Last night at 0300 in the morning, my best friend was called to her daughters aide who was in the bathroom. By the tone of her voice..something was seriously wrong! She ran to her side to see blood all over the floor, and a barely conscious 18 year old daughter! White as a sheet and begging her mother not to let her die....
You see, this 18 year old precious baby girl of my best friend got pregant...and was so ashamed and scared that she went to an abortion clinic that was less that reputable under advisement of a friend of hers. The friends dropped her off and came to pick her up later...even then she didn't feel things were going right and felt very weak! The friends told her to never tell her parents what happened "they just won't understand..this is best!"....So of course...the parents...my best friend who would give her own life for her childrens safety...were not told....
She was rushed to the ER to find that she barely had enough blood to live, and in about another 2 hours would be dead for sure. The MD's were shocked that she was still alive! They told my friend what caused this...and my poor friend (who has lost 3 of her most loved residents at our work this week!) could only weep and say "why didn't she just come to me, I believe in choice...even though it may not be my choice and never was...but I would have taken her somewhere safe!". By this time her daughter was unresponsive so the answers were not there...she was so out of it that she couldn't get a hug, a kiss, anything from this daughter she loves...this daughter that means the world to her! This daughter who was dying in front of her eyes!
Lucky, and by only the Grace of a higher power, she did regain consciousness and was doing a little better...but then the second probelm...INSURANCE! They actually told my friend to take her home and bring her back every 6 hours for a blood transfusion!!!! WHAT!?!?!?! How can this happen!!!!! She almost died, and you are sending her home to only be brought back every 6 hours for a transfusion!?!?! Isn't there some sort of aid they can get to have her daughter there??????
So as it stands, my friend is going to have to take her every 6 hours to the ER which is quite a ways from home till further notice!
The nurse and mother in me is so sad and angry! Angry because I know exactly what she feels..the "why didn't you confide in me..I love you!" part...the sorrow over "why didn't I see this comming, I failed as a mother to protect my child!"...and the ultimate suffering...about watching your own child fade in front of your eyes and there is nothing NOTHING you can do!
Please..no matter your stance of right to live/right to choose, be there for these young scared girls...to guide them into getting real medical help...with their own DOCTOR first and foremost who knows them..it can save a life...sometimes more than that....It kind of scares me that nobody stops to think that before you go into a clinic, or woman's crisis facility, or any other place that deals with family planning or what not...no one THINKS to have them visit their own personal MD for answers and advise???
We will be lucky if she will ever have children...it is looking bad..a hysterectomy may be done soon due to too much damage...18 and the ability to have children...lost...over a mistake that was kept secret! Instill this in your own kids too....if it wasn't for those girls that stupidly took her in...this may NOT have happened! They need to be seen by their MD before any choice is made....
Please don't make this into a debate guys, please...I just want us all to think of how to prevent all this before it gets started...before pregancy or what to do just after for these terrified young ladies...your thoughts are appreciated!
You know, it's just truly bizarre that she was sent home-------she could have a perforated uterus; she could be septic. She needs not only to be transfused; I think she needs an emergency D&C to check for retained POC and possible perforation. She also needs volume resucitation as well as antibiotics (empiric) pending cultures. She may have a wicked case of PID by now.
I live in Oregon. Gosh, I hope that this (the ER that discharged her with instructions to return q6h for blood transfusions) was not our famous local HMO, who shall remain unnamed but starts with a "K"........
My thoughts and prayers are with this poor girl and her family.
I wonder; was the actual termination of pregancy a legal one, and did the young girl leave early, perhaps, against medical advice? I can't imagine having to resort to an illegal AB in this day and age. There are Planned Parenthood clinics everywhere for the uninsured and underinsured.
I know that where I used to work (same HMO starting with a "K", only in CA) they used to do therapeutic ABs every Friday in our operating room. These girls did not need parental permission, and they skipped school to come there in the morning to have an AB, so that they could get home at their regular time, with no one the wiser.
I didn't participate in the procedures, but the one per diem nurse who did--she came in every Friday, and, in fact, only worked Fridays, and had been doing so for years---saw her 12 year old next door NEIGHBOR'S name on the surgery schedule. Imagine the dilemma she faced! I don't recall the decision she made (whether to participate or not; I do believe she went and talked to the girl pre-op, but can't remember if she was actually in the OR with her.) I think the hardest part would be if something went wrong---then having to face those parents afterwards, who thought their daughter was in school all day. I can recalll more than one perforation; this was in the days before ultrasound was readily available intraop, and people used to lie about their dates---the docs would get in there and find that the pregancy was far more advanced than the patient alluded to (and, thus, the uterus far more friable.)
