Years of complications and dismissals led to the removal of an appendix mass. Now Lily is left with major scarring to her abdomen and a fear of eating; she turned to Amrit Dhaliwal of Medical Accident Group to help with her claim.
Lily’s case dates to October 2012 where she was experiencing abdominal pain and gastric-related symptoms; staff at Arrowe Park Hospital suspected it was symptoms of Crones Disease and prescribed a food substitute. Lily lost a significant amount of weight but continued to suffer with gastric problems; her diagnosis of Crones Disease was reiterated by both her GP and the hospital, and no advice was given.
Six months later, Lily underwent several colonoscopies and was diagnosed with Diverticulitis; “dark material” of the appendix was biopsied but there was no follow-up, so Lily assumed there were no concerns.
From December 2014 to October 2016, Lily simply got on with her life and learned to live with the gastric problems. However, when she detected a lump in her right lower abdomen, she was referred to Spire Murrayfield Hospital for a suspected hernia and needed surgery. After coming round from the anaesthetic, Lily learnt that the surgery did not go ahead as staff were concerned the lump was not a hernia and that she needed a CT scan.
Lily then underwent “full” and “open” surgery to remove the mass, leaving her with a colostomy bag and major scarring. Sadly, Lily has developed a fear of eating in case she becomes ill again and has lost an unnecessary amount of weight due to her initial diet from 2013, when the appendicular mass was first discovered.
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Lily believes that, had the mass been acted upon when it was initially detected, she would have avoided years of pain and suffering. It would have also been far less damaging to her mental health and relationship with food.
Amrit Dhaliwal investigated the claim. After obtaining a condition and prognosis report and arranging further tests with a gastroenterologist, Amrit successfully reached a settlement of over £45,000.
Amrit said: “I was devastated to learn of the physical and emotional impacts of Lily’s experiences. Although no amount of money can reverse what has happened, I’m pleased that we were able to secure compensation for her pain and suffering over the years.
Following the case, Lily said: “I can’t thank Amrit enough; she has been excellent right throughout my case. She has been very kind and explained every step of the case to me; I really couldn’t have found anyone better.”
