Ectopic pregnancy left to burst.

On June 1st I made an appointment with Gynaecologist Dr P Phakoe at Netcare Alberton hospital for a sonar scan as I have tested positive since the 2nd of April for a pregnancy. My appointment was around 11.

I got there very nervous because this is the longest I have been pregnant since I had 2 miscarriages the previous year.

I explained my medical history of the miscarriages with the doctor and told her I have been testing positive for over 8 weeks now and I was nervous but I am here for my first scan.

We then went to the room next door to do the scan and she said she cant see the baby in the womb, and that it was an ectopic pregnancy. My heart was crushed I had silently let out tears of heartache.

I then asked her what the next steps were because I didnt know anything about ectopic pregnancies. She said she will send me for blood test and then she would see if she can maybe give me medicine to shrink the pregnancy in the tube, and then she said she will call me the following day, she even repeated it by stating I dont have to call she will call me.

I then went to Ampath in the hospital and did my blood test trying to keep the heartache inside of me. On my way home I was shattered and cried so much as I really just wanted a baby yet now I am diagnosed with something I dont have any clue about.

I took her word and waited and waited and received no call whatsoever. So the Saturday I tried to phone and then the next week at work we record all our calls so I phoned from a recorded line. The reception lady who first answered was very snappy when I insisted on talking to the doctor because she said she would call regarding the steps and she just did not do that, she said she will tell the doctor, again I waited a day now having read about ectopic being life threatening if left. I phoned again the next day and another receptionist answered and said she will also tell the doctor.

It's now at a point where I am stressing so I phone numerous other Gynaecologist to book an appointment but they are all full and most can dont see new patients. That day I received an sms saying I still owe Dr P Phakoe R130 something that my medical aid didnt cover, a few hours later I received an email from the doctor herself with just the blood results, nothing to say you need to come in or this or that no phone call as to explain what the results meant. Not that the results mattered it was an ectopic and surgery was needed from the first day I was in her office.

In the same week receiving the results in an email, I was rushed into emergency while in Benoni at a friends house on a Sunday morning due to severe abdomen pain fever and sweating from pain. I couldn't feel my fingertips or toes everything was going numb.

I was immediately sent for emergency surgery as the ectopic had burst causing internal bleeding. I lost over 2 liters of blood and nearly died from this. I was then in ICU on ventilators and then when I was moved to the ward I had a fever from infection that didnt break for a few days.

During this we made a complaint to the Netcare Alberton hospital stating our disappointment in the doctor. They phoned back and told us the doctor will or will not phone us back but the management will discuss this with her.

The next day being in hospital heavily medicated and mostly asleep I woke up with a miss call from her she tried to phone me 3 times within 5 minutes but that was the only time I ever received calls from her. I didnt have the energy to phone back so we had an email sent to her letting her know due to her lack of care and all she risked my life by sending me home telling me some bull**** about shrinking the pregnancy with medicine. (She now had my email once again because she sent the blood results to that email as well before)

My fever finally broke, I had an Explarotomy Laproscopy, and they had to remove my left falopiun tube. I was finally send home after the long struggle in hospital. The staff at Life Glynnbrook saved my life and I am forever grateful.

However when returning home you would think the doctor would try to phone again from Alberton but she didnt. So again I lodged a complaint. I then receive a call from the hospital saying they cant do much it's all on the Dr I must take it up with her rooms.

They then asked me for my email and said the doctor tried to phone me numerous times and email me without anything? Which was a blatant lie. She only phone me when I was already in hospital after surgery after I had made the first complaint. The only email I ever received was the results.

Then the hospital takes my email to forward me the email from the doctor where she states she made a follow up appointment which I was never aware of because she said she will PHONE me and why did no one ever mention it on the calls I made to her office. She also said that she tried to phone numerous times which I have my phone records as proof that she didnt.

What angers me the most is she risked my life for an easy buck consultation instead of booking me into hospital immediately. Then she tries to lie. Take note the email she tried to send me which was also sent to the wrong adress was send while I was in ICU??? She had the correct email because she sent the blood to it. Now she tries to cover up her mistake with lies by sending me an email after the ectopic had burst to book an appointment with her office.

I nearly died it was a very scary moment in my life and the scare and stress isnt over. I now have to recover at home for 6 to 7 weeks. I have a major scar across my abdomen which will be there for life. I have no income because I had only been employed for 3 months at my new job so I dont have the leave to cover for my time off now. I have medical Bill's to pay as well. Yet this doctor has the decency to lie and try to push the blame away from her. We trust doctors with our lifes everyday and I trusted her with mine I believed when she said she could maybe give me medicine for it. When I mentioned this to other doctors while I hospital they were amazed and stunned with that and asked "so what she is going to shrink it and I will just **** it out?" There is no way possible that could be the case she needed to book me and then I wouldn't be in this situation of financial strain and emotional distress.

Dr P Phakoe doesn't deserve to be a doctor yet alone a gynaecologist. She only cares about making an easy buck not about the patients. Doctors should care about their patients yet she didnt she left me to worry and stress and end up in hospital nearly dying and for what. To lie and try to cover it up.