My thoughts and prayers are with this young girl, her mom, and everyone involved. This is a terrible tragedy. I plan to share this story with my own almost 13 year old daughter and 14 year old son. Please keep us updated.
This so called friend that advised her to go to shady abortion clinic, that dropped her off there and did not stay with her. This same friend did not listen when she said she did not feel well and advised her not to tell her parents. This person is not much of a friend and I can't help if wonder if something illegal is going on here. I know the police should be consulted about the this clinic and if it is not legal charges should be brought. If it is a licensed clinic then the family needs to get a lawyer.
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
Thanks guys...I have no new news yet, I knew that my friend has been on the phone all the time the last two days so I chose to wait so she could get some rest. The daughter had convulsions and was septic and admitted to a hospital.
I talked with my friend and the clinic was shut down, and she already has paperwork for malpractice for the clinic and the hospital that told her to go home! (bwt...no it doesn't start with a K, it is WV that sent her out, but according to my friend she just didn't know enough about the laws to find it odd that she was discharged...the other hospital the girl was taken to told her, I told her...so now she knows).
Thanks again...you kind words of support are much appreciated! I will be gone till 7/6 so I will update when I get back...hopefully all will be well by then...I hope...
We have something called Family PACT and it covers my birthcontrol, since as a student I'm "low income". My friends told me that in our state we get abortions covered by emergency Medi-cal. Not sure if there is anything like that in Oregon.
Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.
Hi
This whole story just makes me so sad!! I feel so bad for this whole family.
My thoughts and prayers are with them.
How can t his sort of thing happen in a hospital--in my hospital, no one can be turned away from our ER.Everyone --money or not--insurance or not--must be admitted if they need admitting.
Specializes in Emergency nursing, critical care nursing..
This sounds almost UNBELIEVABLE! What hospital in their right minds, would send a patient away who almost bled to death! To bring back every six hours for a blood transfusion?? that is un-heard of! What if she has a reaction to the blood? How would they know that she would still need blood after two or so units? You get a repeat HCT an hour post transfusion, if you need more you get more then may have to have calcium supplements IV.
I am an ICU nurse, and this story sounds fake.
Not in the daughter almost bleeding to death, but on the hospital response. She should be admitted to ICU, and closley monitored! With that much blood loss, she would of had arrythmias for sure! Her labs and ABGs would of been very messed up!
Either part of the story is missing, or the hospital isn't normal!
Last night at 0300 in the morning, my best friend was called to her daughters aide who was in the bathroom. By the tone of her voice..something was seriously wrong! She ran to her side to see blood all over the floor, and a barely conscious 18 year old daughter! White as a sheet and begging her mother not to let her die....
You see, this 18 year old precious baby girl of my best friend got pregant...and was so ashamed and scared that she went to an abortion clinic that was less that reputable under advisement of a friend of hers. The friends dropped her off and came to pick her up later...even then she didn't feel things were going right and felt very weak! The friends told her to never tell her parents what happened "they just won't understand..this is best!"....So of course...the parents...my best friend who would give her own life for her childrens safety...were not told....
She was rushed to the ER to find that she barely had enough blood to live, and in about another 2 hours would be dead for sure. The MD's were shocked that she was still alive! They told my friend what caused this...and my poor friend (who has lost 3 of her most loved residents at our work this week!) could only weep and say "why didn't she just come to me, I believe in choice...even though it may not be my choice and never was...but I would have taken her somewhere safe!". By this time her daughter was unresponsive so the answers were not there...she was so out of it that she couldn't get a hug, a kiss, anything from this daughter she loves...this daughter that means the world to her! This daughter who was dying in front of her eyes!
Lucky, and by only the Grace of a higher power, she did regain consciousness and was doing a little better...but then the second probelm...INSURANCE! They actually told my friend to take her home and bring her back every 6 hours for a blood transfusion!!!! WHAT!?!?!?! How can this happen!!!!! She almost died, and you are sending her home to only be brought back every 6 hours for a transfusion!?!?! Isn't there some sort of aid they can get to have her daughter there??????
