Child recovers but her mother suffers
Little Addie Torok’s recovery from childhood cancer should have been the classical story with a happy ending.
But recovery is taking much longer for her mother, Tracy, whose own pain took second place and went undiagnosed and untreated for years.
Torok was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after her daughter became seriously ill.
She told Midcentral District Health Board members that, for nearly four years, she felt that label led to her not being taken seriously about her own physical pain.
Torok had a history of irritable bowel syndrome, and after Addie’s birth, was told she had an irritable uterus as well.
She experienced intense cramps and abdominal pain.
‘‘My cramps became horrendous. I would rather go through labour.’’
Torok said while she was caring for Addie at Starship children’s hospital in Auckland, she just had to handle the pain.
Back in Palmerston North, and over the course of 31⁄2 years, she had 21 admissions or visits to hospital, not counting visits to her GP.
Time and again, she was sent home without a treatment plan, on high doses of painkillers, to look after her three children.
‘‘I started to believe mental illness was being seen as the reason for my presentations.’’
Finally, in 2016, a scan showed she had fibroids on her uterus, and she had a hysterectomy.
‘‘I have not been in hospital since.’’
However, she has continued to suffer pain, and was referred to the Wellington Pain Service in the absence of a local chronic pain service.
Addie, now 7, doesn’t remember her illness and is doing well.
Torok’s story for the board was not intended as a complaint, but she did make a plea, that if patients were turning up at the emergency department over and over again, this should be flagged,
and proper tests ordered.
Board member Barbara Robson described her experiences as the outcome of a ‘‘patch and dispatch’’ attitude to providing acute care and sending people home.
General manager for quality and innovation Judith Catherwood said her story showed that it was important for health workers to consider the wellbeing of whole families, of the whole person, and to provide a diagnosis earlier for patients attending hospital frequently.
There was a lot Midcentral could learn regarding people who ‘‘have both mental health and physical health concerns’’.
Chief executive Kathryn Cook said improving technology should make it easier to see
‘‘I started to believe mental illness was being seen as the reason for my presentations.’’ Tracy Torok
patient records, identify repeat episodes, and get diagnosis and treatment under way sooner.
Clinical council chairman Simon Allan said it was embarrassing that Midcentral Health did not have a co-ordinated service for pain management.
A business case was being prepared for a ‘‘living well with pain’’ service.