As you may know my first experience of surgery was with another cosmetic surgery provider. I chose them simply because they had a clinic in Norwich (where I live) and the sales lady seemed quite friendly. I was very much on a conveyer belt in terms of the sales process and was only given the information that would want me to have the surgery! Hence I didn’t have any niggling fears and signed on the dotted line before I knew it. They may have mentioned what could go wrong but she certainly didn’t waste time on it and assured me the statistics were so low... Little did I know that I would soon become one of them.
Within weeks my procedure was carried out in 2005 and it soon turned into a nightmare, quite possibly one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I suffered from an infection in my right breast and had to have the implant removed. Three long, difficult months slowly moved along and I was operated on again. Relieved to be looking and feeling more normal was just amazing, but this was short lived and then the pain really started. About eighteen months passed and I needed a further operation to remove the excruciatingly painful capsule around the left breast.
In total four operations took place when so many others only have to go through it the once, I felt so alone and so unlucky to have suffered the way I did. I was left disfigured and in a great amount of pain, feeling low and self-conscious was just one side effect of my awful experience.
As the years continued to pass the capsulation just got worse… and so did the pain and disfigurement. I started looking around for operation costs and came across Spire Bushey Hospital through Dr Marcus Landauer who not only took time to understand my hellish experience but also time to explain further surgery and the options I had.
I must admit I took some persuading to have the surgery, and by that I mean looking in the mirror at my disfigured chest and feeling the continual pain from the capsulation. I was very scared about having further surgery, in case things got worse and not better, but to be honest they couldn’t have been much worse, I was beginning to feel desperate. Within a matter of weeks I was booked in.
As per all my visits to Spire Bushey Hospital, I felt everyone was extremely professional and my surgeon was such a lovely gentleman, so arriving on the day of my surgery was no different. I was the first one on the surgeon's list, after a lengthy travel through the night to get to the hospital (I knew I wouldn’t sleep if I arrived earlier and checked into a hotel so decided to take a lower cost transport option) for my 7am check-in time, I felt tired and frightened. I remember sitting in my grown prior to surgery fearing of what was to come, lightly shaking and teary I was taken to the operating theatre.
I remember waking up in the recovery room, where I was overwhelmed with the feeling of “oh my goodness, you have done it, you are now out the other side” which of course I knew was only half the battle because recovery was yet to come. I was so worried they would have found a problem within my breast tissue and been unable to put an implant in, I feared waking up with no implants, but luckily there they were, and I was relieved. I can’t deny I got rather upset and I will never forget a lovely female nurse with beautiful curly hair who touched me on the arm to make sure I was ok (I wish I had remembered her name!) all I remember was she was due to leave soon and she did a great job consoling me. Her kindness really touched me.
Then my journey to the ward took place and I was looked after by the most amazing nurse I could have ever wished for – it was like having a piece of my mum there with me that day, she was absolutely amazing. I cannot recall her name but she was so sweet, especially when the leg holders/DVT preventers kept making noise and keeping me awake, after not sleeping the night before all I wanted to do was rest, I was worn out. This nurse was so considerate and sweet, I was sad when her shift ended and I had to say goodbye, she did such an amazing job of looking after me, I couldn’t have wished for anything more. She is an absolute credit to Spire Bushey Hospital and I feel genuinely luck she was my assigned nurse for that day!
When I got home the days that followed enabled a good recovery, I did lots of sleeping and in no time at all I was up and about again.
I guess the reason this testimonial/essay is so delayed because of not knowing what words to use to explain simply how amazing my experience was. When I compare what I went through with the other cosmetic surgery provider naturally this comes out on top, but the way your staff looked after me from start to finish and the professionalism and care that everyone showed me left me speechless.
Travelling to Bushey and having my operation done there was quite possibly the best decision I could have made. I just wish more people would consider other options, that using other cosmetic surgery providers and the like, heavily sales-driven cosmetic companies that simply do not care! I know my situation was very unfortunate but what made it worse was the lack of support and ‘care’ given to me by the other cosmetic surgery provider. When I did have surgery to remove the infection and the implant the staff couldn’t get to my room quick enough to fill me in with horror stories of the surgery this surgeon had undertaken. To them my infection and the way the stitches simply ‘let go’ was directly his fault… Not something you want to hear when you are as frightened as I was. Also a very unprofessional way for staff to behave.
I have and will continue to recommend Spire Bushey Hospital to anyone that I hear is considering surgery.
You are an outstanding cosmetic surgery company and I will feel forever in your debt for mending my disfigured body and giving me my self-confidence back. I never thought there would be a bright light at the end of my cosmetic surgery nightmare, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing what you did for me. Sincere best wishes to all the staff at Bushey – and keep up the good work!
