Cancer sufferer’s bag pain
A cancer patient is often covered in her own faeces, because a hospital is failing to give her the correct colostomy bags.
Jacqui Davies, 57, says the bags she has either tear at her skin or cause her constant pain, due to an allergic reaction.
‘‘Imagine sitting down at a cafe to have lunch and you feel the bag part from your skin. You are covered in s .... ’’
Late deliveries also meant she has had to use bags until they were at bursting point.
Her protests have forced Palmerston North Hospital to apologise and state it will take all steps possible to ensure no other patient has to go through the same ordeal.
Davies, who lives in Eketahuna, 40km north of Masterton, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2015. The past few months have been particularly difficult.
She had to get surgery because the cancer had eaten a hole in her bladder. That meant she had no choice but to use colostomy bags. However, Davies says there have been problems since day one.
She had to use one bag to the point of bursting because her delivery had not arrived, becoming so desperate she almost had to use a plastic bag. ‘‘I was so close it was not funny. Nobody should have to live like this.’’
The medication she is on gives her diarrhoea, meaning she has to go through more bags than normal. When she raised her concerns with hospital staff she was simply told her delivery was not due yet. ‘‘I don’t know what it is about Palmerston North Hospital. Why do you have to argue about everything?’’
One batch of bags sparked an allergic reaction, causing her constant pain, but she had no alternative but to use them. ‘‘I can deal with the cancer, I just can’t deal with this pain. Sometimes you want to curl up in a corner and do nothing.‘‘
Davies accused the hospital of using the cheapest bags they could get, when there were hundreds of products available. She has since been given drainable bags, which have helped, but have not completely solved her concerns.
She still did her own firewood and mowed lawns. ‘‘You don’t let it beat you. You fight – you fight like hell‘‘
Davies felt it was necessary to speak up for those who might be going through the same thing, but were too scared to speak up.
The Midcentral District Health Board has acknowledged Davies’ frustrations. Its service manager Cushla Lucas said they were ‘‘very concerned’’. ‘‘We acknowledge Ms Davies’ frustration over the delay in responding to her requests and we have apologised to her.
‘‘This situation is not acceptable and that we have not met the standard of care we would expect of ourselves. We will be take all steps possible to ensure that no other patient is put into this position.’’
Lucas acknowledged there were options for the type of bags available. Bag choice was made with the patient, she said. ‘‘As a result, we have made arrangements for her to receive a product better suited to her needs. That has now been supplied to her.’’