29-year-old after brain surgery: “I slept on pillows full of blood”

A turbulent situation in clinics, burnt-out nursing staff, frustrated doctors, patients left alone – the grievances in the German healthcare system can no longer be overlooked. Some of them have been exacerbated by the Corona situation. In the focus on the sick health system, FOCUS online gives people a voice this week who want to describe their experiences in clinics and doctor’s offices.

Jana M. also followed our call:

“It feels like there hasn’t been a drop in the issues surrounding health care for years. As we know, the fault is definitely not with the staff. But when in doubt, they are the front that gets everything. My experience at the university hospital was definitely one of the less pleasant ones, even though I fully understand the nursing staff.

Lost ten pounds in a few days

I had brain surgery, a tumor was removed. The first difficulty was that my chewing muscle was cut through and I could hardly open my mouth and not really chew. However, I did not get anything that I could have eaten in my condition. I lost around ten kilos in just a few days. Due to the many painkillers, the anesthesia, the lack of food, I also vomited every night.

There was also the problem with my bed neighbor. I seem to remember that she should have stayed in the intensive care unit, but there was no more space. She had to be treated with antibiotics around the clock, but the nurses didn’t hear anything from the signals from the devices. So I had to use my button to sound the alarm every time.

Slept on the bleeding pillow

A minor problem was that I had to sleep on my pillow covered in blood from the surgery most of the time. Probably hardly hygienic. A very caring carer quickly put a clean towel over my head at least in between. Not fantastic, but it was something.

However, I saw the biggest problem with the dismissal. Because my tumor crushed the optic nerves, I had incredible balance problems. However, until my release I was not even allowed to go outside or was mobilized. But my letter of discharge says that all of this was done. I was lucky that two friends lived/worked with me for weeks. Without the support, I might have broken my neck on the first flight of stairs…

The core problem: internal communication

I then waited weeks for the diagnosis of my tumor until I called the clinic myself – after I had received a letter asking whether I would like to donate the tissue for research. It was only then that I found out that the result was already available before I was released – but nobody had told me.

At first I asked myself why I had to get over a brain tumor at the age of 29. In the end I was happy. Because I was or am still fit and I certainly put up with the whole thing and recovered much better than someone with decades more life experience when it comes down to it.

The lack of staff (by the way, I was already in the spine ward because of lack of space. The nurses said they had to look after 30 patients in pairs at night and only one of them was trained with intensive care unit equipment) is one thing. The other is internal communication. I see a huge problem here. I hope I never have to have that experience again.”