Women’s Health Issues & Patient Rights
Women’s health issues are a hot topic right now. Politicians and citizens are weighing in on the issues and discussing things that are very personal to women, our health, on the open stage of live television to be broadcast throughout the world. For most women health issues are personal and something they would like to keep that way. Women by nature deal with health concerns on a monthly basis – menstrual cycles are not a walk in the park for most women. Childbirth is also stressful on a woman’s body and require changes that include everything from increased blood production, water retention, nutrients being redirected to the baby, and a giant life form growing inside of the womb. Having children is not easy on a woman’s body – regardless of whether or not it is personally enjoyable.
The same woman that are willing to endure pregnancy and child birth often have physical complications later in life due to that physical strain. When a baby grows in the womb organs are moved around and displaced in order to accommodate its growth. During labor and delivery large amounts of pressure are placed on organs and the pelvis in order for the child to be born. By pressure being placed on internal organs and them being displaced during pregnancy a prolapse of internal pelvic organs can take place.
A woman in Washington State, Leslie Wood, was a victim of a prolapsed organ and it caused her a great deal of pain. She complained for years and continued to seek medical advice and opinions. Finally after multiple test her OBGYN told her that she had a prolapse and needed surgery in order to fix it.
“I was in constant pain and discomfort. Something always felt wrong in there… I didn’t know why by it felt like something was falling down” – Leslie Wood
Leslie had surgery to fix her prolapsed organs and a hysterectomy. After her recovery she was optimistic that the surgery would solve her problems and make her feel healthy again. She had gone so long without feeling well that despite the pain from surgery – she could not wait to be recovered and start living life more fully. Unfortunately her dreams were dashed shortly after. Leslie started to feel discomfort again and despite multiple follow up visits she still has no answers. The doctor claims it was fixed but she still feels as though things are wrong and suffers from ongoing pain and discomfort.
Leslie is not alone. Many women have had surgery to fix pelvic prolapsed organs. Some have had transvaginal mesh implanted into them only to find that the side effects are worst than their initial symptoms. Complications from that surgery are so severe that women have had to be hospitalized and are dealing with the pain months after the initial procedure.
In order to stay safe and avoid risky procedures is to research. By the time the FDA finds out a product (like transvaginal mesh) is dangerous many people would have already suffered. Reading blog posts and chatter in news forums is the first place warning signs may pop up. For women like Leslie the challenge is more than health. It is also financial. She has limited health insurance and is still paying off bills from the first surgery. Now she can’t afford to go back to the doctor to figure out what is wrong and if she needs a recovery or second surgery in order to fix it. For her and other women in her situation the only option then becomes contacting an attorney like Janet, Jenner, & Suggs LLC that specializes in medical cases to learn how they can help them afford to get well. With the rising cost of health care that is a question many people in the US have to ask – can they afford to fix the problems caused by their doctor? For people like Leslie the answer is no so for now she suffers daily and hopes that eventually it will get better.
