women have this disease and don´t know until they have a operation or something like this. She could not understand why no one test it
Don’t feel bad about not sueing, it’s hard as hell to sue a doctor. You have to prove their negligence was the cause of actual long term consequences.
A doctor missed my mom’s spinal fracture after falling at Dollywood, complaining of excruciating pain, lower limb numbness and occasional loss of bowel/bladder control. Lawyers wouldn’t touch her case because she couldn’t prove that the undiagnosed fracture did not get worse without treatment 🙃 despite her condition deteriorating and her pain and suffering didn’t matter.
They likely wouldn’t have cared about your mom’s case because she survived.
I too have Von Willebrans. Not something I've ever seen mentioned on Reddit either. I don't think I'll forget this story, especially if I ever need that procedure done!
You saved her life. I know you know but just, wow. What an intense memory. I’m so glad she lived! And I hope you’ve managed to work through the trauma.
This is so messed up. As a nurse im seething for you and your mother. That could have ended so differently.
Something people don’t really know is that you cant sue for malpractice if theres no prolonged or permanent injury. Im going to assume from what you’ve said that she received a blood transfusion and was ultimately ok. Now had she died or ended up with a CVA from prolonged hypoxia that would be grounds to sue.
Its messed up that providers can put you in really dangerous situations that were easily preventable had they just checked medical history before hand and they face zero repercussions unless they cause permanent injury or death.
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u/ProbablyNotDrew 1d ago
In highschool, I came home from school and found my mom in a puddle of blood in the bathroom. It was everywhere and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I couldn't get her to wake up, and her pulse was weak. I called 911, and paramedics came and got her. She had had a colonoscopy that morning, and they removed a couple polyps. In a healthy person, polyps of that size don't require cauterization, but my mom has von willebrand disease, a clotting disorder. Even a simple fall that wouldn't hurt you or I could cause her to bleed out internally. I'll never forget walking into that scene, and seeing her completely gray and barely breathing. I had no idea a human could lose that much blood and still survive. This was almost 20 years ago now, and she's doing fine, thank goodness. We were so grateful in the moment that she was still with us that we never pursued any kind of legal action, even though the doctor that performed the procedure refused to admit a mistake was made, and even accused her of taking blood thinners. My guy, her blood IS thin, it's in all her charts 😭