Mum can only say ‘four’ after routine operation
WHEN Caroline Sutton went into hospital for a routine operation, she never imagined it would leave her unable to speak.
It was the second time the mum-oftwo had undergone the procedure.
Caroline, a former mental nurse is now only able to say ‘four, four, four’ over and over again.
The 38-year-old, from Atherton, Wigan, was left with severe cognitive problems after the operation to treat a brain aneurysm in February.
The procedure, known as an endovascular aneurysm coiling procedure, only carries a two per cent risk of complication.
Caroline had the same successful procedure, to treat a different artery, 10 years earlier. She was told by doctors at The Walton Centre in Liverpool she would be home a couple of days after the surgery in February.
A clot formed during the treatment, causing damage to around a quarter of her brain on the left side.
The severe swelling was crushing her brain, meaning surgeons needed to perform a craniectomy, to remove a quarter of her skull to prevent further damage. The effect was catastrophic.
Caroline’s husband Chris was warned by doctors his wife may die.
There is no suggestion medics were at fault. Caroline was just tragically unlucky.
“I will never forget what the surgeon said to me at the time,” Chris said.
“He said it was very difficult to be optimistic about Caroline’s recovery and that the next 72 hours would be critical. I remember going home to tell the kids. It was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had to have. My eldest asked me if his mum was going to die and I had to say I didn’t know. It’s been very difficult.”
Caroline was left in an induced coma for three weeks, had two bouts of pneumonia, and experienced delirium following her surgery.
But she survived and is now in the process of rehabilitation at Trafford General Hospital.
As well as severe mobility and cognitive problems, Caroline requires daily speech and language therapy. She is only able to repeat the word ‘four.’
Caroline’s friends and family are having to fight for the intense level of daily therapy Caroline needs if she is going speak coherently again. Her family has been told she will need at least two years of inpatient rehabilitation. Like many services, funding for speech and language therapy has been slashed in recent years, meaning Caroline is only getting two therapy sessions a week in hospital. It is against NHS rules for patients to be treated by a private therapist as an NHS patient.
“It does feel like a daily battle to get the therapy Caroline needs,” said Chris, who has enlisted the help of his local MPs to help with his cause.
“There are no guarantees about her recovery. We’ve been told because Caroline is young that is a positive, but no one has a crystal ball.
“At the moment she is communicating through gestures and drawing pictures. That’s okay for now but not practical if she going to regain her independence.
“She’s still there. The person I have always loved is still there and that’s what keeps us going. She has faced this with grace and humour, and is still able to laugh at herself.”