So as it stands, my friend is going to have to take her every 6 hours to the ER which is quite a ways from home till further notice!
The nurse and mother in me is so sad and angry! Angry because I know exactly what she feels..the "why didn't you confide in me..I love you!" part...the sorrow over "why didn't I see this comming, I failed as a mother to protect my child!"...and the ultimate suffering...about watching your own child fade in front of your eyes and there is nothing NOTHING you can do!
Please..no matter your stance of right to live/right to choose, be there for these young scared girls...to guide them into getting real medical help...with their own DOCTOR first and foremost who knows them..it can save a life...sometimes more than that....It kind of scares me that nobody stops to think that before you go into a clinic, or woman's crisis facility, or any other place that deals with family planning or what not...no one THINKS to have them visit their own personal MD for answers and advise???
We will be lucky if she will ever have children...it is looking bad..a hysterectomy may be done soon due to too much damage...18 and the ability to have children...lost...over a mistake that was kept secret! Instill this in your own kids too....if it wasn't for those girls that stupidly took her in...this may NOT have happened! They need to be seen by their MD before any choice is made....
Please don't make this into a debate guys, please...I just want us all to think of how to prevent all this before it gets started...before pregancy or what to do just after for these terrified young ladies...your thoughts are appreciated!
I am in my junior year of nursing school and this story scares me to death. I thought the focus of our career was to feel compassion and provide treatment for all. I live in Klamath Falls, Oregon and I want to know what hsp did this-it's unthinkable and inhumane. It angers me that profit takes precedence over life. Your friend and her daughter are in my thoughts and prayers as well.
This situation is tragic on so many levels. Like Steph, I don't understand how this type of thing can happen in this day & age of reproductive freedom. Schools and parents need to include the risks associated with illegal and/or irreputable abortion clinics when teaching sex ed to their kids. It should be standard protocol to show movies or documentaries about real young women who have died due to poorly-performed abortions. Not to scare them away from abortion, but to encourage them to talk to a health professional, even anonymously, who can direct them to a safe and sanitary place to have the procedure.
Triage, I sincerely hope that everything works out for your friend and her daughter. How truly sad that she may need a hysterectomy at such a young age. I know I speak for everyone here when I say we are looking forward to your update.
This is horrible. As others have said, I think a lawsuit for both the clinic and hospital are in order. And perhaps the media can help, to raise awareness of this type of problem?
Last night at 0300 in the morning, my best friend was called to her daughters aide who was in the bathroom. By the tone of her voice..something was seriously wrong! She ran to her side to see blood all over the floor, and a barely conscious 18 year old daughter! White as a sheet and begging her mother not to let her die....
stevierae
1,085 Posts
You know, it's just truly bizarre that she was sent home-------she could have a perforated uterus; she could be septic. She needs not only to be transfused; I think she needs an emergency D&C to check for retained POC and possible perforation. She also needs volume resucitation as well as antibiotics (empiric) pending cultures. She may have a wicked case of PID by now.
I live in Oregon. Gosh, I hope that this (the ER that discharged her with instructions to return q6h for blood transfusions) was not our famous local HMO, who shall remain unnamed but starts with a "K"........
My thoughts and prayers are with this poor girl and her family.
I wonder; was the actual termination of pregancy a legal one, and did the young girl leave early, perhaps, against medical advice? I can't imagine having to resort to an illegal AB in this day and age. There are Planned Parenthood clinics everywhere for the uninsured and underinsured.
I know that where I used to work (same HMO starting with a "K", only in CA) they used to do therapeutic ABs every Friday in our operating room. These girls did not need parental permission, and they skipped school to come there in the morning to have an AB, so that they could get home at their regular time, with no one the wiser.
I didn't participate in the procedures, but the one per diem nurse who did--she came in every Friday, and, in fact, only worked Fridays, and had been doing so for years---saw her 12 year old next door NEIGHBOR'S name on the surgery schedule. Imagine the dilemma she faced! I don't recall the decision she made (whether to participate or not; I do believe she went and talked to the girl pre-op, but can't remember if she was actually in the OR with her.) I think the hardest part would be if something went wrong---then having to face those parents afterwards, who thought their daughter was in school all day. I can recalll more than one perforation; this was in the days before ultrasound was readily available intraop, and people used to lie about their dates---the docs would get in there and find that the pregancy was far more advanced than the patient alluded to (and, thus, the uterus far more friable.)