Cassandra Forrester still has a mark on her head five days after she collapsed on the floor of her bathroom and was vomiting blood.
It’s a situation she says she shouldn’t have ended up in.
“I have two kids and if my husband wasn’t home I could’ve died and I feel that they should be taking more protocol instead of rushing people out of emerg,” said Forrester.
Two days before her medical emergency, she went to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital’s emergency room after experiencing significant abdominal pain.
Five hours later, she was sent home without a definitive diagnosis but after being given muscle relaxants, anti-inflammation drugs and prescription painkillers.
“Nobody touched my stomach area or my back. I was pretty much just sent home higher than a kite on drugs,” said Forrester.
Then the next morning she was still feeling ill when she suddenly collapsed and started vomiting.
“I was confused. I didn’t really know what was going on and then she started puking up blood so I just called 911 right away,” said Jacob Farqhuar, her husband.
An ambulance rushed her to the hospital’s emergency room.
This time she was admitted, diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and was treated for a stomach ulcer. She remained in the hospital for a couple of days.
She says she was fortunate her husband was home when she collapsed.
“I’m lucky to be alive today cause I could’ve died in front of my two children,” said Forrester.
In a statement, Island Health says it can’t discuss this case because of patient privacy but says “we regret this person’s experience with Island Health did not meet her expectation.”
They recommend laying a complaint as it “allows Island Health to constantly evaluate and improve our services, systems and policies.”
Forrester says she will file a formal complaint with the Health Authority and she just hopes others won’t find themselves leaving the hospital before they get the help they need.
Kendall Hanson
